There were several men standing about it; one of them, whom Marco supposed was the blacksmith, by his leather apron, was putting on small sticks of wood and chips, here and there, around the ring.

Marco saw that there was a large iron hoop, as he called it, on the fire.

It was not really a hoop, it was a _tire_.

It was made of a much larger and thicker bar of iron, than those which are used for hoops.

It was a tire belonging to a wheel.