breakfast was waiting for them in the cook tent.

The lads were performing the same acts in which they had
appeared the previous season; that is, doing the flying rings
as a team, while Phil was a bareback rider and Teddy a tumbler.
Something had happened to the bucking mule that Teddy had
ridden for two seasons, and the manager had reluctantly been
forced to take this act from his bill.

"I'm thinking of getting another mule for you, if we can pick up
such a thing," said Mr. Sparling at breakfast that morning.

Teddy's eyes twinkled. He had in mind a surprise for the
manager, but was not quite ready to tell of his surprise yet.
All during the winter the lad had been working with a donkey that
he had picked up near Edmeston. His training of the animal had
been absolutely in secret, so that none of his school fellows,
save Phil, knew anything about it.

"All right," answered Teddy carelessly. "Wait till we get to
Edmeston and see what we can pick up there."

Mr. Sparling bent a shrewd, inquiring glance on the impassive
face of the Circus Boy. If he suspected Teddy had something in
mind that he was not giving voice to, Mr. Sparling did not
mention it. By this time he knew both boys well enough to form a
pretty clear idea when there was anything of a secret nature in
the wind.

"We'll never get another mule like Jumbo," he sighed.