under and disappeared within.



CHAPTER VIII

PHIL MAKES A NEW FRIEND

"Tweetle! Tweetle!"

Two rippling blasts from the ringmaster's whistle notified the
show people that the performance was on. In moved the procession
for the Grand Entry, as the silken curtains separating the
paddock from the big top slowly fell apart.

Phil, from his lofty perch on the head of old Emperor, peering
through the opening of the bonnet in which he was concealed,
could not repress an exclamation of admiration. It was a
splendid spectacle--taken from a story of ancient Rome--
that was sweeping majestically about the arena to the music
of an inspiring tune into which the big circus band had
suddenly launched.

Gayly-caparisoned, nervous horses pranced and reared; huge
wagons, gorgeous under their coat of paint and gold, glistened
in the afternoon sunlight that fell softly through the canvas top
and gave the peculiar rattling sound so familiar to the lover of
the circus as they moved majestically into the arena; elephants
trumpeted shrilly and the animals back in the menagerie tent sent
up a deafening roar of protest. After months of quiet in their