"If things are as you say, I cannot complain of this," Kit said in a dull, spiritless tone, "but it comes upon me like a thunderbolt." "No doubt, no doubt. I knew it would be a shock, and I have postponed telling you as long as possible." "I suppose I ought to thank you. Have you anything more to say to me now?" "No." "Then, sir, I will leave you. I will ask further particulars some other day." "He takes it hard," muttered Stephen Watson, eyeing the retreating form of his nephew thoughtfully. "I wonder if he will suspect that there is anything wrong. Even if he does, he is only a boy, and can prove nothing." * * * * * "What makes you so glum, Kit?" asked Dan Clark, when they met at seven o'clock, as agreed, to go together to the show. "Not much, Dan, only I have learned that I am a pauper." "But the estate--the house and the grounds?" said Dan, bewildered. "Belong to my uncle." "Who says so?" "He says so. But I don't want to say any more about it now. Let us start for the circus, and I will try to forget my pauper position, for one evening at least." Before they reached the lot, they heard the circus band discoursing lively music. They were in a crowd, for all Smyrna, men, women and children, were bound for the show. It was a grand gala night. In the city, where there are many amusements, the circus draws well, but in the country everybody goes. Outside the great tent were the side shows. In one of them Kit found his friends of the morning, the giant, the dwarf, and the fat lady, with other curiosities hereafter to be mentioned. Just inside the tent, in what might be called the ante chamber, was the collection of animals. The elephants were accorded more freedom than the rest, but the lion, tiger, and leopard were shut up in cages. The lion seemed particularly restless. He was pacing his narrow quarters, lashing his tail, and from time to time emitting deep growls, betokening irritation and anger. "How would you like to go into the cage?" asked Dan. "I don't care for an interview with his majesty," responded Kit. A stranger was standing near the cage. "Don't go too near, boys!" he said. "That lion is particularly fierce. He nearly killed a man last season in Pennsylvania." "How was that?" "The man ventured too near the cage. The lion stretched out his claws, and fastened them in the man's shoulder, lacerating it fearfully before he could be released. He came near dying of blood poisoning." Kit and Dan sheered off. The lion looked wicked enough to kill a dozen men.