she said, ‘to make a complete set. We’d have to find a suitable background, of course.’
The young man conquered his embarrassment and took a bold plunge.
‘The background I’d like,’ he said, ‘is Fairy Glen. We’d pass the Inn on the way and I’d call for my camera. It’s stopped raining and the sun’s
coming out. Will you?’
Fairy Glen was at least two miles away.
Ethel’s blue eyes danced and her pretty lips quivered.
‘Why not?’ she said.
SUDDENLY SOMEONE APPEARED IN THE DOORWAY. WILLIAM GROANED.
The Outlaws ’ and District Times lay trampled in the mud of the floor of the empty barn. The Outlaws were being Red Indians in the neighbouring wood. They had
completely forgotten the Outlaws ’ and District Times. It had whiled away a wet afternoon and for the Outlaws it had served its purpose.
‘OH WILLIAM, YOU ARE AN AWFUL BOY!’ SAID ETHEL.
Ethel and the young man were on the road which led to the Fairy Glen. They were getting on very well, indeed. They, too, had completely forgotten the Outlaws ’ and District
Times. For them, too, it had served its purpose.
CHAPTER 5
WILLIAM’S MAMMOTH CIRCUS
J OAN was coming home, Joan of the demure dimples and dark curls, Joan who was William’s best and earliest love.
She had been away for a very long time, and William, who was loyal to old loves and old friends, felt that her return needed some more than ordinary celebration. The other Outlaws, who had
always approved of Joan, agreed with him. So they met in the old barn to consider what form the celebration should take. Ginger was in favour of a play, but his suggestion was not received with
enthusiasm by the others. The Outlaws had got up plays before, but they had not been successful. Something had always gone wrong with them somewhere, though nobody ever knew exactly where.
Moreover, a play demanded a certain amount of learning by heart which in the eyes of the Outlaws savoured unpleasantly of school. True, in the last play which they had acted they had decided not to
learn anything beforehand and to speak as the spirit should move them, but even the Outlaws – optimists though they were – had had to admit that it had not been a success. The spirit
had either failed to move them at all or had moved them in the wrong direction and the plot which they had decided upon beforehand had not even been approached.
Henry suggested a firework display, but though the idea of this kindled the Outlaws’ imagination, they reluctantly abandoned it owing to total absence of funds.
William’s suggestion of a circus was received with acclamation till Douglas temporarily damped their ardour by remarking, ‘Yes ’n where shall we get any an’mals for it?
What’s the use of a circus without an’mals?’
But William waved aside the objection.
‘We can easy get an’mals,’ he said. ‘Why you c’ hardly walk down the road without meeting an’mals. There’s an’mals simply all over the
world.’
‘Yes, but they aren’t ours ,’ said Henry, virtuously.
‘Anyway,’ said William, not pressing this point, ‘we’ve got an’mals, haven’t we? I’ve got Jumble an’ Whitey, an’ I c’ easy
collect some insects an’ teach ’em tricks an’ – an’ there’s Ginger’s family’s cat, an’—’
‘An’ my aunt’s got a parrot,’ put in Douglas.
‘An’ there’s a pig in the field nex’ our garden,’ said Ginger eagerly. ‘I bet I dress it up an’ learn to ride it.’
Quite suddenly the circus seemed to be approaching the realms of possibility.
‘An’ we’ll want a few clothes to dress up in,’ said William.
To William no function was complete that did not include dressing up, preferably in a top hat and a long, trailing dressing-gown. This costume represented, in William’s eyes, any character
from Moses to Napoleon.
It was Douglas who raised the next point.
‘Where shall we have it, anyway?’ he said gloomily. ‘I guess this isn’t much of a
The young man conquered his embarrassment and took a bold plunge.
‘The background I’d like,’ he said, ‘is Fairy Glen. We’d pass the Inn on the way and I’d call for my camera. It’s stopped raining and the sun’s
coming out. Will you?’
Fairy Glen was at least two miles away.
Ethel’s blue eyes danced and her pretty lips quivered.
‘Why not?’ she said.
SUDDENLY SOMEONE APPEARED IN THE DOORWAY. WILLIAM GROANED.
The Outlaws ’ and District Times lay trampled in the mud of the floor of the empty barn. The Outlaws were being Red Indians in the neighbouring wood. They had
completely forgotten the Outlaws ’ and District Times. It had whiled away a wet afternoon and for the Outlaws it had served its purpose.
‘OH WILLIAM, YOU ARE AN AWFUL BOY!’ SAID ETHEL.
Ethel and the young man were on the road which led to the Fairy Glen. They were getting on very well, indeed. They, too, had completely forgotten the Outlaws ’ and District
Times. For them, too, it had served its purpose.
CHAPTER 5
WILLIAM’S MAMMOTH CIRCUS
J OAN was coming home, Joan of the demure dimples and dark curls, Joan who was William’s best and earliest love.
She had been away for a very long time, and William, who was loyal to old loves and old friends, felt that her return needed some more than ordinary celebration. The other Outlaws, who had
always approved of Joan, agreed with him. So they met in the old barn to consider what form the celebration should take. Ginger was in favour of a play, but his suggestion was not received with
enthusiasm by the others. The Outlaws had got up plays before, but they had not been successful. Something had always gone wrong with them somewhere, though nobody ever knew exactly where.
Moreover, a play demanded a certain amount of learning by heart which in the eyes of the Outlaws savoured unpleasantly of school. True, in the last play which they had acted they had decided not to
learn anything beforehand and to speak as the spirit should move them, but even the Outlaws – optimists though they were – had had to admit that it had not been a success. The spirit
had either failed to move them at all or had moved them in the wrong direction and the plot which they had decided upon beforehand had not even been approached.
Henry suggested a firework display, but though the idea of this kindled the Outlaws’ imagination, they reluctantly abandoned it owing to total absence of funds.
William’s suggestion of a circus was received with acclamation till Douglas temporarily damped their ardour by remarking, ‘Yes ’n where shall we get any an’mals for it?
What’s the use of a circus without an’mals?’
But William waved aside the objection.
‘We can easy get an’mals,’ he said. ‘Why you c’ hardly walk down the road without meeting an’mals. There’s an’mals simply all over the
world.’
‘Yes, but they aren’t ours ,’ said Henry, virtuously.
‘Anyway,’ said William, not pressing this point, ‘we’ve got an’mals, haven’t we? I’ve got Jumble an’ Whitey, an’ I c’ easy
collect some insects an’ teach ’em tricks an’ – an’ there’s Ginger’s family’s cat, an’—’
‘An’ my aunt’s got a parrot,’ put in Douglas.
‘An’ there’s a pig in the field nex’ our garden,’ said Ginger eagerly. ‘I bet I dress it up an’ learn to ride it.’
Quite suddenly the circus seemed to be approaching the realms of possibility.
‘An’ we’ll want a few clothes to dress up in,’ said William.
To William no function was complete that did not include dressing up, preferably in a top hat and a long, trailing dressing-gown. This costume represented, in William’s eyes, any character
from Moses to Napoleon.
It was Douglas who raised the next point.
‘Where shall we have it, anyway?’ he said gloomily. ‘I guess this isn’t much of a
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