THE FAIR, AND AFTER.

ONCE more Tom looked all round, but no one was to be seen. Deftly, he slipped the reins from over the gate-post, and said to Davey, "Quick, jump in!"

"What!" cried the boy. "Do you mean to steal a horse and cart?"

"And who talks of stealing them, youngster? Not me! We're only going to the fair the easiest way we can. The driver shouldn't leave his trap here if he doesn't want folks to make use of it. Now then, jump in, or as sure as my name's Tom Hughes, I'll leave you behind."

Another moment and the lads were rattling along the high road behind a fast-trotting cob, Tom holding the reins and not sparing the whip.

Less than half an hour's drive brought them in sight of the fair, which was held in a large open space just outside the city of Bristol. Here the boys alighted, and Davey was for turning the horse round, and letting him find his way home.

But Tom said, "No, I've a better idea than that. Let him graze here on the common, with the reins trailing on the ground; then when he's found, his master will think he's run away of himself."

So the lads left the horse and cart to take care of themselves, and were soon lost in the crowd, and absorbed in the wonders and delights of the fair. For the fairs of sixty years ago were on a different scale from those of more modern times, and, to the working-classes especially, presented many attractions unknown to us in these days.

Davey was not altogether happy, however, even in the midst of all the excitement and amusement. His conscience pricked him, and he could not quite forget that these were stolen pleasures, and that everything had been wrong from the start. Then, too, he was beginning to be afraid of Tom, and yet he had not the courage to separate from him. Indeed, as Tom had all the money, separation was out of the question, unless Davey was willing to give up the remaining sights of the fair and trudge home alone, and this he was by no means disposed to do.

So the boys saw the various shows together, and rode the dappled and piebald wooden horses that went lumbering on in the circle of the merry-go-round; though Davey, for one, did not much enjoy this pastime. To his guilty conscience everyone who looked at him seemed to know of his sin, and every moment he expected to have a hand laid on his shoulder.

At last there remained only the circus and wild beast performance to see. And now a bell was rung, and the boys paid their money at the entrance of a great canvas tent, and were soon seated on one of the benches, several rows of which ran all round the central ring.

There was the usual pad-riding, with all sorts of tricks of jugglery and dancing; and there was the highly-educated cream-coloured horse that sat down on a chair to have its pinafore put on, drank its tea out of a tin mug, rang a bell for the clown to clear the table, and afterwards fired off a pistol in a duel with a donkey, which donkey immediately fell down and breathed its last for full two minutes, when it got up and walked out as though nothing unusual had happened.

After this came a wonderful pig, and some performing dogs, and a pair of musical brother-clowns. And then, at last, there was a mighty shout and a great clapping of hands, and a young man walked into the ring, followed by a huge cage on wheels, drawn by three strong horses.

The cage was divided into three compartments. The first contained a noble lion and lioness, the second, a large brown bear, and the third, a pair of fine leopards.

The young man touched a spring, and the wire divisions were drawn up, leaving the animals free to mingle. He then entered the cage, and put the beasts through all sorts of performances, but, unlike most tamers, he had not even a whip, and he never shouted at the creatures, or excited or angered them. It was evident that they had been most carefully and patiently trained, and were docile enough to obey the voice of their master, whose kindly caress, when they had successfully done their part, seemed to reward them amply.

This was the last item in the circus programme, and as the lads left the tent, they found that the darkness had come.

"Oh, dear me!" sighed Davey. "Just think, Tom, of that long walk home! And what will uncle and aunt say to me! How I wish I'd never come."

"Shut up," hissed Tom, suddenly pulling Davey behind one of the booths. "There's a constable. Hark! What's he saying?"

The lads listened eagerly, and heard the constable say to a group of people, "Has anyone here met the two boys who were seen driving a bay cob, the property of Farmer Jenkins, towards the common about three o'clock this afternoon? The cart and horse are found, but Farmer Jenkins is in a terrible rage, and determined to punish the young vagabonds."

"What do they look like, constable?" inquired a man standing by the great tent.

"One of them is a deformed lad, believed to be Thomas Hughes, and his companion was recognised by a neighbour as Davey Coleman. And look here, my man, there's a guinea waiting for anyone who catches the young scamps, and if that isn't handsome, why—"

But Tom and Davey waited to hear no more. They dropped on their hands and knees, and crawled away into the deep shadow of a clump of trees. Then, getting round to the back of these, where they could not be seen, they held a brief consultation.

"We can't go home after that, eh, Davey," said Tom with a leer.

"No, that we can't," assented Davey. "But what is to be done, Tom?"

"There's nothing for it but to run away for good," replied Tom.

"For good?" cried Davey in alarm.

"Now don't go and be nasty; it's your fault quite as much as mine," snarled Tom.

"That's a lie!" said Davey, roundly. "But there, Tom, it's no use quarrelling since we're in the same box. I wouldn't care so much if I knew how I could send Uncle Zach's compass back to him. How can I do it, Tom?"

"You can't do it," answered the lad.

"And why?"

"Because," said Tom, with a wicked grin, "because, my pretty little innocent, I've pawned it, and here's the ticket."

"Then we're real thieves after all," sobbed Davey, "and if we're caught, we shall be put in prison?"

"That's about it," responded Tom, pleasantly.