Between them, Dick and Julian had lugged all the things down the garden — two tents, ground-sheets, blankets, tent-pegs and all the rest. Timmy ran with them in excitement, wondering what all the fuss was about. Mischief, of course, leapt to the top of whatever was being carried, and chattered excitedly all the way down the garden.

He got into trouble when he ran off with a tentpeg, but Timmy managed to catch him and make him drop it. Then, very solemnly, Timmy carried the tent-peg to Julian.

“Good dog!” said Julian. “Just keep an eye on that wicked little monkey, Tim, will you? There are all sorts of things he might run off with!”

So Timmy kept an eye on Mischief, nosing him away whenever he thought the monkey was going to pick up something he shouldn’t. Finally Mischief became tired of Timmy’s nose and leapt on his back, where, clinging to the dog’s collar, he rode just as if he were on horseback. “Only it’s dogback, not horseback,” said Anne, with a laugh.

“They would make quite a good pair for the circus,” said Dick. “I bet Mischief could hold on to reins, if Timmy had any!”

“Well, he’s not going to have any,” said George. “The next thing would be a whip! Whew! What a lot of things we’ve got — is that the lot?”

It was, thank goodness. A bell rang out from the house at that moment, and everyone heaved a sigh of relief.

“Tea at last!” said Dick. “I could drink a whole potful. Come on — we’ve finished piling up all the things. We’ll get busy after tea with them, I can’t do a thing more. Don’t you agree, Timmy?”

“WOOF!” said Timmy, heartily, and galloped up the garden path at top speed, with Mischief scampering after him.

“Talk about a circus!” said Dick. “We’ve a ready-made one here! All right, Anne — we’re coming! We’re coming!”

Chapter Seven

In the circus field

Nobody wanted to spend a long time over tea. They all longed to go down to the field and set up their little camp.

“We shall have a wonderful look-in at what goes on in a circus camp,” said Dick. “We shall be living so near the circus folk! I do hope Mischief won’t get too friendly with the people there. They might take him away with them when they leave.”

“Indeed they won’t!” said Tinker, fiercely. “What a thing to say! As if Mischief would go with them, anyhow! I don’t expect he’ll mix with the circus crowd at all.”

“You wait and see!” grinned Dick. “Now buck up with your tea — I’m longing to go and set our camp in the field, and see what’s going on there.”

It wasn’t long before they were ready. They were soon down by the fence, and gazed over it in amazement. Great vans were in the field, all with Mr Tapper’s name on and all painted in gay colours. There were caravans too, much smaller than the great vans, and these had windows, each with neat lace curtains. The circus folk lived in the caravans, of course, and George found herself wishing that she herself could go about in one, instead of living in a house that couldn’t move anywhere!