The Tale of Old Dog Spot Part 10

At last they entered the village. Main Street was thronged with people.

Carriages and wagons of all sorts lined the road on both sides--glistening buggies with red ribbons tied in bows about the whip stocks, old lumber wagons with chairs set behind the driver's seat.

Johnnie Green had never seen such a gathering--not even at the fair.

"The whole county's here!" he exclaimed. "I hope we'll find a good place to stop, where we can see the parade."

They did. Farmer Green backed the bays into the last open s.p.a.ce in the gutter. And Johnnie Green was greatly relieved.

The crowd made such a roar, with its talking and laughter, that old Spot cowered down under the carryall and almost wished he had stayed at home.

The cries of men selling peanuts and popcorn, squawkers and toy balloons, mingled with the shouts of small boys and the squeals of their sisters.

"Goodness!" Spot murmured. "What a racket! It hurts my ears."

A moment later he stuck his nose out from beneath the carriage and burst into a mournful howl.

"Keep still!" Farmer Green ordered.

Little did he know, then, what made Spot cry like that. But in a minute or two Johnnie Green heard the same thing that Spot's sharp ears had caught first. And Johnnie howled too.

"Hear the band!" he shouted. "Hurrah! The parade's coming!"

XXI

THE CIRCUS PARADE

The crash and blare of the circus band came nearer and nearer. Johnnie Green craned his neck out of the carryall, as it stood at the side of Main Street, and tried to get a glimpse of the parade.

Old dog Spot did not howl again, but stole out beside the bays and looked up the street too.

Soon a man with a tall, s.h.i.+ny hat on his head rode a proud, prancing horse around a corner. And behind him six more horses with gay plumes on their bridles made a wide turn as they swung into view. On top of the high red wagon that they drew sat the band, all in red suits and playing away like mad.

Spot couldn't help whining. Although the bandsmen were playing the liveliest air they knew, music always made Spot sad. And he was glad when the band wagon had pa.s.sed on.

Other wagons, blazoned with red and gold, followed.

Old dog Spot's hair began to rise along his back and he sniffed, growling. He had noticed a strange mixture of the queerest odors. He didn't know, for a moment, whether to run away or not.

"Oh, see the tiger!" Johnnie Green shouted. "And the lions! And the monkeys! And the bear!"

"_See_ them!" Spot yelped. "I say, _smell_ them!"

He felt better when the animals in their cages had gone creaking past.

And he forgot his uneasiness as he watched dozens of horses, ridden by folk whose bespangled clothes glittered in the sunlight.

Then came a funny man in a little, two-wheeled cart, driving a donkey.

This was the clown. He bowed and smiled to everybody, right and left, and even threw kisses at some of the girls. His painted face, his bag-like clothes, and his odd little round, pointed hat made Johnnie Green laugh. And to Johnnie's great delight, when the clown saw Spot he whistled.

Old Spot was all for das.h.i.+ng out into the street. But Farmer Green wouldn't let him do that. Spot had to be content with barking at the clown.

Then a man on a brisk little horse came down the street. He had a big voice. And he kept using it all the time, shouting so everybody would be sure to hear, "Look out for your bosses! The elephants are coming!"

And they came. The elephants came. When Spot saw their huge forms plodding down Main Street he dived beneath the carryall again and s.h.i.+vered until the last one had pa.s.sed along.

The bays stirred restlessly as the elephants neared them. And the younger of the pair snorted with fear.

Farmer Green talked to them in a soothing voice and told them there wasn't any danger. But n.o.body thought of talking to old dog Spot. Every one forgot about him. And he was just as badly frightened as the bays, especially when a terrible tooting and screeching burst forth.

Spot jumped almost out of his skin.

"Sakes alive!" he howled. "What awful voices the elephants have!"

"The steam calliope!" Johnnie Green cried. "And that's the end of the parade."

XXII

THE CIRCUS GROUNDS

The Green family ate their luncheon in the carryall on Main Street, after the circus parade had pa.s.sed. They didn't forget to give old dog Spot something to eat out of the big basket that they had brought with them from home. Although they hadn't expected him to go to the village with them, there was more than enough food for everybody. Even Johnnie Green's appet.i.te wasn't equal to all the goodies that his mother had provided.

People were already starting for the circus grounds on the outskirts of the village. Johnnie Green noticed them uneasily.

"We don't want to be late for the show," he reminded his father.

"We'll get there in time," Farmer Green a.s.sured him.

And they did. Soon they followed the crowd through the village streets until they came in sight of the "big top," the great tent with flags flying above it, and smaller tents all around.

Farmer Green turned the bays into a yard near-by, where he unharnessed and fed them. Then he tied one end of a rope to Spot's collar and fastened the other end to a carriage wheel.

"There!" he said. "Now we're ready."

Old dog Spot didn't want to be left behind. He tugged at the rope and whined.

"Be quiet!" Johnnie Green's father said to him. "You followed us to the village. And now you'll have to behave yourself. They wouldn't let you into the show."

Then the Green family turned their backs on him.

"They needn't think they can keep me here," Spot growled. "I didn't run all the way from the farm to the village to be tied to a wagon wheel."

Johnnie Green and his father and mother hadn't been gone a quarter of an hour when Spot succeeded in slipping his collar over his head. Then he dashed out of the yard and ran to the circus grounds as fast as he could go.