And what a jolly party it was, to sit in the straw and eat nice sandwiches, pies, cookies and cakes Martha and Dinah had put into the baskets. There was lemonade, too, and if it was not pink, like the kind the circus men sold, it was much better and sweeter. "But when are we going into the circus?" Freddie wanted to know. "Soon now," said Uncle Daniel. A little later they made their way to the big tents. First they went in the one where the wild animals, in cages, were drawn up in a circle inside. There were lions, tigers, bears, giraffes, rhinocerosi, hippopotami, and elephants, to say nothing of the cute monkeys. "Are dem cages good an' strong, mistah?" asked Dinah of one of the circus attendants. "Oh, yes," he answered, as he passed a carrot in to one of the monkeys. "Well, dat's good," she said. "'Cause I doan't want none ob dem bears or lions t' come after me when I'se watchin' de circus performers." "I'll see that none of them get loose," promised the circus man with a laugh at Dinah's fears. Then the Bobbsey party went on in to the main tent. I wish I could tell you all they saw, but I have not the room in this book. There was a parade around the ring to start with, and then in came rushing the comical clowns, the men and women who rode on horses and who jumped from one trapeze to another. Jugglers they were, men with trained horses, trick ponies, trained dogs and trained elephants. Some elephants played a ball game, others turned somersaults. Clowns jumped over their backs, and through paper hoops. "Look here!" Nan would exclaim. "No, see over there!" Bert would cry. "Oh, mamma, a man jumped from the top of the tent right into a big fish net!" exclaimed Freddie. "Look at the monkey riding on the dog's back," Flossie shouted. "And see that man jump off a horse and jump on him again backwards!" called Tom Mason. "Oh, but look at the cute ponies," sighed Mabel Herold. There was so much to see and talk about that the children's eyes must have been tired, and their necks aching before the circus was over. At last it came to an end with the exciting chariot races, and the crowd began to leave the big tent. "Now keep close together, children," warned Mrs. Bobbsey. "You must not get lost in this crowd." "Yes, follow me," advised Uncle Daniel. How it happened they could not tell, but when they reached the outside of the tent, and found a space where the crowd was not so thick, Freddie was missing. "Where is Freddie?" asked Nan, looking about for him. "Freddie!" exclaimed her mother! "Isn't he here?" But Freddie was not with them, and with anxious faces they looked at one another. CHAPTER XV FOUND AGAIN "Where can he be?" asked Bert. "I saw him but a moment ago," said Aunt Sarah. "An' he jest had hold ob mah hand!" cried Dinah. "Oh, mah honey lamb am done et up by de ragin' lion what goes about seekin' who he kin devouer! Oh landy!"