think of so many of them, and so sudden and so pat, was what I couldnât noway understand. Why, I couldnât a thought of them in a year. And by and by a drunk man tried to get into the ringâ âsaid he wanted to ride; said he could ride as well as anybody that ever was. They argued and tried to keep him out, but he wouldnât listen, and the whole show come to a standstill. Then the people begun to holler at him and make fun of him, and that made him mad, and he begun to rip and tear; so that stirred up the people, and a lot of men begun to pile down off of the benches and swarm towards the ring, saying, âKnock him down! throw him out!â and one or two women begun to scream. So, then, the ringmaster he made a little speech, and said he hoped there wouldnât be no disturbance, and if the man would promise he wouldnât make no more trouble he would let him ride if he thought he could stay on the horse. So everybody laughed and said all right, and the man got on. The minute he was on, the horse begun to rip and tear and jump and cavort around, with two circus men hanging on to his bridle trying to hold him, and the drunk man hanging on to his neck, and his heels flying in the air every jump, and the whole crowd of people standing up shouting and laughing till tears rolled down.
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