Chapter XV.
Our Circus.
Dave had been to town and came home full of circus. He sat on theground beside the tubs while Mother and Sal were washing, and ravedabout the riding and the tumbling he had seen. He talkedenthusiastically to Joe about it every day for three weeks. Dave rosevery high in Joe's estimation.
Raining. All of us inside. Sal on the sofa playing the concertina;Dad squatting on the edge of a flat stone at the corner of thefireplace; Dave on another opposite; both gazing into the fire, whichwas almost out, and listening intently to the music; the dog, drippingwet, coiled at their feet, shivering; Mother sitting dreamily at thetable, her palm pressed against her cheek, also enjoying the music.
Sal played on until the concertina broke. Then there was a silence.
For a while Dave played with a piece of charcoal. At last he spoke.
"Well," he said, looking at Dad, "what about this circus?"
Dad chuckled.
"But what d' y' THINK?"
"Well" (Dad paused), "yes" (chuckled again)--"very well."
"A CIRCUS!" Sal put in--"a PRETTY circus YOUS'D have!"
Dave fired up.
"YOU go and ride the red heifer, strad-legs, same as y' did yesterday,"he snarled, "an' let all the country see y'."
Sal blushed.
Then to Dad:
"I'm certain, with Paddy Maloney in it, we could do it right enough,and make it pay, too."
"Very well, then," said Dad, "very well. There's th' tarpaulin there,and plenty bales and old bags whenever you're ready."
Dave was delighted, and he and Dad and Joe ran out to see where thetent could be pitched, and ran in again wetter than the dog.
One day a circus-tent went up in our yard. It attracted a lot ofnotice. Two of the Johnsons and old Anderson and others rode in ondraught-horses and inspected it. And Smith's spring-cart horse, thatused to be driven by every day, stopped in the middle of the lane andstared at it; and, when Smith stood up and belted him with the doubleof the reins, he bolted and upset the cart over a stump. It was n't avery white tent. It was made of bags and green bushes, and Dad andDave and Paddy Maloney were two days putting it up.
We all assisted in the preparations for the circus. Dad built seatsout of forked sticks and slabs, and Joe gathered jam-tins which Motherfilled with fat and moleskin wicks to light up with.
Everyone in the district knew about our circus, and longed for theopening night. It came. A large fire near the slip-rails, shiningacross the lane and lighting up a corner of the wheat-paddock, showedthe way in.
Dad stood at the door to take the money. The Andersons--eleven ofthem--arrived first. They did n't walk straight in. They hung aboutfor a while. Then Anderson sidled up to Dad and talked into his ear."Oh! that's all right," Dad said, and passed them all in without takingany money.
Next came the Maloneys, and, as Paddy belonged to the circus, they alsowalked in without paying, and secured front seats.
Then Jim Brown and Sam Holmes, and Walter Nutt, and Steve Burton, andeight others strolled along. Dad owed all of them money for binding,which they happened to remember. "In yous go," Dad said, and in thelot went. The tent filled quickly, and the crowd awaited the openingact.
Paddy Maloney came forward with his hair oiled and combed, and rang thecow-bell.
Dave, bare-footed and bare-headed, in snow-white moles and red shirt,entered standing majestically upon old Ned's back. He got a greatreception. But Ned was tired and refused to canter. He jogged lazilyround the ring. Dave shouted at him and rocked about. He was veryunsteady. Paddy Maloney flogged Ned with the leg-rope. But Ned hadbeen flogged often before. He got slower and slower. Suddenly, hestood and cocked his tail, and to prevent himself falling, Dave jumpedoff. Then the audience yelled while Dave dragged Ned into thedressing-room and punched him on the nose.
Paddy Maloney made a speech. He said: "Well, the next item on theprogramme'll knock y' bandy. Keep quiet, you fellows, now, an' y'llsee somethin'."
They saw Joe. He stepped backwards into the ring, pulling at a string.There was something on the string. "Come on!" Joe said, tugging. The"something" would n't come. "Chuck 'im in!" Joe called out. Then thepet kangaroo was heaved in through the doorway, and fell on its headand raised the dust. A great many ugly dogs rushed for it savagely.The kangaroo jumped up and bounded round the ring. The dogs pursuedhim noisily. "GERROUT!" Joe shouted, and the crowd stood up and becamevery enthusiastic. The dogs caught the kangaroo, and were dragging himto earth when Dad rushed in and kicked them in twos to the top of thetent. Then, while Johnson expostulated with Dad for laming his brindleslut, the kangaroo dived through a hole in the tent and rushed into thehouse and into the bedroom, and sprang on the bed among a lot of babiesand women's hats.
When the commotion subsided Paddy Maloney rang the cow-bell again, andDave and "Podgy," the pet sheep, rode out on Nugget. Podgy sat withhind-legs astride the horse and his head leaning back against Dave'schest. Dave (standing up) bent over him with a pair of shears in hishand. He was to shear Podgy as the horse cantered round.
Paddy Maloney touched Nugget with the whip, and off hewent--"rump-ti-dee, dump-ti-dee." Dave rolled about a lot the firsttime round, but soon got his equilibrium. He brandished the shears andplunged the points of them into Podgy's belly-wool--also into Podgy'sskin. "Bur-UR-R!" Podgy blurted and struggled violently. Dave beganto topple about. He dropped the shears. The audience guffawed. ThenDave jumped; but Podgy's horns got caught in his clothes and madetrouble. Dave hung on one side of the horse and the sheep dangled onthe other. Dave sang out, so did Podgy. And the horse stopped andsnorted, then swung furiously round and round until five or six pairsof hands seized his head and held him.
Dave did n't repeat the act. He ran away holding his clothes together.
It was a very successful circus. Everyone enjoyed it and wished to seeit again--everyone but the Maloneys. They said it was a swindle, andran Dad down because he did n't divide with Paddy the 3s. 6d. he tookat the door.