"Oh, so he is!" cried Nan. And there indeed, with his camera pointed out of the window, was their old friend. He saw the children and waved to them. "Here it comes! Here it comes!" was the sudden cry, and from the distance came the sound of music. "The parade has started! The parade has started!" was the cry that ran through the crowd. "Oh, isn't this great!" cried Nan, clasping her chum Mabel by the arm. "It's just lovely!" the country girl said, "and so nice of your mother and uncle and aunt to ask me." "Oh, we were only too glad to have you," said Nan, politely, but she meant it. Freddie snuggled close up to fat Dinah. "Don't you be afraid," he said to the black cook. "I--I won't let any wild animals get you!" "Dat's a good boy, honey lamb!" she murmured, as she took hold of his hand. Louder played the music. The children in the crowd began dancing up and down, so excited were they. "Here it comes! Here it comes!" they cried over and over again. Then swept past the horses, gay with plumes, and covered with blankets of gold and silver, of purple and red. On the backs of the horses rode men and women with scarlet cloaks, carrying spears tipped with glittering silver. Then came a herd of elephants, swinging themselves along, now and then sucking up dust from the street and blowing it on their big backs to keep off the flies. Men rode on top of the elephants' heads. "Don't be afraid! Don't be afraid, Dinah!" said Freddie over and over again. Ponies, camels, donkeys, more horses, more elephants and other animals went past in the parade. Then came the gilded wagons, filled with gaily dressed men and women who nodded, smiled and waved their hands at the crowds in the streets. Bert looked up at the window where Mr. Weston was perched with his camera, and saw him taking moving pictures. "Oh, look! There's a lion in a cage!" cried Freddie, suddenly. Just then the big beast sent out a roar that seemed to shake the very ground, and he threw himself against the bars of his cage. "Oh, he's going to get out! He's going to get out!" came the cry and the people rushed back away from the street. "No danger! No danger!" shouted the circus men. "Hold on to me, Dinah!" cried Freddie. "Hold on to me. I won't let him bite you!" More cages of wild animals rumbled past, but most of the beasts slept peacefully. Only the lion seemed to want to get out, and far down the street his roar could be heard. "He's a new lion," said someone in the crowd. "He isn't used to being shut up, and he is trying to get out." "Well, I hope he done stays shut up," murmured Dinah. The parade came to an end at last, with the steam piano bringing up in the rear of the procession. The man played puffy little tunes, with a tooting chorus that made one want to dance. [Illustration: THEN CAME A HERD OF ELEPHANTS.] "Now for lunch, and then to see the big show," said Uncle Daniel, as he led the way back to where the wagon had been left.