By the school they went , and the boy looked pityingly at the black , brown , and yellow heads bobbing past the windows as a class went up to recite ; for it seemed a hard thing to the liberty-loving lad to be shut up there so many hours on a morning like that . But a little breeze that was playing truant round the steps did Ben a service without knowing it , for a sudden puff blew a torn leaf to his feet , and seeing a picture he took it up . It evidently had fallen from some ill-used history , for the picture showed some queer ships at anchor , some oddly dressed men just landing , and a crowd of Indians dancing about on the shore . Ben spelt out all he could about these interesting personages , but could not discover what it meant , because ink evidently had deluged the page , to the new reader 's great disappointment . `` I 'll ask the girls ; may be they will know , '' said Ben to himself as , after looking vainly for more stray leaves , he trudged on , enjoying the bobolink 's song , the warm sunshine , and a comfortable sense of friendliness and safety , which soon set him to whistling as gayly as any blackbird in the meadow . CHAPTER VI A CIRCULATING LIBRARY After supper that night , Bab and Betty sat in the old porch playing with Josephus and Belinda , and discussing the events of the day ; for the appearance of the strange boy and his dog had been a most exciting occurrence in their quiet lives . They had seen nothing of him since morning , as he took his meals at the Squire 's , and was at work with Pat in a distant field when the children passed . Sancho had stuck closely to his master , evidently rather bewildered by the new order of things , and bound to see that no harm happened to Ben . `` I wish they 'd come . It 's sundown , and I heard the cows mooing , so I know they have gone home , '' said Betty , impatiently ; for she regarded the new-comer in the light of an entertaining book , and wished to read on as fast as possible . `` I 'm going to learn the signs he makes when he wants Sancho to dance ; then we can have fun with him whenever we like . He 's the dearest dog I ever saw ! '' answered Bab , who was fonder of animals than her sister . `` Ma said -- Ow , what 's that ? '' cried Betty with a start , as something bumped against the gate outside ; and in a moment Ben 's head peeped over the top as he swung himself up to the iron arch , in the middle of which was the empty lantern frame . `` Please to locate , gentlemen ; please to locate . The performance is about to begin with the great Flyin ' Coopid act , in which Master Bloomsbury has appeared before the crowned heads of Europe . Pronounced by all beholders the most remarkable youthful progidy agoin ' . Hooray ! here we are ! ''
Having rattled off the familiar speech in Mr. Smithers 's elegant manner , XXXXX begin to cut up such capers that even a party of dignified hens , going down the avenue to bed , paused to look on with clucks of astonishment , evidently fancying that salt had set him to fluttering and tumbling as it did them .
Belinda Ben Bloomsbury Coopid Pat Sancho agoin beholders morning night