Children danced and capered, heads were popped out of
second-story windows, and the pushing crowd grew denser.
The band-wagon came slowly down the street in the bright spring
sunshine, followed by the performers, mounted on well-groomed horses,
some of which were beautifully mottled. There were other horses, many of
them--a few drawing chariots, driven by Amazons. Then came the funny
clown, in his little cart, with his jokes and grimaces for the children.
There was another band-wagon, as gorgeous as the first, at the head of
the procession of wild-beast cages. Its music was more deafening than
that of the other. The street-cars seemed to have stopped running, owing
to the packed crowds, and Frank and his girl friends remained on the
corner curiously watching the scene.
Suddenly a fractious horse jerked away from the man who had been
standing at its head holding it, and whirling short about,
half-overturned the wagon to which it was hitched and raced wildly down
the street. People scattered in every direction, several being knocked
down in the stampeding rush.
The horse climbed to the sidewalk, with wheels bumping the curbing,
trying to get out of the way of some men who were seeking to stop it.
Almost before they were aware of it, horse and wagon seemed fairly on
top of Merriwell and the girls.
Pages:
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73