“Ha! Hum! First time I ever knew a boy who had run away from home to admit it,” spoke the manager. “You deserve credit for that, anyway. What’s the trouble?” Thereupon Jack told of the unjust accusation of the old professor, and what had happened to him since he had left Westville. “So you want to be a clown, eh?” said the manager when Jack’s story was finished. “Had any training?” “I used to take the part in amateur shows me and my chums got up, and I did a stunt on a vaudeville stage one night.” “Let’s see what you can do?” Jack’s heart beat fast. Here was the very chance he wanted. Could he “make good?” So much depended on the first impression. “Is there a place where I can make-up?” he asked. “Make-up? Do you know how to make-up?” “A little bit.” “Well, if Ike Landon says you helped him, you must be all right, for he’s a hard man to please. If you’re going to have a try-out, you might as well do it proper. You can go to the dressing-tent.” “Where is it?” “Right over there,” and the manager pointed. “Ike will show you. Tell Sam Kyle to give him a hand,” the manager called after the boss canvasman. “I’ll wait here for him,” he added. “Say, you’re in luck,” said Ike. “It ain’t many he’d give such a chance to. Do you know what you’re going to do?” “A little.” Jack was introduced to a small, fat man, who, in the men’s dressing-tent, was busy washing the red and white paint off his face. “Sam is the head clown,” explained the canvasman. “He’s been in the business--let’s see, how long is it now, Sam?” “Forty years this season. I was one of the first clowns that Barnum ever hired. You’ll find some grease paint over there,” he added to Jack; and then he and the canvasman began to talk about matters connected with the circus, paying no more attention to the runaway lad. Jack was quite nervous, but he made-up after an original idea of his own. He turned his coat and vest wrongside out, and, with the aid of Ike, put them on backwards. Then, feeling rather foolish over what he was about to do, he stepped from the dressing-tent and walked over to where the manager had said he would wait for him. Several of the performers who saw Jack emerge laughed at his curious costume and “make-up.” “Well, I must look funny, no matter how I feel,” he said. “I hope I can do my funny dance.” “Ha! Hum!” exclaimed the manager, when he saw Jack. “That’s not so bad. Let’s see what you can do.” A crowd of performers, and some of the circus helpers, gathered in a ring about the boy. Then Jack began. He repeated some of the things he had done in the theatre at home, but added to them. He sang, he danced, and cut all sorts of capers, gaining more and more confidence in himself as he heard the crowd laughing. He even detected a smile on the rather grim face of the manager.