"He's in there all right. Go after him!" Then placing a large red hand on Sube's shoulder he added, "Young man, my name's Barney. I've been in the show business a good many years. But when you get ready to take your show on the road, I'll get ready to retire. You've got _me_ skinned a mile!" Supposing that this was some sort of a doubtful compliment Sube hung his head. He rubbed his lips with the back of his hand. He bored his heel into the earth. A sudden feeling of aversion for the loud-mouthed showman and his cursing assistants swept over him. He decided to abandon his career as a showman. And without raising his eyes he said: "I ain't goin' int' the show business. I'm goin' to be a lawyer." CHAPTER XX TEN KNIGHTS IN A BARROOM Sube Cane had often seen his father wrapped in contemplation, so he knew how the thing ought to be done. He accordingly clasped his hands behind his back beneath the place where coat-tails should have been, drew his eyebrows into a scowl, pursed his lips, and fixed his gaze on the object to be considered. This proved to be a hole; a small hole in the side of ol' Uncle George Bond's barn, close to the ground. It was perfectly rounded at the top and equipped with a neat sliding-door; and it did look interesting. But then, any hole that there is even the slightest possibility of crawling through looks interesting to a boy. Sube was so engrossed in his contemplations that he started perceptibly on hearing a gruff voice inquire what he thought he was doing there. He quickly withdrew his hands from underneath the imaginary coat-tails and released the scowl. Then he glanced around to find himself looking into the grinning face of his friend, Hon. Gizzard Tobin. "Thought you'd scare me, didn't you?" Sube growled. "_Thought_ so!" cried Gizzard. "Say! You jumped a mile!" "Well, I guess I didn't jump! I knew it was you all the time." "Yes, you didn't! What'd you jump for, then?" "Didn't jump. Jus' moved a little." "I should say you _did_ move! You thought ol' Uncle George was right after you!" "That shows how much you know about it," Sube sneered as he bent over to examine the hole at closer range. Gizzard vaulted the fence and came up beside him. "What you lookin' at that ol' chicken-hole for?" he asked disdainfully. Sube cocked his head over on one side as if to view the problem from another angle and replied: "I was jus' wonderin'." "What about?" "Jus' wonderin' if a feller could crawl through there," said Sube pointing a stubby finger at the hole. "You couldn't, and I wouldn't want to," replied Gizzard with unaccustomed promptness. "Why couldn't I?" asked Sube deliberately. "'Cause that there slide's hooked on the inside!" Sube muttered something unintelligible as he bent over and inserted his finger under the sliding-door. He raised it far enough to demonstrate that it was not fastened, and dropped it as he asked: "Now why wouldn't you want to?"