Page 153 - A Little Bush Maid

it’s smelly here. Let’s go into the circus."

The circus tent was fairly crowded as Norah and her father made their way
in and took the seats reserved for them, under the direction of another

official in dingy scarlet. Round the ring the tiers of seats rose abruptly, each
tier a mass of eager, interested faces. A lame seller of fruit and drinks
hobbled about crying his wares; at intervals came the "pop" of a lemonade

bottle, and there was a steady crunching of peanut shells. The scent of
orange peel rose over the circus smell--that weird compound of animal and

sawdust and acetylene lamps. Tn the midst of all was the ring, with its
surface banked up towards the outer edge.

They had hardly taken their seats when the band suddenly struck up in its
perch near the entrance, and the company entered to the inspiring strains.

First came the elephant, very lazy and stately--gorgeously caparisoned now,
with a gaily attired "mahout" upon his neck. Behind him came the camel;
and the cages with the other occupants of the menagerie, looking either

bored or fierce. They circled round the ring and then filed out.

The band struck up a fresh strain and in cantered a lovely lady on a chestnut
horse. She wore a scarlet hat and habit, and looked to Norah very like a
Christmas card. Round the ring she dashed gaily, and behind her came

another lady equally beautiful in a green habit, on a black horse; and a
third, wearing a habit of pale blue plush who managed a piebald horse.

Then came some girls in bright frocks, on beautiful ponies; and some boys,
in tights, on other ponies; and then men, also in tights of every colour in the
rainbow, who rode round with bored expressions, as if it were really too

slow a thing merely to sit on a horse’s back, instead of pirouetting there
upon one foot. They flashed round once or twice and were gone, and Norah

sat back and gasped, feeling that she had had a glimpse into another
world--as indeed she had.

A little figure whirled into the ring--a tiny girl on a jet-black pony. She was
sitting sideways at first, but as the pony settled into its stride round the ring

she suddenly leaped to her feet and, standing poised, kissed her hands gaily
to the audience. Then she capered first on one foot, then on another; she sat