The performance had not commenced—indeed, half an hour would elapse before the hour fixed—and several of the performers were to be seen among the spectators about the cages of the animals. One of these Tarbox recognized.

"Look at that boy!" he said, clutching the constable's arm.

He pointed to Robert Rudd and Charlie Davis, the two young riders, who were walking together.

"What of him?" asked Spriggins.

"That's the young villain that was with Enoch."

Spriggins inwardly wished that the warrant was for Robert instead of the giant.

"Why didn't you arrest him instead of the giant?" he asked.

"Perhaps I will yet, for he trespassed on my grounds; but it was Enoch that shook me up and killed Bruiser. Look here, young feller," he said, addressing Robert.

Robert turned and smiled as he recognized the farmer.

"Oh, it's you," he answered.

"Yes, it's me," answered Tarbox sternly. "Where is Enoch?"

"Who do you mean?"

"That overgrown brute that was with you this afternoon."

Charlie Davis asked a question in a low voice of Robert, and then turning to Tarbox before Robert had a chance to answer him asked: "Do you want to buy a dog, mister?"

"You're too small! I don't want a puppy!" answered Tarbox, scowling.

"Oh, you're too fresh!" answered Charlie, rather annoyed, particularly as Robert laughed.

"Why don't you answer me, boy?" demanded Tarbox angrily.

"I will conduct you to my friend, the Norwegian giant," answered Robert politely.

"Come along, Spriggins!" said Mr. Tarbox, pulling after him the reluctant constable.

Spriggins would have enjoyed a leisurely examination of the Albino sisters, the wild man from Borneo, the living skeleton, and the fat lady, but none of them had attractions for Mr. Tarbox, whose soul was fired by the desire for revenge. All too soon they reached the chair where in massive dignity sat Anak, the Norwegian giant.

As Anak's eyes rested on the approaching visitors, he looked amused.

"I'm glad to see you, my friend," he called out, in the deep tones natural to him, to Tarbox.

"And I'm glad to see you," said Tarbox, spitefully. "I came here expressly to see you."

"You're very kind," said Anak. "Take a good look. There ain't so much of me as there is of my friend, Mme. Leonora," with a wave of the hand towards the fat lady; "but you can look at me as much as you want to."

"I shall soon see you in a prison cell," said Mr. Tarbox, sternly. "Constable Spriggins, do your duty, sir."

Poor Spriggins gazed at the immense man before him, with his heart gradually sinking down into his boots. Never in all his life had he been placed in such an embarrassing position. What utter nonsense it was for him to think of leading out such a monster by the collar. Why, he couldn't begin to reach up to Anak's collar.

"Can't we compromise this thing?" he asked, faintly.

"No, we can't, Spriggins; I insist upon your doin' your duty."

"What do you want?" asked Anak, in some curiosity.

"Produce your warrant, Spriggins," said Tarbox.

The constable mechanically drew it out from his inside pocket.

Tarbox saw that he must take the initiative, and he was perfectly willing to do so.

"Enoch," he said, "this man is an officer of the law. He has a warrant for your arrest."

"For my arrest?" inquired Anak, opening his eyes in amazed surprise.

"Yes, for assault and battery on me, Nathan Tarbox, and the murder of my dog, Bruiser. Such things can be done in Norway, p'r'aps, but they ain't allowed in the State of Massachusetts. Spriggins, do your duty."

The constable looked at the giant uncomfortably, and edged away a little.

"What!" said Anak, shaking his sides, "does he want to arrest me?"

"Yes," said Tarbox, grimly. "Spriggins, read the warrant."

"Read it yourself, Mr. Tarbox."

Tarbox did so with evident enjoyment, but Anak's enjoyment seemed no less.

"Ho, ho, ho!" he shouted. "This is a joke!"

"You won't find it much of a joke," said Tarbox. "Come, Spriggins, do your duty."

"Mr. Enoch," said the constable, in a trembling voice, "if you'll come with me without making any fuss, I'll see that you are well treated."

"Suppose I don't?" said Anak.

Spriggins looked helplessly at Tarbox. That was a question he could not answer.

"Then it'll be the worse for you," said Tarbox, who was always ready to make up for his companion's deficiencies.

"Can't you wait till the performance is over?" asked the giant, smiling.

"To be sure," said Spriggins, quickly. "Anything to oblige."

"No," said Tarbox, decidedly. "The warrant must be served now. You have no discretion."

"I'd like to oblige the gentleman," said the constable, who wanted to avoid trouble and see the performance.

"You can't. It won't be allowed."

"What's the use of losing the benefit of our money, Mr. Tarbox?"

"That's my affair. I don't want to see the circus. I consider it a wicked snare to lure souls to Satan."

"But I don't; you can go, you know," suggested Spriggins.

"No; I shall stay here to see that you do your duty."

"You have no charge over me," said the constable, with some spirit.

"All the same you need looking after. Enoch, if you defy the law you'll find it the worse for you. This ain't Norway."

"No; we've got no such fools as you in Norway," retorted the giant. "Tell me what you want."

Tarbox whispered to Spriggins.

The latter in a tremulous voice said, "Enoch, I arrest you in the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and I require you to come with me at once."

"Come and take me," said Anak, his broad face relaxing with a smile.

"What do you mean?" asked Tarbox, quickly.

"I mean that I shan't stir from this chair. My contract with this show requires me to sit here. If the constable wants me, he must take me by force. He needn't be afraid. If he can take me he may."

Even Tarbox looked rather nonplussed. Both he and Spriggins together would have found it impossible to carry off a giant weighing over four hundred pounds.

"You see, we'll have to give it up," said Spriggins, with evident pleasure.

"You're glad of it!" said Tarbox, suspiciously. "You don't want to do your duty."

"I've tried to do it, and it's no use," said the constable, with a little show of spirit. "If I had the strength of a yoke of oxen, I might do something; as it is, I can't."

"You'd better come quietly, Enoch," said Tarbox, his own courage beginning to fail.

A crowd had collected about the two, and derisive smiles and remarks greeted the lamentable failure of Tarbox's scheme of revenge.

"Get a wheelbarrow, mister," said a boy from a neighboring town.

"Hadn't you better try a derrick?" suggested a man beside him.

"You must be a lunatic!" said another.

"We'd better go, Mr. Tarbox," said Spriggins, uncomfortably.

"I won't stir," said Tarbox, looking around him with a scowl, "till I see that warrant served. I wish I was a constable."

"It wouldn't be healthy for you, old man!" said Charlie Davis, who, with Robert, had been drawn to the scene, and heard the colloquy.

"I'd make you healthy if I had you with me for a few minutes," said Tarbox, scowling.

"Thank you; you're very kind, but my time is too valuable," said Charlie.

"What is all this?" asked a voice of authority.

It was the voice of the manager, who had been attracted by the crowd as he was going his rounds.

"The matter is that we've got a warrant for this man's arrest!" said Tarbox, pointing to the giant.

"Show me your warrant!"

It was handed him.

He smiled as he read it, and handing it back, remarked, "Your warrant is mere waste paper, gentlemen."

"Why is it?" asked Tarbox, defiantly.

"Because there is no such man as Enoch in this show."

"Isn't that his name?" asked Tarbox.

"No, it isn't. If you can find a man by that name you are welcome to take him."

"Crushed again," remarked Charlie Davis, mockingly.

Tarbox made a grab for the boy's collar, but failed to secure him.

"Come along out, Spriggins," he said, in a tone of deep depression.

"You can go if you like," said the constable, independently; "I'm going to stay and see the show."