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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Toby Tyler, by James Otis
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Toby Tyler
+
+Author: James Otis
+
+Release Date: February, 2005  [EBook #7478]
+Posting Date: July 22, 2009
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TOBY TYLER ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Martin Robb
+
+
+
+
+
+
+TOBY TYLER
+
+or
+
+TEN WEEKS WITH A CIRCUS
+
+By James Otis
+
+
+
+
+I. TOBY'S INTRODUCTION TO THE CIRCUS
+
+
+"Wouldn't you give more 'n six peanuts for a cent?" was a question asked
+by a very small boy, with big, staring eyes, of a candy vender at a
+circus booth. And as he spoke he looked wistfully at the quantity of
+nuts piled high up on the basket, and then at the six, each of which now
+looked so small as he held them in his hand.
+
+"Couldn't do it," was the reply of the proprietor of the booth, as he
+put the boy's penny carefully away in the drawer.
+
+The little fellow looked for another moment at his purchase, and then
+carefully cracked the largest one.
+
+A shade--and a very deep shade it was--of disappointment passed over his
+face, and then, looking up anxiously, he asked, "Don't you swap 'em when
+they're bad?"
+
+The man's face looked as if a smile had been a stranger to it for a long
+time; but one did pay it a visit just then, and he tossed the boy two
+nuts, and asked him a question at the same time. "What is your name?"
+
+The big brown eyes looked up for an instant, as if to learn whether
+the question was asked in good faith, and then their owner said, as he
+carefully picked apart another nut, "Toby Tyler."
+
+"Well, that's a queer name."
+
+"Yes, I s'pose so, myself; but, you see, I don't expect that's the
+name that belongs to me. But the fellers call me so, an' so does Uncle
+Dan'l."
+
+"Who is Uncle Daniel?" was the next question. In the absence of other
+customers the man seemed disposed to get as much amusement out of the
+boy as possible.
+
+"He hain't my uncle at all; I only call him so because all the boys do,
+an' I live with him."
+
+"Where's your father and mother?"
+
+"I don't know," said Toby, rather carelessly. "I don't know much about
+'em, an' Uncle Dan'l says they don't know much about me. Here's another
+bad nut; goin' to give me two more?"
+
+The two nuts were given him, and he said, as he put them in his pocket
+and turned over and over again those which he held in his hand: "I
+shouldn't wonder if all of these was bad. S'posen you give me two for
+each one of 'em before I crack 'em, an' then they won't be spoiled so
+you can't sell 'em again."
+
+As this offer of barter was made, the man looked amused, and he asked,
+as he counted out the number which Toby desired, "If I give you these,
+I suppose you'll want me to give you two more for each one, and you'll
+keep that kind of a trade going until you get my whole stock?"
+
+"I won't open my head if every one of em's bad."
+
+"All right; you can keep what you've got, and I'll give you these
+besides; but I don't want you to buy any more, for I don't want to do
+that kind of business."
+
+Toby took the nuts offered, not in the least abashed, and seated himself
+on a convenient stone to eat them, and at the same time to see all that
+was going on around him. The coming of a circus to the little town of
+Guilford was an event, and Toby had hardly thought of anything else
+since the highly colored posters had first been put up. It was yet quite
+early in the morning, and the tents were just being erected by the men.
+Toby had followed, with eager eyes, everything that looked as if it
+belonged to the circus, from the time the first wagon had entered the
+town until the street parade had been made and everything was being
+prepared for the afternoon's performance.
+
+The man who had made the losing trade in peanuts seemed disposed to
+question the boy still further, probably owing to the fact that he had
+nothing better to do.
+
+"Who is this Uncle Daniel you say you live with? Is he a farmer?"
+
+"No; he's a deacon, an' he raps me over the head with the hymn book
+whenever I go to sleep in meetin', an' he says I eat four times as much
+as I earn. I blame him for hittin' so hard when I go to sleep, but I
+s'pose he's right about my eatin'. You see," and here his tone grew both
+confidential and mournful, "I am an awful eater, an' I can't seem to
+help it. Somehow I'm hungry all the time. I don't seem ever to get
+enough till carrot time comes, an' then I can get all I want without
+troublin' anybody."
+
+"Didn't you ever have enough to eat?"
+
+"I s'pose I did; but you see Uncle Dan'l he found me one mornin' on his
+hay, an' he says I was cryin' for something to eat then, an' I've kept
+it up ever since. I tried to get him to give me money enough to go into
+the circus with; but he said a cent was all he could spare these hard
+times, an' I'd better take that an' buy something to eat with it, for
+the show wasn't very good, anyway. I wish peanuts wasn't but a cent a
+bushel."
+
+"Then you would make yourself sick eating them."
+
+"Yes, I s'pose I should; Uncle Dan'l says I'd eat till I was sick, if I
+got the chance; but I'd like to try it once."
+
+He was a very small boy, with a round head covered with short red hair,
+a face as speckled as any turkey's egg, but thoroughly good natured
+looking; and as he sat there on the rather sharp point of the rock,
+swaying his body to and fro as he hugged his knees with his hands, and
+kept his eyes fastened on the tempting display of good things before
+him, it would have been a very hard hearted man who would not have given
+him something.
+
+But Mr. Job Lord, the proprietor of the booth, was a hard hearted man,
+and he did not make the slightest advance toward offering the little
+fellow anything.
+
+Toby rocked himself silently for a moment, and then he said,
+hesitatingly, "I don't suppose you'd like to sell me some things, an'
+let me pay you when I get older, would you?"
+
+Mr. Lord shook his head decidedly at this proposition.
+
+"I didn't s'pose you would," said Toby, quickly; "but you didn't seem
+to be selling anything, an' I thought I'd just see what you'd say
+about it." And then he appeared suddenly to see something wonderfully
+interesting behind him, which served as an excuse to turn his reddening
+face away.
+
+"I suppose your uncle Daniel makes you work for your living, don't he?"
+asked Mr. Lord, after he had rearranged his stock of candy and had added
+a couple of slices of lemon peel to what was popularly supposed to be
+lemonade.
+
+"That's what I think; but he says that all the work I do wouldn't pay
+for the meal that one chicken would eat, an' I s'pose it's so, for I
+don't like to work as well as a feller without any father and mother
+ought to. I don't know why it is, but I guess it's because I take up so
+much time eatin' that it kinder tires me out. I s'pose you go into the
+circus whenever you want to, don't you?"
+
+"Oh yes; I'm there at every performance, for I keep the stand under the
+big canvas as well as this one out here."
+
+There was a great big sigh from out Toby's little round stomach, as he
+thought what bliss it must be to own all those good things and to see
+the circus wherever it went.
+
+"It must be nice," he said, as he faced the booth and its hard visaged
+proprietor once more.
+
+"How would you like it?" asked Mr. Lord, patronizingly, as he looked
+Toby over in a business way, very much as if he contemplated purchasing
+him.
+
+"Like it!" echoed Toby. "Why, I'd grow fat on it!"
+
+"I don't know as that would be any advantage," continued Mr. Lord,
+reflectively, "for it strikes me that you're about as fat now as a boy
+of your age ought to be. But I've a great mind to give you a chance."
+
+"What!" cried Toby, in amazement, and his eyes opened to their widest
+extent as this possible opportunity of leading a delightful life
+presented itself.
+
+"Yes, I've a great mind to give you the chance. You see," and now it
+was Mr. Lord's turn to grow confidential, "I've had a boy with me
+this season, but he cleared out at the last town, and I'm running the
+business alone now."
+
+Toby's face expressed all the contempt he felt for the boy who would run
+away from such a glorious life as Mr. Lord's assistant must lead; but he
+said not a word, waiting in breathless expectation for the offer which
+he now felt certain would be made him.
+
+"Now I ain't hard on a boy," continued Mr. Lord, still confidentially,
+"and yet that one seemed to think that he was treated worse and made to
+work harder than any boy in the world."
+
+"He ought to live with Uncle Dan'l a week," said Toby, eagerly.
+
+"Here I was just like a father to him," said Mr. Lord, paying no
+attention to the interruption, "and I gave him his board and lodging,
+and a dollar a week besides."
+
+"Could he do what he wanted to with the dollar?"
+
+"Of course he could. I never checked him, no matter how extravagant he
+was, an' yet I've seen him spend his whole week's wages at this very
+stand in one afternoon. And even after his money had all gone that way,
+I've paid for peppermint and ginger out of my own pocket just to cure
+his stomach ache."
+
+Toby shook his head mournfully, as if deploring that depravity which
+could cause a boy to run away from such a tender hearted employer and
+from such a desirable position. But even as he shook his head so sadly
+he looked wistfully at the peanuts, and Mr. Lord observed the look.
+
+It may have been that Mr. Job Lord was the tender hearted man he prided
+himself upon being, or it may have been that he wished to purchase
+Toby's sympathy; but, at all events, he gave him a large handful of
+nuts, and Toby never bothered his little round head as to what motive
+prompted the gift. Now he could listen to the story of the boy's
+treachery and eat at the same time; therefore he was an attentive
+listener.
+
+"All in the world that boy had to do," continued Mr. Lord, in the same
+injured tone he had previously used, "was to help me set things to
+rights when we struck a town in the morning, and then tend to the
+counter till we left the town at night, and all the rest of the time he
+had to himself. Yet that boy was ungrateful enough to run away."
+
+Mr. Lord paused, as if expecting some expression of sympathy from his
+listener; but Toby was so busily engaged with his unexpected feast, and
+his mouth was so full, that it did not seem even possible for him to
+shake his head.
+
+"Now what should you say if I told you that you looked to me like a boy
+that was made especially to help run a candy counter at a circus, and if
+I offered the place to you?"
+
+Toby made one frantic effort to swallow the very large mouthful, and in
+a choking voice he answered, quickly, "I should say I'd go with you, an'
+be mighty glad of the chance."
+
+"Then it's a bargain, my boy, and you shall leave town with me tonight."
+
+
+
+
+II. TOBY RUNS AWAY FROM HOME
+
+
+Toby could scarcely restrain himself at the prospect of this golden
+future that had so suddenly opened before him. He tried to express his
+gratitude, but could only do so by evincing his willingness to commence
+work at once.
+
+"No, no, that won't do," said Mr. Lord, cautiously. "If your uncle
+Daniel should see you working here, he might mistrust something, and
+then you couldn't get away."
+
+"I don't believe he'd try to stop me," said Toby, confidently; "for he's
+told me lots of times that it was a sorry day for him when he found me."
+
+"We won't take any chances, my son," was the reply, in a very benevolent
+tone, as he patted Toby on the head and at the same time handed him
+a piece of pasteboard. "There's a ticket for the circus, and you come
+around to see me about ten o'clock tonight. I'll put you on one of the
+wagons, and by' tomorrow morning your uncle Daniel will have hard work
+to find you."
+
+If Toby had followed his inclinations, the chances are that he would
+have fallen on his knees and kissed Mr. Lord's hands in the excess of
+his gratitude. But not knowing exactly how such a show of thankfulness
+might be received, he contented himself by repeatedly promising that he
+would be punctual to the time and place appointed.
+
+He would have loitered in the vicinity of the candy stand in order that
+he might gain some insight into the business; but Mr. Lord advised him
+to remain away, lest his uncle Daniel would see him, and suspect where
+he had gone when he was missed in the morning.
+
+As Toby walked around the circus grounds, whereon was so much to attract
+his attention, he could not prevent himself from assuming an air of
+proprietorship. His interest in all that was going on was redoubled,
+and in his anxiety that everything should be done correctly and in the
+proper order he actually, and perhaps for the first time in his life,
+forgot that he was hungry. He was really to travel with a circus, to
+become a part, as it were, of the whole, and to be able to see its many
+wonderful and beautiful attractions every day.
+
+Even the very tent ropes had acquired a new interest for him, and
+the faces of the men at work seemed suddenly to have become those of
+friends. How hard it was for him to walk around unconcernedly: and how
+especially hard to prevent his feet from straying toward that tempting
+display of dainties which he was to sell to those who came to see and
+enjoy, and who would look at him with wonder and curiosity! It was very
+hard not to be allowed to tell his playmates of his wonderfully good
+fortune; but silence meant success, and he locked his secret in his
+bosom, not even daring to talk with anyone he knew, lest he should
+betray himself by some incautious word.
+
+He did not go home to dinner that day, and once or twice he felt
+impelled to walk past the candy stand, giving a mysterious shake of the
+head at the proprietor as he did so. The afternoon performance passed
+off as usual to all of the spectators save Toby. He imagined that each
+one of the performers knew that he was about to join them; and even
+as he passed the cage containing the monkeys he fancied that one
+particularly old one knew all about his intention of running away.
+
+Of course it was necessary for him to go home at the close of the
+afternoon's performance, in order to get one or two valuable articles of
+his own--such as a boat, a kite, and a pair of skates--and in order
+that his actions might not seem suspicious. Before he left the grounds,
+however, he stole slyly around to the candy stand, and informed Mr. Job
+Lord, in a very hoarse whisper, that he would be on hand at the time
+appointed.
+
+Mr. Lord patted him on the head, gave him two large sticks of candy,
+and, what was more kind and surprising, considering the fact that he
+wore glasses and was cross eyed, he winked at Toby. A wink from Mr. Lord
+must have been intended to convey a great deal, because, owing to the
+defect in his eyes, it required no little exertion, and even then could
+not be considered as a really first class wink.
+
+That wink, distorted as it was, gladdened Toby's heart immensely and
+took away nearly all the sting of the scolding with which Uncle Daniel
+greeted him when he reached home.
+
+That night--despite the fact that he was going to travel with the
+circus, despite the fact that his home was not a happy or cheerful
+one--Toby was not in a pleasant frame of mind. He began to feel for the
+first time that he was doing wrong; and as he gazed at Uncle Daniel's
+stern, forbidding looking face, it seemed to have changed somewhat from
+its severity, and caused a great lump of something to come up in his
+throat as he thought that perhaps he should never see it again. Just
+then one or two kind words would have prevented him from running away,
+bright as the prospect of circus life appeared.
+
+It was almost impossible for him to eat anything, and this very
+surprising state of affairs attracted the attention of Uncle Daniel.
+
+"Bless my heart! what ails the boy?" asked the old man, as he peered
+over his glasses at Toby's well filled plate, which was usually emptied
+so quickly. "Are ye sick, Toby, or what is the matter with ye?"
+
+"No, I hain't sick," said Toby, with a sigh; "but I've been to the
+circus, an' I got a good deal to eat."
+
+"Oho! You spent that cent I give ye, eh, an' got so much that it made ye
+sick?"
+
+Toby thought of the six peanuts which he had bought with the penny Uncle
+Daniel had given him; and, amid all his homesickness, he could not help
+wondering if Uncle Daniel ever made himself sick with only six peanuts
+when he was a boy.
+
+As no one paid any further attention to Toby, he pushed back his plate,
+arose from the table, and went with a heavy heart to attend to his
+regular evening chores. The cow, the hens, and even the pigs came in for
+a share of his unusually kind attention; and as he fed them all the
+big tears rolled down his cheeks as he thought that perhaps never
+again would he see any of them. These dumb animals had all been Toby's
+confidants; he had poured out his griefs in their ears, and fancied,
+when the world or Uncle Daniel had used him unusually hard, that they
+sympathized with him. Now he was leaving them forever, and as he locked
+the stable door he could hear the sounds of music coming from the
+direction of the circus grounds, and he was angry at it, because it
+represented that which was taking him away from his home, even though it
+was not as pleasant as it might have been.
+
+Still, he had no thought of breaking the engagement which he had made.
+He went to his room, made a bundle of his worldly possessions, and crept
+out of the back door, down the road to the circus.
+
+Mr. Lord saw him as soon as he arrived on the grounds, and as he passed
+another ticket to Toby he took his bundle from him, saying, as he did
+so: "I'll pack up your bundle with my things, and then you'll be sure
+not to lose it. Don't you want some candy?"
+
+Toby shook his head; he had just discovered that there was possibly some
+connection between his heart and his stomach, for his grief at leaving
+home had taken from him all desire for good things. It is also more than
+possible that Mr. Lord had had experience enough with boys to know that
+they might be homesick on the eve of starting to travel with a circus;
+and in order to make sure that Toby would keep to his engagement he was
+unusually kind.
+
+That evening was the longest Toby ever knew. He wandered from one cage
+of animals to another; then to see the performance in the ring, and back
+again to the animals, in the vain hope of passing the time pleasantly.
+
+But it was of no use; that lump in his throat would remain there, and
+the thoughts of what he was about to do would trouble him severely.
+The performance failed to interest him, and the animals did not attract
+until he had visited the monkey cage for the third or fourth time. Then
+he fancied that the same venerable monkey who had looked so knowing in
+the afternoon was gazing at him with a sadness which could only have
+come from a thorough knowledge of all the grief and doubt that was in
+his heart.
+
+There was no one around the cages, and Toby got just as near to the iron
+bars as possible. No sooner had he flattened his little pug nose against
+the iron than the aged monkey came down from the ring in which he had
+been swinging, and, seating himself directly in front of Toby's face,
+looked at him most compassionately.
+
+It would not have surprised the boy just then if the animal had spoken;
+but as he did not, Toby did the next best thing and spoke to him.
+
+"I s'pose you remember that you saw me this afternoon, an' somebody told
+you that I was goin' to join the circus, didn't they?"
+
+The monkey made no reply, though Toby fancied that he winked an
+affirmative answer; and he looked so sympathetic that he continued,
+confidentially:
+
+"Well, I'm the same feller, an' I don't mind telling you that I'm
+awfully sorry that I promised that candy man I'd go with him. Do you
+know that I came near crying at the supper table tonight; an' Uncle
+Dan'l looked real good an' nice, though I never thought so before. I
+wish I wasn't goin', after all, 'cause it don't seem a bit like a good
+time now; but I s'pose I must, 'cause I promised to, an' 'cause the
+candy man has got all my things."
+
+The big tears had begun to roll down Toby's cheeks, and as he ceased
+speaking the monkey reached out one little paw, which Toby took as
+earnestly as if it had been done purposely to console him.
+
+"You're real good, you are," continued Toby; "an' I hope I shall see you
+real often, for it seems to me now, when there hain't any folks around,
+as if you was the only friend I've got in this great big world. It's
+awful when a feller feels the way I do, an' when he don't seem to want
+anything to eat. Now if you'll stick to me I'll stick to you, an' then
+it won't be half so bad when we feel this way."
+
+During this speech Toby had still clung to the little brown paw, which
+the monkey now withdrew, and continued to gaze into the boy's face.
+
+"The fellers all say I don't amount to anything," sobbed Toby, "an'
+Uncle Dan'l says I don't, an' I s'pose they know; but I tell you I feel
+just as bad, now that I'm goin' away from them all, as if I was as good
+as any of them."
+
+At this moment Toby saw Mr. Lord enter the tent, and he knew that the
+summons to start was about to be given.
+
+"Goodby," he said to the monkey, as he vainly tried to take him by the
+hand again. "Remember what I've told you, an' don't forget that Toby
+Tyler is feelin' worse tonight than if he was twice as big an' twice as
+good."
+
+Mr. Lord had come to summon him away, and he now told Toby that he would
+show him with which man he was to ride that night.
+
+Toby looked another goodby at the venerable monkey, who was watching him
+closely, and then followed his employer out of the tent, among the ropes
+and poles and general confusion attendant upon the removal of a circus
+from one place to another.
+
+
+
+
+III. THE NIGHT RIDE
+
+
+The wagon on which Mr. Lord was to send his new found employee was,
+by the most singular chance, the one containing the monkeys, and Toby
+accepted this as a good omen. He would be near his venerable friend all
+night, and there was some consolation in that. The driver instructed
+the boy to watch his movements, and when he saw him leading his horses
+around, "to look lively and be on hand, for he never waited for anyone."
+
+Toby not only promised to do as ordered, but he followed the driver
+around so closely that, had he desired, he could not have rid himself of
+his little companion.
+
+The scene which presented itself to Toby's view was strange and weird in
+the extreme. Shortly after he had attached himself to the man with whom
+he was to ride, the performance was over, and the work of putting the
+show and its belongings into such a shape as could be conveyed from one
+town to another was soon in active operation. Toby forgot his grief,
+forgot that he was running away from the only home he had ever known--in
+fact, forgot everything concerning himself--so interested was he in that
+which was going on about him.
+
+As soon as the audience had got out of the tent and almost before the
+work of taking down the canvas was begun.
+
+Torches were stuck in the earth at regular intervals, the lights that
+had shone so brilliantly in and around the ring had been extinguished,
+the canvas sides had been taken off, and the boards that had formed the
+seats were being packed into one of the carts with a rattling sound that
+seemed as if a regular fusillade of musketry was being indulged in. Men
+were shouting; horses were being driven hither and thither, harnessed to
+the wagons, or drawing the huge carts away as soon as they were loaded;
+and everything seemed in the greatest state of confusion, while really
+the work was being done in the most systematic manner possible.
+
+Toby had not long to wait before the driver informed him that the time
+for starting had arrived, and assisted him to climb up to the narrow
+seat whereon he was to ride that night.
+
+The scene was so exciting, and his efforts to stick to the narrow seat
+so great, that he really had no time to attend to the homesick feeling
+that had crept over him during the first part of the evening.
+
+The long procession of carts and wagons drove slowly out of the town,
+and when the last familiar house had been passed the driver spoke to
+Toby for the first time, since they started.
+
+"Pretty hard work to keep on--eh, sonny?"
+
+"Yes," replied the boy, as the wagon jolted over a rock, bouncing him
+high in air, and he, by strenuous efforts, barely succeeded in alighting
+on the seat again, "it is pretty hard work; an' my name's Toby Tyler."
+
+Toby heard a queer sound that seemed to come from the man's throat, and
+for a few moments he feared that his companion was choking. But he soon
+understood that this was simply an attempt to laugh, and he at once
+decided that it was a very poor style of laughing.
+
+"So you object to being called sonny, do you?"
+
+"Well, I'd rather be called Toby, for, you see, that's my name."
+
+"All right, my boy; we'll call you Toby. I suppose you thought it was a
+mighty fine thing to run away an' jine a circus, didn't you?"
+
+Toby started in affright, looked around cautiously, and then tried to
+peer down through the small square aperture, guarded by iron rods, that
+opened into the cage just back of the seat they were sitting on. Then
+he turned slowly around to the driver, and asked, in a voice sunk to a
+whisper: "How did you know that I was runnin' away? Did he tell you?"
+and Toby motioned with his thumb as if he were pointing out someone
+behind him.
+
+It was the driver's turn now to look around in search of the "he"
+referred to by Toby.
+
+"Who do you mean?" asked the man, impatiently.
+
+"Why, the old feller; the one in the cart there. I think he knew I was
+runnin' away, though he didn't say anything about it; but he looked just
+as if he did."
+
+The driver looked at Toby in perfect amazement for a moment, and
+then, as if suddenly understanding the boy, relapsed into one of those
+convulsive efforts that caused the blood to rush up into his face and
+gave him every appearance of having a fit.
+
+"You must mean one of the monkeys," said the driver, after he had
+recovered his breath, which had been almost shaken out of his body by
+the silent laughter. "So you thought a monkey had told me what any fool
+could have seen if he had watched you for five minutes."
+
+"Well," said Toby, slowly, as if he feared he might provoke one of those
+terrible laughing spells again, "I saw him tonight, an' he looked as if
+he knew what I was doin'; so I up an' told him, an' I didn't know but
+he'd told you, though he didn't look to me like a feller that would be
+mean."
+
+There was another internal shaking on the part of the driver, which Toby
+did not fear so much, since he was getting accustomed to it, and then
+the man said, "Well, you are the queerest little cove I ever saw."
+
+"I s'pose I am," was the reply, accompanied by a long drawn sigh. "I
+don't seem to amount to so much as the other fellers do, an' I guess
+it's because I'm always hungry; you see, I eat awful, Uncle Dan'l says."
+
+The only reply which the driver made to this plaintive confession was to
+put his hand down into the deepest recesses of one of his deep pockets
+and to draw therefrom a huge doughnut, which he handed to his companion.
+
+Toby was so much at his ease by this time that the appetite which had
+failed him at supper had now returned in full force, and he devoured the
+doughnut in a most ravenous manner.
+
+"You're too small to eat so fast," said the man, in a warning tone, as
+the last morsel of the greasy sweetness disappeared, and he fished up
+another for the boy. "Some time you'll get hold of one of the India
+rubber doughnuts that they feed to circus people, an' choke yourself to
+death."
+
+Toby shook his head, and devoured this second cake as quickly as he had
+the first, craning his neck, and uttering a funny little squeak as the
+last bit went down, just as a chicken does when he gets too large a
+mouthful of dough.
+
+"I'll never choke," he said, confidently. "I'm used to it; and Uncle
+Dan'l says I could eat a pair of boots an' never wink at 'em; but I
+don't just believe that."
+
+As the driver made no reply to this remark Toby watched with no little
+interest all that was passing on around him. Each of the wagons had a
+lantern fastened to the hind axle, and these lights could be seen far
+ahead on the road, as if a party of fireflies had started in single file
+on an excursion. The trees by the side of the road stood out weird and
+ghostly looking in the darkness, and the rumble of the carts ahead
+and behind formed a musical accompaniment to the picture that sounded
+strangely doleful.
+
+Mile after mile was passed over in perfect silence, save now and then
+when the driver would whistle a few bars of some very dismal tune that
+would fairly make Toby shiver with its mournfulness. Eighteen miles was
+the distance from Guilford to the town where the next performance of the
+circus was to be given, and as Toby thought of the ride before them it
+seemed as if the time would be almost interminable. He curled himself up
+on one corner of the seat, and tried very hard to go to sleep; but just
+as his eyes began to grow heavy the wagon would jolt over some rock or
+sink deep in some rut, till Toby, the breath very nearly shaken out
+of his body, and his neck almost dislocated, would sit bolt upright,
+clinging to the seat with both hands, as if he expected each moment to
+be pitched out into the mud.
+
+The driver watched him closely, and each time that he saw him shaken
+up and awakened so thoroughly he would indulge in one of his silent
+laughing spells, until Toby would wonder whether he would ever recover
+from it. Several times had Toby been awakened, and each time he had seen
+the amusement his sufferings caused, until he finally resolved to put an
+end to the sport by keeping awake.
+
+"What is your name?" he asked of the driver, thinking a conversation
+would be the best way to rouse himself into wakefulness.
+
+"Waal," said the driver, as he gathered the reins carefully in one hand,
+and seemed to be debating in his mind how he should answer the question,
+"I don't know as I know myself, it's been so long since I've heard it."
+
+Toby was wide enough awake now, as this rather singular problem was
+forced upon his mind. He revolved the matter silently for some moments,
+and at last he asked, "What do folks call you when they want to speak to
+you?"
+
+"They always call me Old Ben, an' I've got so used to the name that I
+don't need any other."
+
+Toby wanted very much to ask more questions, but he wisely concluded
+that it would not be agreeable to his companion.
+
+"I'll ask the old man about it," said Toby to himself, referring to the
+aged monkey, whom he seemed to feel acquainted with; "he most likely
+knows, if he'll say anything."
+
+After this the conversation ceased, until Toby again ventured to
+suggest, "It's a pretty long drive, hain't it?"
+
+"You want to wait till you've been in this business a year or two," said
+Ben, sagely, "an' then you won't think much of it. Why, I've known the
+show towns to be thirty miles apart, an' them was the times when we had
+lively work of it. Riding all night and working all day kind of wears on
+a fellow."
+
+"Yes, I s'pose so," said Toby, with a sigh, as he wondered whether he
+had got to work as hard as that; "but I s'pose you get all you want to
+eat, don't you?"
+
+"Now you've struck it!" said Ben, with the air of one about to impart a
+world of wisdom, as he crossed one leg over the other, that his position
+might be as comfortable as possible while he was initiating his young
+companion into the mysteries of the life. "I've had all the boys ride
+with me since I've been with this show, an' I've tried to start them
+right; but they didn't seem to profit by it, an' always got sick of the
+show an' run away, just because they didn't look out for themselves as
+they ought to. Now listen to me, Toby, an' remember what I say. You see
+they put us all in a hotel together, an' some of these places where we
+go don't have any too much stuff on the table. Whenever we strike a new
+town you find out at the hotel what time they have the grub ready, an'
+you be on hand, so's to get in with the first. Eat all you can, an' fill
+your pockets."
+
+"If that's all a feller has to do to travel with a circus," said Toby,
+"I'm just the one, 'cause I always used to do just that when I hadn't
+any idea of bein' a circus man."
+
+"Then you'll get along all right," said Ben, as he checked the speed of
+his horses and, looking carefully ahead, said, as he guided his team to
+one side of the road, "This is as far as we're going tonight."
+
+Toby learned that they were within a couple of miles of the town, and
+that the entire procession would remain by the roadside until time to
+make the grand entree into the village, when every wagon, horse, and man
+would be decked out in the most gorgeous array, as they had been when
+they entered Guilford.
+
+Under Ben's direction he wrapped himself in an old horse blanket,
+and lay down on the top of the wagon; and he was so tired from the
+excitement of the day and night that he had hardly stretched out at full
+length before he was fast asleep.
+
+
+
+
+IV. THE FIRST DAY WITH THE CIRCUS
+
+
+When Toby awakened and looked around he could hardly realize where he
+was or bow he came there. As far ahead and behind on the road as he
+could see the carts were drawn up on one side; men were hurrying to and
+fro, orders were being shouted, and everything showed that the entry
+into the town was about to be made. Directly opposite the wagon on which
+he had been sleeping were the four elephants and two camels, and close
+behind, contentedly munching their breakfasts, were a number of tiny
+ponies. Troops of horses were being groomed and attended to; the road
+was littered with saddles, flags, and general decorations, until it
+seemed to Toby that there must have been a smash up, and that he now
+beheld ruins rather than systematic disorder.
+
+How different everything looked now, compared to the time when the
+cavalcade marched into Guilford, dazzling everyone with the gorgeous
+display! Then the horses pranced gayly under their gaudy decorations,
+the wagons were bright with glass, gilt, and flags, the lumbering
+elephants and awkward camels were covered with fancifully embroidered
+velvets, and even the drivers of the wagons were resplendent in their
+uniforms of scarlet and gold. Now, in the gray light of the early
+morning, everything was changed. The horses were tired and muddy, and
+wore old and dirty harness; the gilded chariots were covered with mud
+bespattered canvas, which caused them to look like the most ordinary
+of market wagons; the elephants and camels looked dingy, dirty, almost
+repulsive; and the drivers were only a sleepy looking set of men, who,
+in their shirt sleeves, were getting ready for the change which would
+dazzle the eyes of the inhabitants of the town.
+
+Toby descended from his lofty bed, rubbed his eyes to thoroughly awaken
+himself, and, under the guidance of Ben, went to a little brook near by
+and washed his face. He had been with the circus not quite ten hours,
+but now he could not realize that it had ever seemed bright and
+beautiful. He missed his comfortable bed, the quiet and cleanliness, and
+the well spread table; even although he had felt the lack of parents'
+care, Uncle Daniel's home seemed the very abode of love and friendly
+feeling compared with this condition, where no one appeared to care even
+enough for him to scold at him. He was thoroughly homesick, and heartily
+wished that he was back in his old native town.
+
+While he was washing his face in the brook he saw some of the boys who
+had come out from the town to catch the first glimpse of the circus, and
+he saw at once that he was the object of their admiring gaze. He heard
+one of the boys say, when they first discovered him:
+
+"There's one of them, an' he's only a little feller; so I'm going to
+talk to him."
+
+The evident admiration which the boys had for Toby pleased him, and this
+pleasure was the only drop of comfort he had had since he started. He
+hoped they would come and talk with him; and, that they might have the
+opportunity, he was purposely slow in making his toilet.
+
+The boys approached him shyly, as if they had their doubts whether he
+was made of the same material as themselves, and when they got quite
+near to him and satisfied themselves that he was only washing his face
+in much the same way that any well regulated boy would do, the one who
+had called attention to him said, half timidly, "Hello!"
+
+"Hello!" responded Toby, in a tone that was meant to invite confidence.
+
+"Do you belong to the circus?"
+
+"Yes," said Toby, a little doubtfully.
+
+Then the boys stared at him again as if he were one of the strange
+looking animals, and the one who had been the spokesman drew a long
+breath of envy as he said, longingly, "My! what a nice time you must
+have!"
+
+Toby remembered that only yesterday he himself had thought that boys
+must have a nice time with a circus, and he now felt what a mistake
+that thought was; but he concluded that he would not undeceive his new
+acquaintance.
+
+"And do they give you frogs to eat, so's to make you limber?"
+
+This was the first time that Toby had thought of breakfast, and the very
+mention of eating made him hungry. He was just at that moment so very
+hungry that he did not think he was replying to the question when he
+said, quickly: "Eat frogs! I could eat anything, if I only had the
+chance."
+
+The boys took this as an answer to their question, and felt perfectly
+convinced that the agility of circus riders and tumblers depended upon
+the quantity of frogs eaten, and they looked upon Toby with no little
+degree of awe.
+
+Toby might have undeceived them as to the kind of food he ate, but just
+at that moment the harsh voice of Mr. Job Lord was heard calling him,
+and he hurried away to commence his first day's work.
+
+Toby's employer was not the same pleasant, kindly spoken man that he
+had been during the time they were in Guilford and before the boy was
+absolutely under his control. He looked cross, he acted cross, and it
+did not take the boy very long to find out that he was very cross.
+
+He scolded Toby roundly, and launched more oaths at his defenseless head
+than Toby had ever heard in his life. He was angry that the boy had not
+been on hand to help him, and also that he had been obliged to hunt for
+him.
+
+Toby tried to explain that he had no idea of what he was expected to
+do, and that he had been on the wagon to which he had been sent, only
+leaving it to wash his face; but the angry man grew still more furious.
+
+"Went to wash your face, did yer? Want to set yourself up for a dandy, I
+suppose, and think that you must souse that speckled face of yours into
+every brook you come to? I'll soon break you of that; and the sooner you
+understand that I can't afford to have you wasting your time in washing
+the better it will be for you."
+
+Toby now grew angry, and, not realizing how wholly he was in the man's
+power, he retorted: "If you think I'm going round with a dirty face,
+even if it is speckled, for a dollar a week, you're mistaken, that's
+all. How many folks would eat your candy if they knew you handled it
+over before you washed your hands?"
+
+"Oho! I've picked up a preacher, have I? Now I want you to understand,
+my bantam, that I do all the preaching as well as the practicing myself,
+and this is about as quick a way as I know of to make you understand
+it."
+
+As the man spoke he grasped the boy by the coat collar with one hand and
+with the other plied a thin rubber cane with no gentle force to every
+portion of Toby's body that he could reach.
+
+Every blow caused the poor boy the most intense pain; but he determined
+that his tormentor should not have the satisfaction of forcing an outcry
+from him, and he closed his lips so tightly that not a single sound
+could escape from them.
+
+This very silence enraged the man so much that he redoubled the force
+and rapidity of his blows, and it is impossible to say what might have
+been the consequences had not Ben come that way just then and changed
+the aspect of affairs.
+
+"Up to your old tricks of whipping the boys, are you, Job?" he said,
+as he wrested the cane from the man's hand and held him off at arm's
+length, to prevent him from doing Toby more mischief.
+
+Mr. Lord struggled to release himself, and insisted that, since the boy
+was in his employ, he should do with him just as he saw fit.
+
+"Now look here, Mr. Lord," said Ben, as gravely as if he was delivering
+some profound piece of wisdom, "I've never interfered with you before;
+but now I'm going to stop your game of thrashing your boy every morning
+before breakfast. You just tell this youngster what you want him to do,
+and if he don't do it you can discharge him. If I hear of your flogging
+him, I shall attend to your case at once. You hear me?"
+
+Ben shook the now terrified candy vender much as if he had been a child,
+and then released him, saying to Toby as he did so, "Now, my boy, you
+attend to your business as you ought to, and I'll settle his accounts if
+he tries the flogging game again."
+
+"You see, I don't know what there is for me to do," sobbed Toby, for
+the kindly interference of Ben had made him show more feeling than Mr.
+Lord's blows had done.
+
+"Tell him what he must do," said Ben, sternly.
+
+"I want him to go to work and wash the tumblers, and fix up the things
+in that green box, so we can commence to sell as soon as we get into
+town," snarled Mr. Lord, as he motioned toward a large green chest that
+had been taken out of one of the carts, and which Toby saw was filled
+with dirty glasses, spoons, knives, and other utensils such as were
+necessary to carry on the business.
+
+Toby got a pail of water from the brook, hunted around and found towels
+and soap, and devoted himself to his work with such industry that Mr.
+Lord could not repress a grunt of satisfaction as he passed him, however
+angry he felt because he could not administer the whipping which would
+have smoothed his ruffled temper.
+
+By the time the procession was ready to start for the town Toby had as
+much of his work done as he could find that it was necessary to do, and
+his master, in his surly way, half acknowledged that this last boy of
+his was better than any he had had before.
+
+Although Toby had done his work so well he was far from feeling happy;
+he was both angry and sad as he thought of the cruel blows that had been
+inflicted, and he had plenty of leisure to repent of the rash step he
+had taken, although he could not see very clearly how he was to get away
+from it. He thought that he could not go back to Guilford, for Uncle
+Daniel would not allow him to come to his house again; and the hot
+scalding tears ran down his cheeks as he realized that he was homeless
+and friendless in this great big world.
+
+It was while he was in this frame of mind that the procession, all gaudy
+with flags, streamers, and banners, entered the town. Under different
+circumstances this would have been a most delightful day for him, for
+the entrance of a circus into Guilford had always been a source of one
+day's solid enjoyment; but now he was the most disconsolate and unhappy
+boy in all that crowd.
+
+He did not ride throughout the entire route of the procession, for Mr.
+Lord was anxious to begin business, and the moment the tenting ground
+was reached the wagon containing Mr. Lord's goods was driven into the
+inclosure and Toby's day's work began.
+
+He was obliged to bring water, to cut up the lemons, fetch and carry
+fruit from the booth in the big tent to the booth on the outside,
+until he was ready to drop with fatigue, and, having had no time for
+breakfast, was nearly famished.
+
+It was quite noon before he was permitted to go to the hotel for
+something to eat, and then Ben's advice to be one of the first to get to
+the tables was not needed.
+
+In the eating line that day he astonished the servants, the members of
+the company, and even himself, and by the time he arose from the table,
+with both pockets and his stomach full to bursting, the tables had been
+set and cleared away twice while he was making one meal.
+
+"Well, I guess you didn't hurry yourself much," said Mr. Lord, when Toby
+returned to the circus ground.
+
+"Oh yes, I did," was Toby's innocent reply: "I ate just as fast as I
+could"; and a satisfied smile stole over the boy's face as he thought of
+the amount of solid food he had consumed.
+
+The answer was not one which was calculated to make Mr. Lord feel any
+more agreeably disposed toward his new clerk, and he showed his ill
+temper very plainly as he said, "It must take a good deal to satisfy
+you."
+
+"I s'pose it does," calmly replied Toby. "Sam Merrill used to say that
+I took after Aunt Olive and Uncle Dan'l; one ate a good while, an' the
+other ate awful fast."
+
+Toby could not understand what it was that Mr. Lord said in reply,
+but he could understand that his employer was angry at somebody or
+something, and he tried unusually hard to please him. He talked to the
+boys who had gathered around, to induce them to buy, washed the glasses
+as fast as they were used, tried to keep off the flies, and in every way
+he could think of endeavored to please his master.
+
+
+
+
+V. THE COUNTERFEIT TEN CENT PIECE
+
+
+When the doors of the big tent were opened, and the people began to
+crowd in, just as Toby had seen them do at Guilford, Mr. Lord announced
+to his young clerk that it was time for him to go into the tent to work.
+Then it was that Toby learned for the first time that he had two masters
+instead of one, and this knowledge caused him no little uneasiness. If
+the other one was anything like Mr. Lord, his lot would be just twice
+as bad, and he began to wonder whether he could even stand it one day
+longer.
+
+As the boy passed through the tent on his way to the candy stand, where
+he was really to enter upon the duties for which he had run away from
+home, he wanted to stop for a moment and speak with the old monkey who
+he thought had taken such an interest in him. But when he reached the
+cage in which his friend was confined, there was such a crowd around it
+that it was impossible for him to get near enough to speak without being
+overheard.
+
+This was such a disappointment to the little fellow that the big tears
+came into his eyes, and in another instant would have gone rolling down
+his cheeks if his aged friend had not chanced to look toward him. Toby
+fancied that the monkey looked at him in the most friendly way, and
+then he was Certain that he winked one eye. Toby felt that there was no
+mistake about that wink, and it seemed as if it was intended to convey
+comfort to him in his troubles. He winked back at the monkey in the most
+emphatic and grave manner possible, and then went on his way, feeling
+wonderfully comforted.
+
+The work inside the tent was far different and much harder than it was
+outside. He was obliged to carry around among the audience trays of
+candy, nuts, and lemonade for sale, and he was expected to cry aloud the
+description of that which he offered. The partner of Mr. Lord, who had
+charge of the stand inside the tent, showed himself to be neither better
+nor worse than Mr. Lord himself. When Toby first presented himself for
+work he handed him a tray filled with glasses of lemonade, and told him
+to go among the audience, crying, "Here's your nice cold lemonade, only
+five cents a glass!"
+
+Toby started to do as he was bidden; but when he tried to repeat the
+words in anything like a loud tone of voice they stuck in his throat,
+and he found it next to impossible to utter a sound above a whisper. It
+seemed to him that everyone in the audience was looking only at him, and
+the very sound of his own voice made him afraid.
+
+He went entirely around the tent once without making a sale, and when he
+returned to the stand he was at once convinced that one of his masters
+was quite as bad as the other. This one--and he knew that his name was
+Jacobs, for he heard someone call him so--very kindly told him that he
+would break every bone in his body if he didn't sell something, and Toby
+confidently believed that he would carry out his threat.
+
+It was with a very heavy heart that he started around again in obedience
+to Mr. Jacobs's angry command; but this time he did manage to cry out,
+in a very thin and very squeaky voice, the words which he had been told
+to repeat.
+
+This time--perhaps owing to his pitiful and imploring look, certainly
+not because of the noise he made--he met with very good luck, and
+sold every glass of the mixture which Messrs. Lord and Jacobs called
+lemonade, and went back to the stand for more.
+
+He certainly thought he had earned a word of praise, and fully expected
+it as he put the empty glasses and money on the stand in front of Mr.
+Jacobs. But, instead of the kind words, he was greeted with a volley of
+curses; and the reason for it was that he had taken in payment for two
+of the glasses a lead ten cent piece. Mr. Jacobs, after scolding poor
+little Toby to his heart's content, vowed that the amount should be kept
+from his first week's wages, and then handed back the coin, with orders
+to give it to the first man who gave him money to change, under the
+penalty of a severe flogging if he failed to do so.
+
+Poor Toby tried to explain matters by saying: "You see, I don't know
+anything about money; I never had more 'n a cent at a time, an' you
+mustn't expect me to get posted all at once."
+
+"I'll post you with a stick if you do it again; an' it won't be well for
+you if you bring that ten cent piece back here!"
+
+Now Toby was very well aware that to pass the coin, knowing it to be
+bad, would be a crime, and be resolved to take the consequences of which
+Mr. Jacobs had intimated, if he could not find the one who had given him
+the counterfeit and persuade him to give him good money in its stead. He
+remembered very plainly where he had sold each glass of lemonade, and
+he retraced his steps, glancing at each face carefully as he passed. At
+last he was confident that he saw the man who had gotten him into such
+trouble, and he climbed up the board seats, saying, as he stood in front
+of him and held out the coin: "Mister, this money that you gave me is
+bad. Won't you give me another one for it?"
+
+The man was a rough looking party who had taken his girl to the circus,
+and who did not seem at all disposed to pay any heed to Toby's request.
+Therefore he repeated it, and this time more loudly.
+
+"Get out the way!" said the man, angrily. "How can you expect me to see
+the show if you stand right in front of me?"
+
+"You'll like it better," said Toby, earnestly, "if you give me another
+ten cent piece."
+
+"Get out an' don't bother me!" was the angry rejoinder; and the little
+fellow began to think that perhaps he would be obliged to "get out"
+without getting his money.
+
+It was becoming a desperate case, for the man was growing angry very
+fast and if Toby did not succeed in getting good money for the bad, he
+would have to take the consequences of which Mr. Jacobs had spoken.
+
+"Please, mister," he said, imploringly--for his heart began to grow very
+heavy, and he was fearing that he should not succeed--"won't you please
+give me the money back? You know you gave it to me, an' I'll have to pay
+it if you don't."
+
+The boy's lip was quivering, and those around began to be interested in
+the affair, while several in the immediate vicinity gave vent to their
+indignation that a man should try to cheat a boy out of ten cents by
+giving him counterfeit money.
+
+The man whom Toby was speaking to was about to dismiss him with an angry
+reply, when he saw that those about him were not only interested in the
+matter, but were evidently taking sides with the boy against him; and
+knowing well that he had given the counterfeit money, he took another
+coin from his pocket and, handing it to Toby, said, "I didn't give you
+the lead piece; but you're making such a fuss about it that here's ten
+cents to make you keep quiet."
+
+"I'm sure you did give me the money," said Toby, as he took the extended
+coin, "an' I'm much obliged to you for takin' it back. I didn't want to
+tell you before, 'cause you'd thought I was beggin'; but if you hadn't
+given me this, I 'xpect I'd have got an awful whippin', for Mr. Jacobs
+said he'd fix me if I didn't get the money for it."
+
+The man looked sheepish enough as he put the bad money in his pocket,
+and Toby's innocently told story caused such a feeling in his behalf
+among those who sat near that he not only disposed of his entire stock
+then and there, but received from one gentleman twenty-five cents for
+himself. He was both proud and happy as he returned to Mr. Jacobs with
+empty glasses, and with the money to refund the amount of loss which
+would have been caused by the counterfeit.
+
+But the worthy partner of Mr. Lord's candy business had no words of
+encouragement for the boy who was trying so hard to please.
+
+"Let that make you keep your eyes open," he growled out, sulkily; "an'
+if you get caught in that trap again, you won't be let off so easy."
+
+Poor little Toby! his heart seemed ready to break; but his few hours'
+previous experience had taught him that there was but one thing to do,
+and that was to work just as hard as possible, trusting to some good
+fortune to enable him to get out of the very disagreeable position in
+which he had voluntarily placed himself.
+
+He took the basket of candy that Mr. Jacobs handed him, and trudged
+around the circle of seats, selling far more because of the pitifulness
+of his face than because of the excellence of his goods; and even this
+worked to his disadvantage. Mr. Jacobs was keen enough to see why his
+little clerk sold so many goods, and each time that he returned to the
+stand he said something to him in an angry tone, which had the effect of
+deepening the shadow on the boy's face and at the same time increasing
+trade.
+
+By the time the performance was over Toby had in his pocket a dollar and
+twenty-five cents which had been given him for himself by some of the
+kind hearted in the audience, and he kept his hand almost constantly
+upon it, for the money seemed to him like some kind friend who would
+help him out of his present difficulties.
+
+After the audience had dispersed, Mr. Jacobs set Toby at work washing
+the glasses and clearing up generally, and then the boy started toward
+the other portion of the store--that watched over by Mr. Lord. Not a
+person save the watchman was in the tent, and as Toby went toward the
+door he saw his friend the monkey sitting in one corner of the cage, and
+apparently watching his every movement.
+
+It was as if he had suddenly seen one of the boys from home, and Toby,
+uttering an exclamation of delight, ran up to the cage and put his hand
+through the wires.
+
+The monkey, in the gravest possible manner, took one of the fingers in
+his paw, and Toby shook hands with him very earnestly.
+
+"I was sorry that I couldn't speak to you when I went in this noon,"
+said Toby, as if making an apology; "but, you see, there were so many
+around here to see you that I couldn't get the chance. Did you see me
+wink at you?"
+
+The monkey made no reply, but he twisted his face into such a funny
+little grimace that Toby was quite as well satisfied as if he had
+spoken.
+
+"I wonder if you hain't some relation to Steve Stubbs?" Toby continued,
+earnestly, "for you look just like him, only he don't have quite so many
+whiskers. What I wanted to say was that I'm awful sorry I run away. I
+used to think that Uncle Dan'l was bad enough; but he was just a perfect
+good Samarathon to what Mr. Lord an' Mr. Jacobs are; an' when Mr. Lord
+looks at me with that crooked eye of his I feel it 'way down in my
+boots. Do you know"--and here Toby put his mouth nearer to the monkey's
+head and whispered--"I'd run away from this circus if I could get the
+chance. Wouldn't you?"
+
+Just at this point, as if in answer to the question, the monkey stood up
+on his hind feet and reached out his paw to the boy, who seemed to think
+this was his way of being more emphatic in saying "Yes."
+
+Toby took the paw in his hand, shook it again earnestly, and said, as he
+released it: "I was pretty sure you felt just about the same way I did,
+Mr. Stubbs, when I passed you this noon. Look here"--and Toby took the
+money from his pocket which had been given him--"I got all that this
+afternoon, an' I'll try an' stick it out somehow till I get as much as
+ten dollars, an' then we'll run away some night, an' go 'way off as far
+as--as--as out West; an' we'll stay there, too."
+
+The monkey, probably tired with remaining in one position so long;
+started toward the top of the cage, chattering and screaming, joining
+the other monkeys, who had gathered in a little group in one of the
+swings.
+
+"Now see here, Mr. Stubbs," said Toby, in alarm, "you mustn't go to
+telling everybody about it, or Mr. Lord will know, an' then we'll be
+dished, sure."
+
+The monkey sat quietly in the swing, as if he felt reproved by what the
+boy had said; and Toby, considerably relieved by his silence, said,
+as he started toward the door, "That's right--mum's the word; you keep
+quiet, an' so will I, an' pretty soon we'll get away from the whole
+crowd."
+
+All the monkeys chattered; and Toby, believing that everything which
+he had said had been understood by the animals, went out of the door to
+meet his other taskmaster.
+
+
+
+
+VI. A TENDER HEARTED SKELETON
+
+
+"Now, then, lazybones," was Mr. Lord's warning cry as Toby came out of
+the tent, "if you've fooled away enough of your time, you can come here
+an' tend shop for me while I go to supper. You crammed yourself this
+noon, an' it 'll teach you a good lesson to make you go without anything
+to eat tonight; it 'll make you move round more lively in future."
+
+Instead of becoming accustomed to such treatment as he was receiving
+from his employers, Toby's heart grew more tender with each brutal word,
+and this last punishment--that of losing his supper--caused the poor
+boy more sorrow than blows would. Mr. Lord started for the hotel as
+he concluded his cruel speech; and poor little Toby, going behind the
+counter, leaned his head upon the rough boards and cried as if his heart
+would break.
+
+All the fancied brightness and pleasure of a circus life had vanished,
+and in its place was the bitterness of remorse that he had repaid Uncle
+Daniel's kindness by the ingratitude of running away. Toby thought that
+if he could only nestle his little red head on the pillows of his little
+bed in that rough room at Uncle Daniel's, he would be the happiest and
+best boy, in the future, in all the great wide world.
+
+While he was still sobbing away at a most furious rate he heard a voice
+close at his elbow, and, looking up, saw the thinnest man he had
+ever seen in all his life. The man had flesh colored tights on, and a
+spangled red velvet garment--that was neither pants, because there were
+no legs to it, nor a coat, because it did not come above his waist--made
+up the remainder of his costume.
+
+Because he was so wonderfully thin, because of the costume which he
+wore, and because of a highly colored painting which was hanging in
+front of one of the small tents, Toby knew that the Living Skeleton was
+before him, and his big brown eyes opened all the wider as he gazed at
+him.
+
+"What is the matter, little fellow?" asked the man, in a kindly tone.
+"What makes you cry so? Has Job been up to his old tricks again?"
+
+"I don't know what his old tricks are--" and Toby sobbed, the tears
+coming again because of the sympathy which this man's voice expressed
+for him--"but I know that he's a mean, ugly thing--that's what I know;
+an' if I could only get back to Uncle Dan'l, there hain't elephants
+enough in all the circuses in the world to pull me away again."
+
+"Oh, you run away from home, did you?"
+
+"Yes, I did," sobbed Toby, "an' there hain't any boy in any Sunday
+School book that ever I read that was half so sorry he'd been bad as
+I am. It's awful; an' now I can't have any supper, 'cause I stopped to
+talk with Mr. Stubbs."
+
+"Is Mr. Stubbs one of your friends?" asked the skeleton, as he seated
+himself in Mr. Lord's own private chair.
+
+"Yes, he is, an' he's the only one in this whole circus who 'pears to
+be sorry for me. You'd better not let Mr. Lord see you sittin' in that
+chair or he'll raise a row."
+
+"Job won't raise any row with me," said the skeleton. "But who is this
+Mr. Stubbs? I don't seem to know anybody by that name."
+
+"I don't think that is his name. I only call him so, 'cause he looks so
+much like a feller I know who is named Stubbs."
+
+This satisfied the skeleton that this Mr. Stubbs must be someone
+attached to the show, and he asked:
+
+"Has Job been whipping you?"
+
+"No; Ben, the driver on the wagon where I ride, told him not to do that
+again; but he hain't going to let me have any supper, 'cause I was so
+slow about my work--though I wasn't slow; I only talked to Mr. Stubbs
+when there wasn't anybody round his cage."
+
+"Sam! Sam! Sam-u-el!"
+
+This name, which was shouted twice in a quick, loud voice, and the third
+time in a slow manner, ending almost in a screech, did not come from
+either Toby or the skeleton, but from an enormously large woman, dressed
+in a gaudy red and black dress, cut very short, and with low neck and
+an apology for sleeves, who had just come out from the tent whereon the
+picture of the Living Skeleton hung.
+
+"Samuel," she screamed again, "come inside this minute, or you'll
+catch your death o' cold, an' I shall have you wheezin' around with the
+phthisic all night. Come in, Sam-u-el."
+
+"That's her," said the skeleton to Toby, as he pointed his thumb in the
+direction of the fat woman, but paying no attention to the outcry she
+was making--"that's my wife Lilly, an' she's the Fat Woman of the show.
+She's always yellin' after me that way the minute I get out for a little
+fresh air, an' she's always sayin' just the same thing. Bless you, I
+never have the phthisic, but she does awful; an' I s'pose 'cause she's
+so large she can't feel all over her, an' thinks it's me that has it."
+
+"Is--is all that--is that your wife?" stammered Toby, in astonishment,
+as he looked at the enormously fat woman who stood in the tent door, and
+then at the wonderfully thin man who sat beside him.
+
+"Yes, that's her," said the skeleton. "She weighs pretty nigh four
+hundred, though of course the show cards says it's over six hundred, an'
+she earns almost as much money as I do. Of course she can't get so much,
+for skeletons is much scarcer than fat folks; but we make a pretty good
+thing travelin' together."
+
+"Sam-u-el!" again came the cry from the fat woman, "are you never coming
+in?"
+
+"Not yet, my angel," said the skeleton, placidly, as he crossed one thin
+leg over the other and looked calmly at her. "Come here an' see Job's
+new boy."
+
+"Your imprudence is wearin' me away so that I sha'n't be worth five
+dollars a week to any circus," she said, impatiently, at the same time
+coming toward the candy stand quite as rapidly as her very great size
+would admit.
+
+"This is my wife Lilly--Mrs. Treat," said the skeleton, with a proud
+wave of his hand, as he rose from his seat and gazed admiringly at her.
+"This is my flower--my queen, Mr. -- Mr. --"
+
+"Tyler," said Toby, supplying the name which the skeleton--or Mr. Treat,
+as Toby now learned his name was--did not know; "Tyler is my name--Toby
+Tyler."
+
+"Why, what a little chap you are!" said Mrs. Treat, paying no attention
+to the awkward little bend of the head which Toby intended for a bow.
+"How small he is, Samuel!"
+
+"Yes," said the skeleton, reflectively, as he looked Toby over from head
+to foot, as if he were mentally trying to calculate exactly how many
+inches high he was, "he is small; but he's got all the world before
+him to grow in, an' if he only eats enough--There, that reminds me. Job
+isn't going to give him any supper, because he didn't work hard enough."
+
+"He won't, won't he?" exclaimed the large lady, savagely. "Oh, he's a
+precious one, he is! An' some day I shall just give him a good shakin'
+up, that's what I'll do. I get all out of patience with that man's
+ugliness."
+
+"An' she'll do just what she says," said the skeleton to Toby, with an
+admiring shake of the head. "That woman hain't afraid of anybody, an' I
+wouldn't be a bit surprised if she did give Job a pretty rough time."
+
+Toby thought, as he looked at her, that she was large enough to give
+'most anyone a pretty rough time, but he did not venture to say so.
+While he was looking first at her, and then at her very thin husband,
+the skeleton told his wife the little that he had learned regarding the
+boy's history; and when he had concluded she waddled away toward her
+tent.
+
+"Great woman that," said the skeleton, as he saw her disappear within
+the tent.
+
+"Yes," said Toby, "she's the greatest I ever saw."
+
+"I mean that she's got a great head. Now you'll see about how much she
+cares for what Job says."
+
+"If I was as big as her," said Toby, with just a shade of envy in his
+voice, "I wouldn't be afraid of anybody."
+
+"It hain't so much the size," said the skeleton, sagely--"it hain't so
+much the size, my boy; for I can scare that woman almost to death when I
+feel like it."
+
+Toby looked for a moment at Mr. Treat's thin legs and arms, and then he
+said, warningly, "I wouldn't feel like it very often if I was you, Mr.
+Treat, 'cause she might break some of your bones if you didn't happen to
+scare her enough."
+
+"Don't fear for me, my boy--don't fear for me; you'll see how I manage
+her if you stay with the circus long enough. Now I often--"
+
+If Mr. Treat was about to confide a family secret to Toby, it was fated
+that he should not hear it then, for Mrs. Treat had just come out of
+her tent, carrying in her hands a large tin plate piled high with a
+miscellaneous assortment of pie, cake, bread, and meat.
+
+She placed this in front of Toby, and as she did so she handed him two
+pictures.
+
+"There, little Toby Tyler," she said--"there's something for you to eat,
+if Mr. Job Lord and his precious partner Jacobs did say you shouldn't
+have any supper; an' I've brought you a picture of Samuel an' me.
+We sell 'em for ten cents apiece, but I'm going to give them to you,
+because I like the looks of you."
+
+Toby was quite overcome with the presents, and seemed at a loss how to
+thank her for them. He attempted to speak, but could not get the words
+out at first; and then he said, as he put the two photographs in the
+same pocket with his money: "You're awful good to me, an' when I get to
+be a man I'll give you lots of things. I wasn't so very hungry, if I am
+such a big eater, but I did want something."
+
+"Bless your dear little heart, and you shall have something to eat,"
+said the Fat Woman, as she seized Toby, squeezed him close up to her,
+and kissed his freckled face as kindly as if it had been as fair and
+white as possible. "You shall eat all you want to; an' if you get the
+stomachache, as Samuel does sometimes when he's been eatin' too much,
+I'll give you some catnip tea out of the same dipper that I give
+him his. He's a great eater, Samuel is," she added, in a burst
+of confidence, "an' it's a wonder to me what he does with it all
+sometimes."
+
+"Is he?" exclaimed Toby, quickly. "How funny that is! for I'm an awful
+eater. Why, Uncle Dan'l used to say that I ate twice as much as I ought
+to, an' it never made me any bigger. I wonder what's the reason?"
+
+"I declare I don't know," said the Fat Woman, thoughtfully, "an' I've
+wondered at it time an' time again. Some folks is made that way, an'
+some folks is made different. Now I don't eat enough to keep a chicken
+alive, an' yet I grow fatter an' fatter every day--don't I, Samuel?"
+
+"Indeed you do, my love," said the skeleton, with a world of pride in
+his voice; "but you mustn't feel bad about it, for every pound you gain
+makes you worth just so much more to the show."
+
+"Oh, I wasn't worryin', I was only wonderin'. But we must go, Samuel,
+for the poor child won't eat a bit while we are here. After you've eaten
+what there is there, bring the plate in to me," she said to Toby, as
+she took her lean husband by the arm and walked him off toward their own
+tent.
+
+Toby gazed after them a moment, and then he commenced a vigorous attack
+upon the eatables which had been so kindly given him. Of the food which
+he had taken from the dinner table he had eaten some while he was in the
+tent, and after that he had entirely forgotten that he had any in his
+pocket; therefore, at the time that Mrs. Treat had brought him such a
+liberal supply he was really very hungry.
+
+He succeeded in eating nearly all the food which had been brought to
+him, and the very small quantity which remained he readily found room
+for in his pockets. Then he washed the plate nicely; and seeing no one
+in sight, he thought he could leave the booth long enough to return the
+plate.
+
+He ran with it quickly into the tent occupied by the thin man and
+fat woman, and handed it to her, with a profusion of thanks for her
+kindness.
+
+"Did you eat it all?" she asked.
+
+"Well," hesitated Toby, "there was two doughnuts an' a piece of pie left
+over, an' I put them in my pocket. If you don't care, I'll eat them some
+time tonight."
+
+"You shall eat it whenever you want to; an' any time that you get hungry
+again you come right to me."
+
+"Thank you, marm. I must go now, for I left the store all alone."
+
+"Run, then; an' if Job abuses you, just let me know it, an' I'll keep
+him from cuttin' up any monkeyshines."
+
+Toby hardly heard the end of her sentence, so great was his haste to get
+back to the booth; and just as he emerged from the tent, on a quick run,
+he received a blow on the ear which sent him sprawling in the dust, and
+he heard Mr. Job Lord's angry voice as it said,
+
+"So, just the moment my back is turned you leave the stand to take care
+of itself, do you, an' run around tryin' to plot some mischief against
+me, eh?" And the brute kicked the prostrate boy twice with his heavy
+boot.
+
+"Please don't kick me again!" pleaded Toby. "I wasn't gone but a minute,
+an' I wasn't doing anything bad."
+
+"You're lying now, an' you know it, you young cub!" exclaimed the angry
+man as he advanced to kick the boy again. "I'll let you know who you've
+got to deal with when you get hold of me!"
+
+"And I'll let you know who you've got to deal with when you get hold of
+me!" said a woman's voice; and just as Mr. Lord raised his foot to kick
+the boy again the fat woman seized him by the collar, jerked him back
+over one of the tent ropes, and left him quite as prostrate as he had
+left Toby.
+
+"Now, Job Lord," said the angry woman, as she towered above the
+thoroughly enraged but thoroughly frightened man, "I want you to
+understand that you can't knock and beat this boy while I'm around. I've
+seen enough of your capers, an' I'm going to put a stop to them. That
+boy wasn't in this tent more than two minutes, an' he attends to his
+work better than anyone you have ever had; so see that you treat him
+decent. Get up," she said to Toby, who had not dared to rise from the
+ground; "and if he offers to strike you again, come to me."
+
+Toby scrambled to his feet, and ran to the booth in time to attend to
+one or two customers who had just come up. He could see from out the
+corner of his eye that Mr. Lord had arisen to his feet also, and was
+engaged in an angry conversation with Mrs. Treat, the result of which he
+very much feared would be another and a worse whipping for him.
+
+But in this he was mistaken, for Mr. Lord, after the conversation
+was ended, came toward the booth, and began to attend to his business
+without speaking one word to Toby. When Mr. Jacobs returned from his
+supper, Mr. Lord took him by the arm and walked him out toward the rear
+of the tents; and Tony was very positive that he was to be the subject
+of their conversation, which made him not a little uneasy.
+
+It was not until nearly time for the performance to begin that Mr. Lord
+returned, and he had nothing to say to Toby save to tell him to go into
+the tent and begin his work there. The boy was only too glad to escape
+so easily, and he went to his work with as much alacrity as if he were
+about entering upon some pleasure.
+
+When he met Mr. Jacobs that gentleman spoke to him very sharply about
+being late, and seemed to think it no excuse at all that he had just
+been relieved from the outside work by Mr. Lord.
+
+
+
+
+VII. AN ACCIDENT AND ITS CONSEQUENCES
+
+
+Toby's experience in the evening was very similar to that of the
+afternoon, save that he was so fortunate as not to take any more
+bad money in payment for his goods. Mr. Jacobs scolded and swore
+alternately, and the boy really surprised him by his way of selling
+goods, though he was very careful not to say anything about it, but made
+Toby believe that he was doing only about half as much work as he ought
+to do. Toby's private hoard of money was increased that evening, by
+presents, ninety cents, and he began to look upon himself as almost a
+rich man.
+
+When the performance was nearly over Mr. Jacobs called to him to help
+in packing up; and by the time the last spectator had left the tent the
+worldly possessions of Messrs. Lord and Jacobs were ready for removal,
+and Toby allowed to do as he had a mind to, so long as he was careful to
+be on hand when Old Ben was ready to start.
+
+Toby thought that he would have time to pay a visit to his friends the
+skeleton and the Fat Woman, and to that end started toward the place
+where their tent had been standing; but to his sorrow he found that it
+was already being taken down, and he had only time to thank Mrs. Treat
+and to press the fleshless hand of her shadowy husband as they entered
+their wagon to drive away.
+
+He was disappointed, for he had hoped to be able to speak with his new
+made friends a few moments before the weary night's ride commenced; but,
+failing in that, he went hastily back to the monkeys' cage. Old Ben was
+there, getting things ready for a start; but the wooden sides of the
+cage had not been put up, and Toby had no difficulty in calling the aged
+monkey up to the bars. He held one of the Fat Woman's doughnuts in his
+hand, and said, as he passed it through to the animal:
+
+"I thought perhaps you might be hungry, Mr. Stubbs, and this is some of
+what the skeleton's wife gave me. I hain't got very much time to talk
+with you now; but the first chance I can get away tomorrow, an' when
+there hain't anybody round, I want to tell you something."
+
+The monkey had taken the doughnut in his handlike paws, and was tearing
+it to pieces, eating small portions of it very rapidly.
+
+"Don't hurry yourself," said Toby, warningly, "for Uncle Dan'l always
+told me the worst thing a feller could do was to eat fast. If you want
+any more, after we start, just put your hand through the little hole up
+there near the seat, an' I'll give you all you want."
+
+From the look on his face Toby confidently believed the monkey was about
+to make some reply; but just then Ben shut up the sides, separating Toby
+and Mr. Stubbs, and the order was given to start.
+
+Toby clambered up on to the high seat, Ben followed him, and in another
+instant the team was moving along slowly down the dusty road, preceded
+and followed by the many wagons, with their tiny swinging lights.
+
+"Well," said Ben, when he had got his team well under way and felt
+that he could indulge in a little conversation, "how did you get along
+today?"
+
+Toby related all of his movements, and gave the driver a faithful
+account of all that had happened to him, concluding his story by saying,
+"That was one of Mrs. Treat's doughnuts that I just gave to Mr. Stubbs."
+
+"To whom?" asked Ben, in surprise.
+
+"To Mr. Stubbs--the old fellow here in the cart, you know, that's been
+so good to me."
+
+Toby heard a sort of gurgling sound, saw the driver's body sway back and
+forth in a trembling way, and was just becoming thoroughly alarmed,
+when he thought of the previous night, and understood that Ben was only
+laughing in his own peculiar way.
+
+"How did you know his name was Stubbs?" asked Ben, after he had
+recovered his breath.
+
+"Oh, I don't know that that is his real name," was the quick reply; "I
+only call him that because he looks so much like a feller with that name
+that I knew at home. He don't seem to mind because I call him Stubbs."
+
+Ben looked at Toby earnestly for a moment, acting all the time as if
+he wanted to laugh again, but didn't dare to, for fear he might burst a
+blood vessel; and then he said, as he patted him on the shoulder: "Well,
+you are the queerest little fish that I ever saw in all my travels. You
+seem to think that that monkey knows all you say to him."
+
+"I'm sure he does," said Toby, positively. "He don't say anything right
+out to me, but he knows everything I tell him. Do you suppose he could
+talk if he tried to?"
+
+"Look here, Mr. Toby Tyler"--and Ben turned half around in his seat
+and looked Toby full in the face, so as to give more emphasis to his
+words--"are you heathen enough to think that that monkey could talk if
+he wanted to?"
+
+"I know I hain't a heathen," said Toby, thoughtfully, "for if I had been
+some of the missionaries would have found me out a good while ago; but
+I never saw anybody like this old Mr. Stubbs before, an' I thought he
+could talk if he wanted to, just as the Living Skeleton does, or his
+wife. Anyhow, Mr. Stubbs winked at me; an' how could he do that if he
+didn't know what I've been sayin' to him?"
+
+"Look here, my son," said Ben, in a most fatherly fashion, "monkeys
+hain't anything but beasts, an' they don't know how to talk any more
+than they know what you say to 'em."
+
+"Didn't you ever hear any of them speak a word?"
+
+"Never. I've been in a circus, man an' boy, nigh on to forty years, an'
+I never seen nothin' in a monkey more 'n any other beast, except their
+awful mischiefness."
+
+"Well," said Toby, still unconvinced, "I believe Mr. Stubbs knows what I
+say to him, anyway."
+
+"Now don't be foolish, Toby," pleaded Ben. "You can't show me one thing
+that a monkey ever did because you told him to."
+
+Just at this moment Toby felt someone pulling at the back of his coat,
+and, looking round, he saw it was a little brown hand, reaching through
+the bars of the air hole of the cage, that was tugging away at his coat.
+
+"There!" he said, triumphantly, to Ben. "Look there! I told Mr. Stubbs
+if he wanted anything more to eat, to tell me an' I would give it to
+him. Now you can see for yourself that he's come for it." And Toby took
+a doughnut from his pocket and put it into the tiny hand, which was
+immediately withdrawn.
+
+"Now what do you think of Mr. Stubbs knowing what I say to him?"
+
+"They often stick their paws up through there," said Ben, in a matter of
+fact tone. "I've had 'em pull my coat in the night till they made me
+as nervous as ever any old woman was. You see, Toby my boy, monkeys is
+monkeys; an' you mustn't go to gettin' the idea that they're anything
+else, for it's a mistake. You think this old monkey in here knows what
+you say? Why, that's just the cuteness of the old fellow--he watches you
+to see if he can't do just as you do, an' that's all there is about it."
+
+Toby was more than half convinced that Ben was putting the matter in its
+proper light, and he would have believed all that had been said if, just
+at that moment, he had not seen that brown hand reaching through the
+hole to clutch him again by the coat.
+
+The action seemed so natural, so like a hungry boy who gropes in
+the dark pantry for something to eat, that it would have taken more
+arguments than Ben had at his disposal to persuade Toby that his Mr.
+Stubbs could not understand all that was said to him. Toby put another
+doughnut in the outstretched hand, and then sat silently, as if in a
+brown study over some difficult problem.
+
+For some time the ride was continued in silence. Ben was going through
+all the motions of whistling without uttering a sound--a favorite
+amusement of his--and Toby's thoughts were far away in the humble home
+he had scorned, with Uncle Daniel, whose virtues had increased in his
+esteem with every mile of distance which had been put between them, and
+whose faults had decreased in a corresponding ratio.
+
+Toby's thoughtfulness had made him sleepy, and his eyes were almost
+closed in slumber, when he was startled by a crashing sound, was
+conscious of a feeling of being hurled from his seat by some great
+force, and then he lay senseless by the side of the road, while the
+wagon became a perfect wreck, from out of which a small army of monkeys
+was escaping.
+
+Ben's experienced ear had told him at the first crash that his wagon was
+breaking down, and, without having time to warn Toby of his peril, he
+had leaped clear of the wreck, keeping his horses under perfect control
+and thus averting more trouble. It was the breaking of one of the axles
+which Toby had heard just before he was thrown from his seat and when
+the body of the wagon came down upon the hard road.
+
+The monkeys, thus suddenly released from confinement, had scampered off
+in every direction, and by a singular chance Toby's aged friend started
+for the woods in such a direction as to bring him directly before the
+boy's insensible form. The monkey, on coming up to Toby, stopped, urged
+by the well known curiosity of its race, and began to examine the boy's
+person carefully, prying into pockets and trying to open the boy's half
+closed eyelids. Fortunately for Toby, he had fallen upon a mud bank and
+was only stunned for the moment, having received no serious bruises.
+The attentions bestowed upon him by the monkey served the purpose of
+bringing him to his senses; and, after he had looked around him in the
+gray light of the coming morning, it would have taken far more of a
+philosopher than Old Ben was to persuade the boy that monkeys did not
+possess reasoning faculties.
+
+The monkey was busy at Toby's ears, nose, and mouth, as monkeys will
+do when they get an opportunity, and the expression of its face was as
+grave as possible. Toby firmly believed that the monkey's face showed
+sorrow at his fall, and he imagined that the attentions which were
+bestowed upon him were for the purpose of learning whether he had been
+injured or not.
+
+"Don't worry, Mr. Stubbs," said Toby, anxious to reassure his friend, as
+he sat upright and looked about him. "I didn't get hurt any; but I would
+like to know how I got way over here."
+
+It really seemed as if the monkey was pleased to know that his little
+friend was not hurt, for he seated himself on his haunches, and his face
+expressed the liveliest pleasure that Toby was well again--or at least
+that was how the boy interpreted the look.
+
+By this time the news of the accident had been shouted ahead from one
+team to the other, and all hands were hurrying to the scene for the
+purpose of rendering aid. As Toby saw them coming he also saw a number
+of small forms, looking something like diminutive men, hurrying past
+him, and for the first time he understood how it was that the aged
+monkey was at liberty, and knew that those little dusky forms were the
+other occupants of the cage escaping to the woods.
+
+"See there, Mr. Stubbs! see there!" he exclaimed, pointing toward the
+fugitives; "they're all going off into the woods! What shall we do?"
+
+The sight of the runaways seemed to excite the old monkey quite as much
+as it did the boy. He sprang to his feet, chattering in the most excited
+way, screamed two or three times, as if he were calling them back, and
+then started off in vigorous pursuit.
+
+"Now he's gone too!" said Toby, disconsolately, believing the old fellow
+had run away from him. "I didn't think Mr. Stubbs would treat me this
+way!"
+
+
+
+
+VIII. CAPTURE OF THE MONKEYS
+
+
+The boy tried to rise to his feet, but his head whirled so, and he felt
+so dizzy and sick from the effects of his fall, that he was obliged to
+sit down again until he should feel able to stand. Meanwhile the crowd
+around the wagon paid no attention to him, and he lay there quietly
+enough, until he heard the hateful voice of Mr. Lord asking if his boy
+were hurt.
+
+The sound of his voice affected Toby very much as the chills and fever
+affect a sufferer, and he shook so with fear, and his heart beat so
+loudly, that he thought Mr. Lord must know where he was by the sound.
+Seeing, however, that his employer did not come directly toward him,
+the thought flashed upon his mind that now would be a good chance to run
+away, and he acted upon it at once. He rolled himself over in the mud
+until he reached a low growth of fir trees that skirted the road, and
+when beneath their friendly shade he rose to his feet and walked swiftly
+toward the woods, following the direction the monkeys had taken.
+
+He no longer felt dizzy and sick; the fear of Mr. Lord had dispelled all
+that, and he felt strong and active again.
+
+He had walked rapidly for some distance, and was nearly beyond the
+sound of the voices in the road, when he was startled by seeing quite
+a procession of figures emerge from the trees and come directly toward
+him.
+
+He could not understand the meaning of this strange company, and it so
+frightened him that he attempted to hide behind a tree, in the hope
+that they might pass without seeing him. But no sooner had he secreted
+himself than a strange, shrill chattering came from the foremost of the
+group, and in an instant Toby emerged from his place of concealment.
+
+He had recognized the peculiar sound as that of the old monkey who had
+left him a few moments before, and he knew now what he did not know
+then, owing to the darkness. The newcomers were the monkeys that had
+escaped from the cage, and had been overtaken and compelled to come
+back by the old monkey, who seemed to have the most perfect control over
+them.
+
+The old fellow was leading the band, and all were linked "hand in hand"
+with each other, which gave the whole crowd a most comical appearance
+as they came up to Toby, half hopping, half walking upright, and all
+chattering and screaming, like a crowd of children out for a holiday.
+
+Toby stepped toward the noisy crowd, held out his hand gravely to the
+old monkey, and said, in tones of heartfelt sorrow:
+
+"I felt awful bad because I thought you had gone off an' left me, when
+you went off to find the other fellows. You're awful good, Mr. Stubbs;
+an' now, instead of runnin' away, as I was goin' to do, we'll all go
+back together."
+
+The old monkey grasped Toby's extended hand with his disengaged paw,
+and, clinging firmly to it, the whole crowd followed in unbroken line,
+chattering and scolding at the most furious rate, while every now and
+then Mr. Stubbs would look back and scream out something, which would
+cause the confusion to cease for an instant.
+
+It was really a comical sight, but Toby seemed to think it the most
+natural thing in the world that they should follow him in this manner,
+and he chattered to the old monkey quite as fast as any of the others
+were doing. He told him very gravely all that he knew about the
+accident, explained why it was that he conceived the idea of running
+away, and really believed that Mr. Stubbs understood every word he was
+saying.
+
+Very shortly after Toby had started to run away the proprietor of the
+circus drove up to the scene of disaster, and, after seeing that the
+wagon was being rapidly fixed up so that it could be hauled to the next
+town, he ordered that search should be made for the monkeys. It was very
+important that they should be captured at once, and he appeared to think
+more of the loss of the animals than of the damage done to the wagon.
+
+While the men were forming a plan for a search for the truants, so that
+in case of a capture they could let one another know, the noise made by
+Toby and his party was heard, and the men stood still to learn what it
+meant.
+
+The entire party burst into shouts of laughter as Toby and his
+companions walked into the circle of light formed by the glare of the
+lanterns, and the merriment was by no means abated at Toby's serious
+demeanor. The wagon was now standing upright, with the door open, and
+Toby therefore led his companions directly to it, gravely motioning them
+to enter.
+
+The old monkey, instead of obeying, stepped back to Toby's side, and
+screamed to the others in such a manner that they all entered the cage,
+leaving him on the outside with the boy.
+
+Toby motioned him to get in, too, but he clung to his hand, and scolded
+so furiously that it was apparent he had no idea of leaving his boy
+companion. One of the men stepped up and was about to force him into the
+wagon, when the proprietor ordered him to stop.
+
+"What boy is that?" he asked.
+
+"Job Lord's new boy," said someone in the crowd.
+
+The man asked Toby how it was that he had succeeded in capturing all the
+runaways; and he answered, gravely:
+
+"Mr. Stubbs an' I are good friends, an' when he saw the others runnin'
+away he just stopped 'em an' brought 'em back to me. I wish you'd let
+Mr. Stubbs ride with me; we like each other a good deal."
+
+"You can do just what you please with Mr. Stubbs, as you call him. I
+expected to lose half the monkeys in that cage, and you have brought
+back every one. That monkey shall be yours, and you may put him in the
+cage whenever you want to, or take him with you, just as you choose, for
+he belongs entirely to you."
+
+Toby's joy knew no bounds; he put his arm around the monkey's neck, and
+the monkey clung firmly to him, until even Job Lord was touched at the
+evidence of affection between the two.
+
+While the wagon was being repaired Toby and the monkey stood hand in
+hand watching the work go on, while those in the cage scolded and raved
+because they had been induced to return to captivity. After a while the
+old monkey seated himself on Toby's arm and cuddled close up to him,
+uttering now and then a contented sort of a little squeak as the boy
+talked to him.
+
+That night Mr. Stubbs slept in Toby's arms, in the band wagon, and both
+boy and monkey appeared very well contented with their lot, which a
+short time previous had seemed so hard.
+
+When Toby awakened to his second day's work with the circus his monkey
+friend was seated by his side, gravely exploring his pockets, and all
+the boy's treasures were being spread out on the floor of the wagon by
+his side. Toby remonstrated with him on this breach of confidence, but
+Mr. Stubbs was more in the mood for sport than for grave conversation,
+and the more Toby talked the more mischievous did he become, until
+at length the boy gathered up his little store of treasures, took the
+monkey by the paw, and walked him toward the cage from which he had
+escaped on the previous night.
+
+"Now, Mr. Stubbs," said Toby, speaking in an injured tone, "you must go
+in here and stay till I have got more time to fool with you."
+
+He opened the door of the cage, but the monkey struggled as well as he
+was able, and Toby was obliged to exert all his strength to put him in.
+
+When once the door was fastened upon him Toby tried to impress upon his
+monkey friend's mind the importance of being more sedate, and he was
+convinced that the words had sunk deep into Mr. Stubbs's heart, for, by
+the time he had concluded, the old monkey was seated in the corner
+of the cage, looking up from under his shaggy eyebrows in the most
+reproachful manner possible.
+
+Toby felt sorry that he had spoken so harshly, and was about to make
+amends for his severity, when Mr. Lord's gruff voice recalled him to the
+fact that his time was not his own, and he therefore commenced his day's
+work, but with a lighter heart than he had had since he stole away from
+Uncle Daniel and Guilford.
+
+This day was not very much different from the preceding one so far as
+the manner of Mr. Lord and his partner toward the boy was concerned;
+they seemed to have an idea that he was doing only about half as much
+work as he ought to, and both united in swearing at and abusing him as
+much as possible.
+
+So far as his relations with other members of the company were
+concerned, Toby now stood in a much better position than before. Those
+who had witnessed the scene told the others how Toby had led in the
+monkeys on the night previous, and nearly every member of the company
+had a kind word for the little fellow whose head could hardly be seen
+above the counter of Messrs. Lord and Jacobs's booth.
+
+
+
+
+IX. THE DINNER PARTY
+
+
+At noon Toby was thoroughly tired out, for whenever anyone spoke kindly
+to him Mr. Lord seemed to take a malicious pleasure in giving him extra
+tasks to do, until Toby began to hope that no one else would pay any
+attention to him. On this day he was permitted to go to dinner first,
+and after he returned he was left in charge of the booth. Trade being
+dull--as it usually was during the dinner hour--he had very little
+work to do after he had cleaned the glasses and set things to rights
+generally.
+
+When, therefore, he saw the gaunt form of the skeleton emerge from his
+tent and come toward him he was particularly pleased, for he had begun
+to think very kindly of the thin man and his fleshy wife.
+
+"Well, Toby," said the skeleton, as he came up to the booth, carefully
+dusted Mr. Lord's private chair, and sat down very cautiously in it, as
+if he expected that it would break down under his weight, "I hear you've
+been making quite a hero of yourself by capturing the monkeys last
+night."
+
+Toby's freckled face reddened with pleasure as he heard these words, and
+he stammered out, with considerable difficulty, "I didn't do anything;
+it was Mr. Stubbs that brought 'em back."
+
+"Mr. Stubbs!" And the skeleton laughed so heartily that Toby was afraid
+he would dislocate some of his thinly covered joints. "When you was
+tellin' about Mr. Stubbs yesterday I thought you meant someone belonging
+to the company. You ought to have seen my wife Lilly shake with laughing
+when I told her who Mr. Stubbs was!"
+
+"Yes," said Toby, at a loss to know just what to say, "I should think
+she would shake when she laughs."
+
+"She does," replied the skeleton. "If you could see her when something
+funny strikes her you'd think she was one of those big plates of jelly
+that they have in the bakeshop windows." And Mr. Treat looked proudly at
+the gaudy picture which represented his wife in all her monstrosity of
+flesh. "She's a great woman, Toby, an' she's got a great head."
+
+Toby nodded his head in assent. He would have liked to say something
+nice regarding Mrs. Treat, but he really did not know what to say, so he
+simply contented himself and the fond husband by nodding.
+
+"She thinks a good deal of you, Toby," continued the skeleton, as he
+moved his chair to a position more favorable for him to elevate his feet
+on the edge of the counter, and placed his handkerchief under him as a
+cushion; "she's talking of you all the time, and if you wasn't such a
+little fellow I should begin to be jealous of you--I should, upon my
+word."
+
+"You're--both--very--good," stammered Toby, so weighted down by a sense
+of the honor heaped upon him as to be at a loss for words.
+
+"An' she wants to see more of you. She made me come out here now, when
+she knew Mr. Lord would be away, to tell you that we're goin' to have a
+little kind of a friendly dinner in our tent tomorrow--she's cooked it
+all herself, or she's going to--and we want you to come in an' have some
+with us."
+
+Toby's eyes glistened at the thought of the unexpected pleasure, and
+then his face grew sad as he replied, "I'd like to come first rate, Mr.
+Treat, but I don't s'pose Mr. Lord would let me stay away from the shop
+long enough."
+
+"Why, you won't have any work to do tomorrow, Toby--it's Sunday."
+
+"So it is!" said the boy, with a pleased smile, as he thought of the
+day of rest which was so near. And then he added, quickly: "An' this is
+Saturday afternoon. What fun the boys at home are havin'! You see, there
+hain't any school Saturday afternoon, an all the fellers go out in the
+woods."
+
+"And you wish you were there to go with them, don't you?" asked the
+skeleton, sympathetically.
+
+"Indeed I do!" exclaimed Toby, quickly. "It's twice as good as any
+circus that ever was."
+
+"But you didn't think so before you came with us, did you?"
+
+"I didn't know so much about circuses then as I do now," replied the
+boy, sadly.
+
+Mr. Treat saw that he was touching on a sore subject, and one which was
+arousing sad thoughts in his little companion's mind, and he hastened to
+change it at once.
+
+"Then I can tell Lilly that you'll come, can I?"
+
+"Oh yes, I'll be sure to be there; an' I want you to know just how good
+I think you both are to me."
+
+"That's all right, Toby," said Mr. Treat, with a pleased expression on
+his face; "an' you may bring Mr. Stubbs with you, if you want."
+
+"Thank you," said Toby. "I'm sure Mr. Stubbs will be just as glad to
+come as I shall. But where will we be tomorrow?"
+
+"Right here. We always stay over Sunday at the place where we show
+Saturday. But I must be going, or Lilly will worry her life out of her
+for fear I'm somewhere getting cold. She's awful careful of me, that
+woman is. You'll be on hand tomorrow at one o'clock, won't you?"
+
+"Indeed I will," said Toby, emphatically, "an' I'll bring Mr. Stubbs
+with me, too."
+
+With a friendly nod of his head, the skeleton hurried away to reassure
+his wife that he was safe and well; and before he had hardly disappeared
+within the tent Toby had another caller, who was none other than his old
+friend Old Ben, the driver.
+
+"Well, my boy," shouted Ben, in his cheery, hearty tones, "I haven't
+seen you since you left the wagon so sudden last night. Did you get
+shook up much?"
+
+"Oh no," replied Toby. "You see I hain't very big; an' then I struck in
+the mud; so I got off pretty easy."
+
+"That's a fact; an' you can thank your lucky stars for it, too, for I've
+seen grown up men get pitched off a wagon in that way an break their
+necks doin' it. But has Job told you where you was going to sleep
+tonight? You know we stay over here till tomorrow."
+
+"I didn't think anything about that; but I s'pose I'll sleep in the
+wagon, won't I?"
+
+"You can sleep at the hotel, if you want to; but the beds will likely be
+dirty; an' if you take my advice you'll crawl into some of the wagons in
+the tent."
+
+Ben then explained to him that, after his work was done that night, he
+would not be expected to report for duty until the time for starting on
+Sunday night, and concluded his remarks by saying:
+
+"Now you know what your rights are, an don't you let Job impose on you
+in any way. I'll be round here after you get through work, an' we'll
+bunk in somewhere together."
+
+The arrival of Messrs. Lord and Jacobs put a stop to the conversation,
+and was the signal for Toby's time of trial. It seemed to him, and with
+good reason, that the chief delight these men had in life was to torment
+him, for neither ever spoke a pleasant word to him; and when one was not
+giving him some difficult work to do, or finding fault in some way, the
+other would be sure to do so; and Toby had very little comfort from the
+time he began work in the morning until he stopped at night.
+
+It was not until after the evening performance was over that Toby had a
+chance to speak with Mr. Stubbs, and then he was so tired that he simply
+took the old monkey from the cage, nestled him under his jacket, and lay
+down with him to sleep in the place which Old Ben had selected.
+
+When the morning came Mr. Stubbs aroused his young master at a much
+'earlier hour than he would have awakened had he been left to himself,
+and the two went out for a short walk before breakfast. They went
+instinctively toward the woods; and when the shade of the trees was once
+reached, how the two reveled in their freedom! Mr. Stubbs climbed into
+the trees, swung himself from one to the other by means of his tail,
+gathered half ripe nuts, which he threw at his master, tried to catch
+the birds, and had a good time generally.
+
+Toby, stretched at full length on the mossy bank, watched the antics of
+his pet, laughing boisterously at times as Mr. Stubbs would do some one
+thing more comical than usual, and forgot there was in this world such
+a thing as a circus or such a man as Job Lord. It was to Toby a morning
+without a flaw, and he took no heed of the time, until the sound of the
+church bells warned him of the lateness of the hour, reminding him at
+the same time of where he should be--where he would be, if he were at
+home with Uncle Daniel.
+
+In the mean time the old monkey had been trying to attract his young
+master's attention, and, failing in his efforts, he came down from the
+tree, crept softly up to Toby, and nestled his head under the boy's arm.
+
+This little act of devotion seemed to cause Toby's grief to burst forth
+afresh, and, clasping the monkey around the neck, hugging him close to
+his bosom, he sobbed:
+
+"Oh, Mr. Stubbs, Mr. Stubbs, how lonesome we are! If we was only at
+Uncle Dan'l's we'd be the two happiest people in all this world. We
+could play on the hay, or go up to the pasture, or go down to the
+village; an' I'd work my fingers off if I could only be there just once
+more. It was wicked for me to run away, an' now I'm gettin' paid for
+it."
+
+He hugged the monkey closely, swaying his body to and fro, and
+presenting a perfect picture of grief. The monkey, not knowing what to
+make of this changed mood, cowered whimperingly in his arms, looking
+up into his face, and licking the boy's hands whenever he had the
+opportunity.
+
+It was some time before Toby's grief exhausted itself; and then, still
+clasping the monkey, he hurried out of the woods toward the town and the
+now thoroughly hated circus tents.
+
+The clocks were just striking one as Toby entered the inclosure used by
+the show as a place of performance, and, remembering his engagement
+with the skeleton and his wife, he went directly to their tent. From the
+odors which assailed him as he entered, it was very evident that a feast
+of no mean proportions was in course of preparation, and Toby's keen
+appetite returned in full vigor. Even the monkey seemed affected by the
+odor, for he danced about on his master's shoulder, and chattered so
+that Toby was obliged to choke him a little in order to make him present
+a respectable appearance.
+
+When Toby reached the interior of the tent he was astonished at the
+extent of the preparations that were being made, and gazed around him in
+surprise. The platform on which the lean man and fat woman were in
+the habit of exhibiting themselves now bore a long table, loaded with
+eatables; and, from the fact that eight or ten chairs were ranged around
+it, Toby understood that he was not the only guest invited to the feast.
+Some little attempt had also been made at decoration by festooning that
+end of the tent where the platform was placed with two or three flags
+and some streamers, and the tent poles also were fringed with tissue
+paper of the brightest colors.
+
+Toby had only time enough to notice this when the skeleton advanced
+toward him, and, with the liveliest appearance of pleasure, said, as he
+took him by the hands with a grip that made him wince:
+
+"It gives me great joy, Mr. Tyler, to welcome you at one of our little
+home reunions, if one can call a tent, that is moved every day in the
+week, home."
+
+Toby hardly knew whom Mr. Treat referred to when he said "Mr. Tyler";
+but by the time his hands were released from the bony grasp he
+understood that it was himself who was spoken to.
+
+The skeleton then formally introduced him to the other guests present,
+who were sitting at one end of the tent, and evidently anxiously
+awaiting the coming feast.
+
+"These," said Mr. Treat, as he waved his hand toward two white haired,
+pink eyed young ladies who sat with their arms twined around each
+other's waist, and had been eying the monkey with some appearance of
+fear, "are the Miss Cushings, known to the world as the Albino Children;
+they command a large salary and form a very attractive feature of our
+exhibition."
+
+The young ladies arose at the same time, as if they had been the Siamese
+Twins and could not act independently of each other, and bowed.
+
+Toby made the best bow he was capable of; and the monkey made frantic
+efforts to escape, as if he would enjoy twisting his paws in their
+perpendicular hair.
+
+"And this," continued Mr. Treat, pointing to a sickly, sour looking
+individual who was sitting apart from the others, with his arms folded,
+and looking as if he was counting the very seconds before the dinner
+should begin, "is the wonderful Signor Castro, whose sword swallowing
+feats you have doubtless heard of."
+
+Toby stepped back just one step, as if overwhelmed by awe at beholding
+the signor in the guise of a humble individual; and the gentleman who
+gained his livelihood by swallowing swords unbent his dignity so far
+as to unfold his arms and present a very dirty looking hand for Toby
+to shake. The boy took hold of the outstretched hand, wondering why the
+signor never used soap and water; and Mr. Stubbs, apparently afraid
+of the sour looking man, retreated to Toby's shoulder, where he sat
+chattering and scolding about the introduction.
+
+Again the skeleton waved his hand, and this time he introduced
+"Mademoiselle Spelletti, the wonderful snake charmer, whose exploits
+in this country, and before the crowned heads of Europe had caused the
+whole world to stand aghast at her daring."
+
+Mademoiselle Spelletti was a very ordinary looking young lady of about
+twenty-five years of age, who looked very much as if her name might
+originally have been Murphy, and she, too, extended a hand for Toby to
+grasp--only her hand was clean, and she appeared to be a very much more
+pleasant acquaintance than the gentleman who swallowed swords.
+
+This ended the introductions; and Toby was just looking around for a
+seat, when Mrs. Treat, the fat lady and the giver of the feast which
+was about to come, and which already smelled so invitingly, entered from
+behind a curtain of canvas, where the cooking stove was supposed to be
+located.
+
+She had every appearance of being the cook for the occasion. Her sleeves
+were rolled up, her hair tumbled and frowzy, and there were several
+unmistakable marks of grease on the front of her calico dress.
+
+She waited for no ceremony, but rushed up to Toby and, taking him in her
+arms, gave him such a squeeze that there seemed to be every possibility
+that she would break all the bones in his body; and she kept him so long
+in this bearlike embrace that Mr. Stubbs reached his little brown paws
+over and got such a hold of her hair that all present, save Signor
+Castro, rushed forward to release her from the monkey's grasp.
+
+"You dear little thing!" said Mrs. Treat, paying but slight attention
+to the hair pulling she had just undergone, and holding Toby at arm's
+length so that she could look into his face, "you were so late that I
+was afraid you wasn't coming; and my dinner wouldn't have tasted half so
+good if you hadn't been here to eat some."
+
+Toby hardly knew what to say for this hearty welcome, and he managed to
+tell the large and kind hearted lady that he had had no idea of missing
+the dinner, and that he was very glad she wanted him to come.
+
+"Want you to come, you dear little thing!" she exclaimed, as she gave
+him another hug, but careful not to give Mr. Stubbs a chance of grasping
+her hair again. "Of course I wanted you to come, for this dinner has
+been got up so that you could meet these people here, and so that they
+could see you."
+
+Toby was entirely at a loss to know what to say to this overwhelming
+compliment, and for that reason did not say anything, only submitting
+patiently to the third hug, which was all Mrs. Treat had time to give
+him, as she was obliged to rush behind the canvas screen again, as there
+were unmistakable sounds of something boiling over on the stove.
+
+"You'll excuse me," said the skeleton, with an air of dignity, waving
+his hand once more toward the assembled company, "but while introducing
+you to Mr. Tyler I had almost forgotten to introduce him to you. This,
+ladies and gentlemen"--and here he touched Toby on the shoulder, as if
+he were some living curiosity whose habits and mode of capture he was
+about to explain to a party of spectators--"is Mr. Toby Tyler, of whom
+you heard on the night when the monkey cage was smashed, and who now
+carries with him the identical monkey which was presented to him by
+the manager of this great show as a token of esteem for his skill and
+bravery in capturing the entire lot of monkeys without a single blow."
+
+By the time that Mr. Treat got through with his long speech Toby felt
+very much as if he were some wonderful creature whom the skeleton was
+exhibiting; but he managed to rise to his feet and duck his little red
+head in his best imitation of a bow. Then he sat down and hugged Mr.
+Stubbs to cover his confusion.
+
+One of the Albino Children now came forward, and, while stroking Mr.
+Stubbs's hair, looked so intently at Toby that for the life of him he
+couldn't say which she regarded as the curiosity, himself or the monkey;
+therefore he hastened to say, modestly:
+
+"I didn't do much toward catchin' the monkeys; Mr. Stubbs here did
+almost all of it, an' I only led 'em in.
+
+"There, there, my boy," said the skeleton, in a fatherly tone, "I've
+heard the whole story from Old Ben, an' I sha'n't let you get out of it
+like that. We all know what you did, an' it's no use for you to deny any
+part of it."
+
+
+
+
+X. MR. STUBBS AT A PARTY
+
+
+Toby was about to say that he did not intend to represent the matter
+other than it really was, when a voice from behind the canvas screen
+arrested further conversation.
+
+"Sam-u-el, come an' help me carry these things in."
+
+Something very like a smile of satisfaction passed over Signor Castro's
+face as he heard this, which told him that the time for the feast was
+near at hand; and the snake charmer, as well as the Albino Children,
+seemed quite as much pleased as did the sword swallower.
+
+"You will excuse me, ladies and gentlemen," said the skeleton, in an
+important tone; "I must help Lilly, and then I shall have the pleasure
+of helping you to some of her cooking, which, if I do say it, that
+oughtn't, is as good as can be found in this entire country."
+
+Then he, too, disappeared behind the canvas screen.
+
+Left alone, Toby looked at the ladies, and the ladies looked at him,
+in perfect silence, while the sword swallower grimly regarded them all,
+until Mr. Treat reappeared, bearing on a platter an immense turkey, as
+nicely browned as any Thanksgiving turkey Toby ever saw. Behind him
+came his fat wife, carrying several dishes, each of which emitted a most
+fragrant odor; and as these were placed upon the table the spirits of
+the sword swallower seemed to revive, and he smiled pleasantly; while
+even the ladies appeared animated by the sight and odor of the good
+things which they were to be called upon so soon to pass judgment.
+
+Several times did Mr. and Mrs. Treat bustle in and out from behind the
+screen, and each time they made some addition to that which was upon the
+table, until Toby began to fear that they would never finish, and the
+sword swallower seemed unable to restrain his impatience.
+
+At last the finishing touch had been put to the table, the last dish
+placed in position, and then, with a certain kind of grace, which no one
+but a man as thin as Mr. Treat could assume, he advanced to the edge of
+the platform and said:
+
+"Ladies and gentlemen, nothing gives me greater pleasure than to invite
+you all, including Mr. Tyler's friend Stubbs, to the bountiful repast
+which my Lilly has prepared for--"
+
+At this point Mr. Treat's speech--for it certainly seemed as if he had
+commenced to make one--was broken off in a most summary manner. His wife
+had come up behind him and, with as much ease as if he had been a child,
+lifted him from off the floor and placed him gently in the chair at the
+head of the table.
+
+"Come right up and get dinner," she said to her guests. "If you had
+waited until Samuel had finished his speech everything on the table
+would have been stone cold."
+
+The guests proceeded to obey her kindly command; and it is to be
+regretted that the sword swallower had no better manners than to jump
+on to the platform with one bound and seat himself at the table with the
+most unseemly haste. The others, and more especially Toby, proceeded in
+a leisurely and more dignified manner.
+
+A seat had been placed by the side of the one intended for Toby for the
+accommodation of Mr. Stubbs, who suffered a napkin to be tied under his
+chin, and behaved generally in a manner that gladdened the heart of his
+young master.
+
+Mr. Treat cut generous slices from the turkey for each guest, and Mrs.
+Treat piled their plates high with all sorts of vegetables, complaining,
+after the manner of housewives generally, that the food was not cooked
+as she would like to have had it, and declaring that she had had poor
+luck with everything that morning, when she firmly believed in her heart
+that her table had never looked better.
+
+After the company had had the edge taken off their appetites--which
+effect was produced on the sword swallower only after he had been helped
+three different times, the conversation began by the fat woman asking
+Toby how he got along with Mr. Lord.
+
+Toby could not give a very good account of his employer, but he had the
+good sense not to cast a damper on a party of pleasure by reciting his
+own troubles; so he said, evasively:
+
+"I guess I shall get along pretty well, now that I have got so many
+friends."
+
+Just as he had commenced to speak the skeleton had put into his mouth
+a very large piece of turkey--very much larger in proportion than
+himself--and when Toby had finished speaking he started to say something
+evidently not very complimentary to Mr. Lord. But what it was the
+company never knew; for just as he opened his mouth to speak, the food
+went down the wrong way, his face became a bright purple, and it was
+quite evident that he was choking.
+
+Toby was alarmed, and sprang from his chair to assist his friend,
+upsetting Mr. Stubbs from his seat, causing him to scamper up the tent
+pole, with the napkin still tied around his neck, and to scold in his
+most vehement manner. Before Toby could reach the skeleton, however, the
+fat woman had darted toward her lean husband, caught him by the arm, and
+was pounding his back, by the time Toby got there, so vigorously that
+the boy was afraid her enormous hand would go through his tissue paper
+like frame.
+
+"I wouldn't," said Toby, in alarm; "you may break him."
+
+"Don't you get frightened," said Mrs. Treat, turning her husband
+completely over, and still continuing the drumming process. "He's often
+taken this way; he's such a glutton that he'd try to swallow the turkey
+whole if he could get it in his mouth, an' he's so thin that 'most
+anything sticks in his throat."
+
+"I should think you'd break him all up," said Toby, apologetically, as
+he resumed his seat at the table; "he don't look as if he could stand
+very much of that sort of thing."
+
+But apparently Mr. Treat could stand very much more than Toby gave him
+credit for, because at this juncture he stopped coughing, and his face
+fast assumed its natural hue.
+
+His attentive wife, seeing that he had ceased struggling, lifted him in
+her arms and sat him down in his chair with a force that threatened to
+snap his head off.
+
+"There!" she said, as he wheezed a little from the effects of the shock,
+"now see if you can behave yourself an' chew your meat as you ought to!
+One of these days when you're alone you'll try that game, and that 'll
+be the last of you."
+
+"If he'd try to do one of my tricks long enough he'd get so that there
+wouldn't hardly anything choke him," the sword swallower ventured to
+suggest, mildly, as he wiped a small stream of cranberry sauce from his
+chin and laid a well polished turkey bone by the side of his plate.
+
+"I'd like to see him try it!" said the fat lady, with just a shade
+of anger in her voice. Then turning toward her husband, she said,
+emphatically, "Samuel, don't you ever let me catch you swallowing a
+sword!"
+
+"I won't, my love, I won't; and I will try to chew my meat more,"
+replied the very thin glutton, in a feeble tone. Toby thought that
+perhaps the skeleton might keep the first part of that promise, but he
+was not quite sure about the last.
+
+It required no little coaxing on the part of both Toby and Mrs. Treat
+to induce Mr. Stubbs to come down from his lofty perch; but the task was
+accomplished at last, and by the gift of a very large doughnut he was
+induced to resume his seat at the table.
+
+The time had now come when the duties of a host, in his own peculiar way
+of viewing them, devolved upon Mr. Treat, and he said, as he pushed his
+chair back a short distance from the table and tried to polish the front
+of his vest with his napkin:
+
+"I don't want this fact lost sight of, because it is an important one:
+everyone must remember that we have gathered here to meet and become
+better acquainted with the latest and best addition to this circus, Mr.
+Toby Tyler."
+
+Poor Toby! As the company all looked directly at him, and Mrs. Treat
+nodded her enormous head energetically, as if to say that she agreed
+exactly with her husband, the poor boy's face grew very red and the
+squash pie lost its flavor.
+
+"Although Mr. Tyler may not be exactly one of us, owing to the fact that
+he does not belong to the profession, but is only one of the adjuncts
+to it, so to speak," continued the skeleton, in a voice which was fast
+being raised to its highest pitch, "we feel proud, after his exploits
+at the time of the accident, to have him with us, and gladly welcome him
+now, through the medium of this little feast prepared by my Lilly."
+
+Here the Albino Children nodded their heads in approval, and the sword
+swallower gave a grunt of assent; and, thus encouraged, the skeleton
+proceeded:
+
+"I feel, when I say that we like and admire Mr. Tyler, all present will
+agree with me and all would like to hear him say a word for himself."
+
+The skeleton seemed to have expressed the views of those present
+remarkably well, judging from their expressions of pleasure and assent,
+and all waited for the honored guest to speak.
+
+Toby knew that he must say something, but he couldn't think of a single
+thing; he tried over and over again to call to his mind something which
+he had read as to how people acted and what they said when they were
+expected to speak at a dinner table, but his thoughts refused to go back
+for him, and the silence was actually becoming painful. Finally, and
+with the greatest effort, he managed to say, with a very perceptible
+stammer, and while his face was growing very red:
+
+"I know I ought to say something to pay for this big dinner that you
+said was gotten up for me, but I don't know what to say, unless to thank
+you for it. You see, I hain't big enough to say much, an', as Uncle
+Dan'l says, I don't amount to very much, 'cept for eatin', an' I guess
+he's right. You're all real good to me, an' when I get to be a man I'll
+try to do as much for you."
+
+Toby had risen to his feet when he began to make his speech, and while
+he was speaking Mr. Stubbs had crawled over into his chair. When he
+finished he sat down again without looking behind him, and of course sat
+plump on the monkey. There was a loud outcry from Mr. Stubbs, a little
+frightened noise from Toby, an instant's scrambling, and then boy,
+monkey, and chair tumbled off the platform, landing on the ground in
+an indescribable mass, from which the monkey extricated himself more
+quickly than Toby could, and again took refuge on the top of the tent
+pole.
+
+Of course all the guests ran to Toby's assistance; and while the fat
+woman poked him all over to see that none of his bones were broken, the
+skeleton brushed the dirt from his clothes.
+
+All this time the monkey screamed, yelled, and danced around on the tent
+pole and ropes, as if his feelings had received a shock from which he
+could never recover.
+
+"I didn't mean to end it up that way, but it was Mr. Stubbs's fault,"
+said Toby, as soon as quiet had been restored and the guests, with the
+exception of the monkey, were seated at the table once more.
+
+"Of course you didn't," said Mrs. Treat, in a kindly tone. "But don't
+you feel bad about it one bit, for you ought to thank your lucky stars
+that you didn't break any of your bones."
+
+"I s'pose I had," said Toby, soberly, as he looked back at the scene of
+his disaster, and then up at the chattering monkey that had caused all
+the trouble.
+
+Shortly after this, Mr. Stubbs having again been coaxed down from his
+lofty position, Toby took his departure, promising to call as often
+during the week as he could get away from his exacting employers.
+
+Just outside the tent he met Old Ben, who said, as he showed signs of
+indulging in another of his internal laughing spells:
+
+"Hello! has the skeleton an' his lily of a wife been givin' a blowout to
+you, too?"
+
+"They invited me in there to dinner," said Toby, modestly.
+
+"Of course they did--of course they did," replied Ben, with a chuckle;
+"they carries a cookin' stove along with 'em, so's they can give these
+little spreads whenever we stay over a day in a place. Oh, I've been
+there!"
+
+"And did they ask you to make a speech?"
+
+"Of course. Did they try it on you?"
+
+"Yes," said Toby, mournfully, "an' I tumbled off the platform when I got
+through."
+
+"I didn't do exactly that," replied Ben, thoughtfully; "but I s'pose you
+got too much steam on, seein' 's how it was likely your first speech.
+Now you'd better go into the tent an try to get a little sleep, 'cause
+we've got a long ride tonight over a rough road, an' you won't get more
+'n a cat nap all night."
+
+"But where are you going?" asked Toby, as he shifted Mr. Stubbs over to
+his other shoulder, preparatory to following his friend's advice.
+
+"I'm goin' to church," said Ben, and then Toby noticed for the first
+time that the old driver had made some attempt at dressing up. "I've
+been with the circus, man an boy, for nigh to forty years, an' I allus
+go to meetin' once on Sunday. It's somethin' I promised my old mother I
+would do, an' I hain't broke my promise yet."
+
+"Why don't you take me with you?" asked Toby, wistfully, as he
+thought of the little church on the hill at home, and wished--oh, so
+earnestly!--that he was there then, even at the risk of being thumped on
+the head with Uncle Daniel's book.
+
+"If I'd seen you this mornin' I would," said Ben; "but now you must try
+to bottle up some sleep ag'in' tonight, an' next Sunday I'll take you."
+
+With these words Old Ben started off, and Toby proceeded to carry out
+his wishes, although he rather doubted the possibility of "bottling up"
+any sleep that afternoon.
+
+He lay down on the top of the wagon, after having put Mr. Stubbs inside,
+with the others of his tribe, and in a very few moments the boy was
+sound asleep, dreaming of a dinner party at which Mr. Stubbs made a
+speech and he himself scampered up and down the tent pole.
+
+
+
+
+XI. A STORMY NIGHT
+
+
+When Toby awoke it was nearly dark, and the bustle around him told very
+plainly that the time for departure was near at hand. He rubbed his eyes
+just enough to make sure that he was thoroughly awake, and then jumped
+down from his rather lofty bed, and ran around to the door of the cage
+to assure himself that Mr. Stubbs was safe. This done, his preparations
+for the journey were made.
+
+Now Toby noticed that each one of the drivers was clad in rubber
+clothing, and, after listening for a moment, he learned the cause of
+their waterproof garments. It was raining very hard, and Toby thought
+with dismay of the long ride that he would have to take on the top of
+the monkeys' cage, with no protection whatever save that afforded by his
+ordinary clothing.
+
+While he was standing by the side of his wagon, wondering how he should
+get along, Old Ben came in. The water was pouring from his clothes in
+little rivulets, and he afforded most unmistakable evidence of the damp
+state of the weather.
+
+"It's a nasty night, my boy," said the old driver, in much the same
+cheery tone that he would have used had he been informing Toby that it
+was a beautiful moonlight evening.
+
+"I guess I'll get wet," said Toby, ruefully, as he looked up at the
+lofty seat which he was to occupy.
+
+"Bless me!" said Ben, as if the thought had just come to him, "it won't
+do for you to ride outside on a night like this. You wait here, an' I'll
+see what I can do for you."
+
+The old man hurried off to the other end of the tent, and almost before
+Toby thought he had time to go as far as the ring he returned.
+
+"It's all right," he said, and this time in a gruff voice, as if he were
+announcing some misfortune; "you 're to ride in the women's wagon. Come
+with me."
+
+Toby followed without a question, though he was wholly at a loss to
+understand what the "women's wagon" was, for he had never seen anything
+which looked like one.
+
+He soon learned, however, when Old Ben stopped in front--or, rather, at
+the end--of a long, covered wagon that looked like an omnibus, except
+that it was considerably longer, and the seats inside were divided by
+arms, padded, to make them comfortable to lean against.
+
+"Here's the boy," said Ben, as he lifted Toby up on the step, gave him a
+gentle push to intimate that he was to get inside, and then left him.
+
+As Toby stepped inside he saw that the wagon was nearly full of women
+and children; and fearing lest he should take a seat that belonged to
+someone else, he stood in the middle of the wagon, not knowing what to
+do.
+
+"Why don't you sit down, little boy?" asked one of the ladies, after
+Toby had remained standing nearly five minutes and the wagon was about
+to start.
+
+"Well," said Toby, with some hesitation, as he looked around at the two
+or three empty seats that remained, "I didn't want to get in anybody
+else's place an' I didn't know where to sit."
+
+"Come right here," said the lady, as she pointed to a seat by the side
+of a little girl who did not look any older than Toby; "the lady who
+usually occupies that seat will not be here tonight, and you can have
+it."
+
+"Thank you, ma'am," said Toby, as he sat timidly down on the edge of the
+seat, hardly daring to sit back comfortably, and feeling very awkward
+meanwhile, but congratulating himself on being thus protected from the
+pouring rain.
+
+The wagon started, and as each one talked with her neighbor, Toby felt a
+most dismal sense of loneliness, and almost wished that he was riding on
+the monkey cart with Ben, where he could have someone to talk with. He
+gradually pushed himself back into a more comfortable position, and had
+then an opportunity of seeing more plainly the young girl who rode by
+his side.
+
+She was quite as young as Toby, and small of her age; but there was an
+old look about her face that made the boy think of her as being an old
+woman cut down to fit children's clothes. Toby had looked at her so
+earnestly that she observed him, and asked, "What is your name?"
+
+"Toby Tyler."
+
+"What do you do in the circus?"
+
+"Sell candy for Mr. Lord."
+
+"Oh! I thought you was a new member of the company."
+
+Toby knew by the tone of her voice that he had fallen considerably
+in her estimation by not being one of the performers, and it was some
+little time before he ventured to speak; and then he asked, timidly,
+"What do you do?"
+
+"I ride one of the horses with mother."
+
+"Are you the little girl that comes out with the lady an' four horses?"
+asked Toby, in awe that he should be conversing with so famous a person.
+
+"Yes, I am. Don't I do it nicely?"
+
+"Why, you're a perfect little--little--fairy!" exclaimed Toby, after
+hesitating a moment to find some word which would exactly express his
+idea.
+
+This praise seemed to please the young lady, and in a short time the
+two became very good friends, even if Toby did not occupy a more exalted
+position than that of candy seller. She had learned from him all about
+the accident to the monkey cage, and about Mr. Stubbs, and in return
+had told him that her name was Ella Mason, though on the bills she was
+called "Mademoiselle Jeannette."
+
+For a long time the two children sat talking together, and then
+Mademoiselle Jeannette curled herself up on the seat, with her head in
+her mother's lap, and went to sleep.
+
+Toby had resolved to keep awake and watch her, for he was struck with
+admiration at her face; but sleep got the better of him in less than
+five minutes after he had made the resolution, and he sat bolt upright,
+with his little round head nodding and bobbing until it seemed almost
+certain that he would shake it off.
+
+When Toby awoke the wagon was drawn up by the side of the road, the sun
+was shining brightly, preparations were being made for the entree into
+town, and the harsh voice of Mr. Job Lord was shouting his name in
+a tone that boded no good for poor Toby when he should make his
+appearance.
+
+Toby would have hesitated before meeting his angry employer but that he
+knew it would only make matters worse for him when he did show himself,
+and he mentally braced himself for the trouble which he knew was coming.
+The little girl whose acquaintance he had made the night previous was
+still sleeping; and, wishing to say goodby to her in some way without
+awakening her, he stooped down and gently kissed the skirt of her dress.
+Then he went out to meet his master.
+
+Mr. Lord was thoroughly enraged when Toby left the wagon, and saw the
+boy just as he stepped to the ground. The angry man gave a quick glance
+around, to make sure that none of Toby's friends were in sight, and then
+caught him by the coat collar and commenced to whip him severely with
+the small rubber cane that he usually carried.
+
+Mr. Job Lord lifted the poor boy entirely clear of the ground, and
+each blow that he struck could be heard almost the entire length of the
+circus train.
+
+"You've been makin' so many acquaintances here that you hain't willin'
+to do any work," he said, savagely, as he redoubled the force of his
+blows.
+
+"Oh, please stop! please stop!" shrieked the poor boy in his agony.
+"I'll do everything you tell me to, if you won't strike me again!"
+
+This piteous appeal seemed to have no effect upon the cruel man, and he
+continued to whip the boy, despite his cries and entreaties, until
+his arm fairly ached from the exertion and Toby's body was crossed and
+recrossed with the livid marks of the cane.
+
+"Now let's see whether you'll 'tend to your work or not!" said the
+man as he flung Toby from him with such force that the boy staggered,
+reeled, and nearly fell into the little brook that flowed by the
+roadside. "I'll make you understand that all the friends you've whined
+around in this show can't save you from a lickin' when I get ready to
+give you one! Now go an' do your work that ought to have been done an
+hour ago!"
+
+Mr. Lord walked away with the proud consciousness of a man who has
+achieved a great victory, and Toby was limping painfully along toward
+the cart that was used in conveying Mr. Lord's stock in trade, when he
+felt a tiny hand slip into his and heard a childish voice say:
+
+"Don't cry, Toby. Sometime, when I get big enough, I'll make Mr. Lord
+sorry that he whipped you as he did; and I'm big enough now to tell him
+just what kind of a man I think he is."
+
+Looking around, Toby saw his little acquaintance of the evening
+previous, and he tried to force back the big tears that were rolling
+down his cheeks as he said, in a voice choked with grief: "You're awful
+good, an' I don't mind the lickin' when you say you're sorry for me. I
+s'pose I deserve it for runnin' away from Uncle Dan'l."
+
+"Did it hurt you much?" she asked, feelingly.
+
+"It did when he was doin' it," replied Toby, manfully, "but it don't a
+bit, now that you've come."
+
+"Then I'll go and talk to that Mr. Lord, and I'll come and see you again
+after we get into town," said the little miss, as she hurried away to
+tell the candy vender what she thought of him.
+
+That day, as on all others since he had been with the circus, Toby went
+to his work with a heavy heart, and time and time again did he count the
+money which had been given him by kind hearted strangers, to see whether
+he had enough to warrant his attempting to run away. Three dollars and
+twenty-five cents was the total amount of his treasure, and, large
+as that sum appeared to him, he could not satisfy himself that he
+had sufficient to enable him to get back to the home which he had so
+wickedly left. Whenever he thought of this home, of the Uncle Daniel
+who had in charity cared for him--a motherless, fatherless boy--and of
+returning to it, with not even as much right as the Prodigal Son, of
+whom he had heard Uncle Daniel tell, his heart sank within him and he
+doubted whether he would be allowed to remain even if he should be so
+fortunate as ever to reach Guilford again.
+
+This day passed, so far as Toby was concerned, very much as had the
+others: he could not satisfy either of his employers, try as hard as he
+might; but, as usual, he met with two or three kindly disposed people,
+who added to the fund that he was accumulating for his second venture of
+running away by little gifts of money, each one of which gladdened his
+heart and made his trouble a trifle less hard to bear.
+
+During the entire week he was thus equally fortunate. Each day added
+something to his fund, and each night it seemed to Toby that he was one
+day nearer the freedom for which he so ardently longed.
+
+The skeleton, the fat lady, Old Ben, the Albino Children, little Ella,
+and even the sword swallower, all gave him a kindly word as they passed
+him while he was at his work, or saw him as the preparations for the
+grand entree were being made.
+
+The time had passed slowly to Toby, and yet Sunday came again--as
+Sundays always come; and on this day Old Ben hunted him up, made him
+wash his face and hands until they fairly shone from very cleanliness,
+and then took him to church. Toby was surprised to find that it was
+really a pleasant thing to be able to go to church after being deprived
+of it, and was more light hearted than he had yet been since he left
+Guilford when he returned to the tent at noon.
+
+The skeleton had invited him to another dinner party, but Toby had
+declined the invitation, agreeing to present himself in time for supper
+instead. He hardly cared to go through the ordeal of another state
+dinner; and besides, he wanted to go off to the woods with the old
+monkey, where he could enjoy the silence of the forest, which seemed
+like a friend to him, because it reminded him of home.
+
+Taking the monkey with him as usual, he inquired the nearest way to a
+grove, and, without waiting for dinner, started off for an afternoon's
+quiet enjoyment.
+
+
+
+
+XII. TOBY'S GREAT MISFORTUNE
+
+
+The town in which the circus remained over Sunday was a small one, and a
+brisk walk of ten minutes sufficed to take Toby into a secluded portion
+of a very thickly grown wood, where he could lie upon the mossy ground
+and fairly revel in freedom.
+
+As he lay upon his back, his hands under his head, and his eyes directed
+to the branches of the trees above, where the birds twittered and sung,
+and the squirrels played in fearless sport, the monkey enjoyed himself
+in his way, by playing all the monkey antics he knew of.
+
+He scrambled from tree to tree, swung himself from one branch to the
+other by the aid of his tail, and amused both himself and his master,
+until, tired by his exertions, he crept down by Toby's side and lay
+there in quiet, restful content.
+
+One of Toby's reasons for wishing to be by himself that afternoon was
+that he wanted to think over some plan of escape, for he believed that
+he had nearly money enough to enable him to make a bold stroke for
+freedom and Uncle Daniel's. Therefore, when the monkey nestled down
+by his side he was all ready to confide in him that which had been
+occupying his busy little brain for the past three days.
+
+"Mr. Stubbs," he said to the monkey, in a solemn tone, "we're goin' to
+run away in a day or two."
+
+Mr. Stubbs did not seem to be moved in the least at this very startling
+piece of intelligence, but winked his bright eyes in unconcern; and
+Toby, seeming to think that everything which he said had been understood
+by the monkey, continued: "I've got a good deal of money now, an' I
+guess there's enough for us to start out on. We'll get away some night,
+an' stay in the woods till they get through hunting for us, an' then
+we'll go back to Guilford an' tell Uncle Dan'l if he'll only take us
+back we'll never go to sleep in meetin' any more, an' we'll be just as
+good as we know how. Now let's see how much money we've got."
+
+Toby drew from a pocket, which he had been at a great deal of trouble to
+make in his shirt, a small bag of silver, and spread it upon the ground,
+where he could count it at his leisure.
+
+The glittering coin instantly attracted the monkey's attention, and he
+tried by every means to thrust his little black paw into the pile;
+but Toby would allow nothing of that sort, and pushed him away quite
+roughly. Then he grew excited, and danced and scolded around Toby's
+treasure until the boy had hard work to count it.
+
+He did succeed, however, and as he carefully replaced it in the bag he
+said to the monkey: "There's seven dollars an' thirty cents in that bag,
+an' every cent of it is mine. That ought to take care of us for a good
+while, Mr. Stubbs; an' by the time we get home we shall be rich men."
+
+The monkey showed his pleasure at this intelligence by putting his
+hand inside Toby's clothes to find the bag of treasure that he had seen
+secreted there, and two or three times, to the great delight of both
+himself and the boy, he drew forth the bag, which was immediately taken
+away from him.
+
+The shadows were beginning to lengthen in the woods, and, heeding this
+warning of the coming night, Toby took the monkey on his arm and started
+for home, or for the tent, which was the only place he could call home.
+
+As he walked along he tried to talk to his pet in a serious manner, but
+the monkey, remembering where he had seen the bright coins secreted,
+tried so hard to get at them that finally Toby lost all patience and
+gave him quite a hard cuff on the ear, which had the effect of keeping
+him quiet for a time.
+
+That night Toby took supper with the skeleton and his wife, and he
+enjoyed the meal, even though it was made from what had been left of
+the turkey that served as the noonday feast, more than he did the state
+dinner, where he was obliged to pay for what he ate by the torture of
+making a speech.
+
+There were no guests but Toby present; and Mr. and Mrs. Treat were not
+only very kind, but so attentive that he was actually afraid he should
+eat so much as to stand in need of some of the catnip tea which Mrs.
+Treat had said she gave to her husband when he had been equally foolish.
+The skeleton would pile his plate high with turkey bones from one side,
+and the fat lady would heap it up, whenever she could find a chance,
+with all sorts of food from the other, until Toby pushed back his chair,
+his appetite completely satisfied, if it never had been so before.
+
+Toby had discussed the temper of his employer with his host and
+hostess, and, after some considerable conversation, confided in them his
+determination to run away.
+
+"I'd hate awfully to have you go," said Mrs. Treat, reflectively; "but
+it's a good deal better for you to get away from that Job Lord if you
+can. It wouldn't do to let him know that you had any idea of goin', for
+he'd watch you as a cat watches a mouse, an never let you go so long as
+he saw a chance to keep you. I heard him tellin' one of the drivers the
+other day that you sold more goods than any other boy he ever had, an'
+he was going to keep you with him all summer."
+
+"Be careful in what you do, my boy," said the skeleton, sagely, as he
+arranged a large cushion in an armchair, and proceeded to make ready for
+his after dinner nap; "be sure that you're all ready before you start,
+an', when you do go, get a good ways ahead of him; for if he should ever
+catch you the trouncin' you'd get would be awful."
+
+Toby assured his friends that he would use every endeavor to make his
+escape successful when he did start; and Mrs. Treat, with an eye to the
+boy's comfort, said, "Let me know the night you're goin', an' I'll fix
+you up something to eat, so's you won't be hungry before you come to a
+place where you can buy something."
+
+As these kind hearted people talked with him, and were ready thus to aid
+him in every way that lay in their power, Toby thought that he had been
+very fortunate in thus having made so many kind friends in a place where
+he was having so much trouble.
+
+It was not until he heard the sounds of preparation for departure that
+he left the skeleton's tent, and then, with Mr. Stubbs clasped tightly
+to his breast, he hurried over to the wagon where Old Ben was nearly
+ready to start.
+
+"All right, Toby," said the old driver, as the boy came in sight. "I was
+afraid you was goin' to keep me waitin' for the first time. Jump right
+up on the box, for there hain't no time to lose, an' I guess you'll have
+to carry the monkey in your arms, for I don't want to stop to open the
+cage now."
+
+"I'd just as soon carry him, an' a little rather," said Toby, as he
+clambered up on the high seat and arranged a comfortable place in his
+lap for his pet to sit.
+
+In another moment the heavy team had started, and nearly the entire
+circus was on the move. "Now tell me what you've been doin' since I left
+you," said Old Ben, after they were well clear of the town and he could
+trust his horses to follow the team ahead. "I s'pose you've been to see
+the skeleton an' his mountain of a wife?"
+
+Toby gave a clear account of where he had been and what he had done, and
+when he concluded he told Old Ben of his determination to run away, and
+asked his advice on the matter.
+
+"My advice," said Ben, after he had waited some time, to give due weight
+to his words, "is that you clear out from this show just as soon as you
+can. This hain't no fit place for a boy of your age to be in, an'
+the sooner you get back where you started from, an get to school, the
+better. But Job Lord will do all he can to keep you from goin', if he
+thinks you have any idea of leavin' him."
+
+Toby assured Ben, as he had assured the skeleton and his wife, that he
+would be very careful in all he did, and lay his plans with the utmost
+secrecy; and then he asked whether Ben thought the amount of money which
+he had would be sufficient to carry him home.
+
+"Waal, that depends," said the driver, slowly. "If you go to spreadin'
+yourself all over creation, as boys are very apt to do, your money won't
+go very far; but if you look at your money two or three times afore you
+spend it, you ought to get back and have a dollar or two left."
+
+The two talked, and Old Ben offered advice, until Toby could hardly keep
+his eyes open, and almost before the driver concluded his sage remarks
+the boy had stretched himself on the top of the wagon, where he had
+learned to sleep without being shaken off, and was soon in dreamland.
+
+The monkey, nestled down snug in Toby's bosom, did not appear to be as
+sleepy as was his master, but popped his head in and out from under the
+coat, as if watching whether the boy was asleep or not.
+
+Toby was awakened by a scratching on his face, as if the monkey was
+dancing a hornpipe on that portion of his body, and by a shrill, quick
+chattering, which caused him to assume an upright position instantly.
+
+He was frightened, although he knew not at what, and looked around
+quickly to discover the cause of the monkey's excitement.
+
+Old Ben was asleep on his box, while the horses jogged along behind the
+other teams, and Toby failed to see anything whatever which should have
+caused his pet to become so excited.
+
+"Lie down an' behave yourself," said Toby, as sternly as possible, and
+as he spoke he took his pet by the collar, to oblige him to obey his
+command.
+
+The moment that he did this he saw the monkey throw something out
+into the road, and the next instant he also saw that he held something
+tightly clutched in his other paw.
+
+It required some little exertion and active movement on Toby's part to
+enable him to get hold of that paw, in order to discover what it was
+which Mr. Stubbs had captured; but the instant he did succeed, there
+went up from his heart such a cry of sorrow as caused Old Ben to start
+up in alarm and the monkey to cower and whimper like a whipped dog.
+
+"What is it, Toby? What's the matter?" asked the old driver, as
+he peered out into the darkness ahead, as if he feared some danger
+threatened them from that quarter. "I don't see anything. What is it?"
+
+"Mr. Stubbs has thrown all my money away," cried Toby, holding up the
+almost empty bag, which a short time previous had been so well filled
+with silver.
+
+"Stubbs--thrown--the--money--away?" repeated Ben, with a pause between
+each word, as if he could not understand that which he himself was
+saying.
+
+"Yes," sobbed Toby, as he shook out the remaining contents of the bag,
+"there's only half a dollar, an' all the rest is gone."
+
+"The rest gone!" again repeated Ben. "But how come the monkey to have
+the money?"
+
+"He tried to get at it out in the woods, an' I s'pose the moment I got
+asleep he felt for it in my pockets. This is all there is left, an' he
+threw away some just as I woke up."
+
+Again Toby held the bag up where Ben could see it, and again his grief
+broke out anew.
+
+Ben could say nothing; he realized the whole situation--that the monkey
+had got the moneybag while Toby was sleeping; that in his play he had
+thrown it away piece by piece; and he knew that that small amount of
+silver represented liberty in the boy's eyes. He felt that there was
+nothing he could say which would assuage Toby's grief, and he remained
+silent.
+
+"Don't you s'pose we could go back an' get it?" asked the boy, after the
+intensity of his grief had somewhat subsided.
+
+"No, Toby, it's gone," replied Ben, sorrowfully. "You couldn't find it
+if it was daylight, an' you don't stand a ghost of a chance now in the
+dark. Don't take on so, my boy. I'll see if we can't make it up to you
+in some way."
+
+Toby gave no heed to this last remark of Ben's. He hugged the monkey
+convulsively to his breast, as if he would seek consolation from the
+very one who had wrought the ruin, and, rocking himself to and fro, he
+said, in a voice full of tears and sorrow:
+
+"Oh, Mr. Stubbs, why did you do it?--why did you do it? That money would
+have got us away from this hateful place, an' we'd have gone back to
+Uncle Dan'l's, where we'd have been so happy, you an' me. An' now it's
+all gone--all gone. What made you, Mr. Stubbs--what made you do such a
+bad, cruel thing? Oh, what made you?"
+
+"Don't, Toby--don't take on so," said Ben, soothingly. "There wasn't so
+very much money there, after all, an' you'll soon get as much more."
+
+"But it won't be for a good while, an' we could have been in the good
+old home long before I can get so much again."
+
+"That's true, my boy; but you must kinder brace up an' not give way so
+about it. Perhaps I can fix it so the fellers will make it up to you.
+Give Stubbs a good poundin', an' perhaps that 'll make you feel better."
+
+"That won't bring back my money an' I don't want to whip him," cried
+Toby, hugging his pet the closer because of this suggestion. "I know
+what it is to get a whippin', an' I wouldn't whip a dog, much less Mr.
+Stubbs, who didn't know any better."
+
+"Then you must try to take it like a man," said Ben, who could think
+of no other plan by which the boy might soothe his feelings. "It hain't
+half so bad as it might be, an' you must try to keep a stiff upper lip,
+even if it does seem hard at first."
+
+This keeping a stiff upper lip in the face of all the trouble he was
+having was all very well to talk about, but Toby could not reduce it to
+practice, or, at least, not so soon after he knew of his loss, and he
+continued to rock the monkey back and forth, to whisper in his ear now
+and then, and to cry as if his heart was breaking, for nearly an hour.
+
+Ben tried, in his rough, honest way, to comfort him, but without
+success; and it was not until the boy's grief had spent itself that he
+would listen to any reasoning.
+
+All this time the monkey had remained perfectly quiet, submitting to
+Toby's squeezing without making any effort to get away, and behaving as
+if he knew he had done wrong, and was trying to atone for it. He
+looked up into the boy's face every now and then with such a penitent
+expression that Toby finally assured him of forgiveness and begged him
+not to feel so badly.
+
+
+
+
+XIII. TOBY ATTEMPTS TO RESIGN HIS SITUATION
+
+
+At last it was possible for Toby to speak of his loss with some degree
+of calmness, and then he immediately began to reckon up what he could
+have done with the money if he had not lost it.
+
+"Now see here, Toby," said Ben, earnestly, "don't go to doin' anything
+of that kind. The money's lost, an' you can't get it back by talkin'; so
+the very best thing for you is to stop thinkin' what you could do if you
+had it, an' just to look at it as a goner."
+
+"But--" persisted Toby.
+
+"I tell you there's no buts about it," said Ben, rather sharply. "Stop
+talkin' about what's gone, an' just go to thinkin' how you'll get more.
+Do what you've a mind to the monkey, but don't keep broodin' over what
+you can't help."
+
+Toby knew that the advice was good and he struggled manfully to carry it
+into execution, but it was very hard work. At all events, there was no
+sleep for his eyes that night; and when, just about daylight, the train
+halted to wait a more seasonable hour in which to enter the town, the
+thought of what he might have done with his lost money was still in
+Toby's mind.
+
+Only once did he speak crossly to the monkey, and that was when he put
+him into the cage preparatory to commencing his morning's work. Then he
+said:
+
+"You wouldn't had to go into this place many times more if you hadn't
+been so wicked, for by tomorrow night we'd been away from this circus
+an' on the way to home an' Uncle Dan'l. Now you've spoiled my chance
+an' your own for a good while to come, an' I hope before the day is over
+you'll feel as bad about it as I do."
+
+It seemed to Toby as if the monkey understood just what he said to him,
+for he sneaked over into one corner, away from the other monkeys, and
+sat there looking very penitent and very dejected.
+
+Then, with a heavy heart, Toby began his day's work.
+
+Hard as had been Toby's lot previous to losing his money, and difficult
+as it had been to bear the cruelty of Mr. Job Lord and his precious
+partner, Mr. Jacobs, it was doubly hard now while this sorrow was fresh
+upon him.
+
+Previous to this, when he had been kicked or cursed by one or the other
+of the partners, Toby thought exultantly that the time was not very far
+distant when he should be beyond the reach of his brutal taskmasters,
+and that thought had given him strength to bear all that had been put
+upon him.
+
+Now the time of his deliverance from this bondage seemed very far off,
+and each cruel word or blow caused him the greater sorrow, because of
+the thought that but for the monkey's wickedness he would have been
+nearly free from that which made his life so very miserable.
+
+If he had looked sad and mournful before, he looked doubly so now, as he
+went his dreary round of the tent, crying, "Here's your cold lemonade,"
+or "Fresh baked peanuts, ten cents a quart"; and each day there were
+some in the audience who pitied the boy because of the misery which
+showed so plainly in his face, and they gave him a few cents more than
+his price for what he was selling, or gave him money without buying
+anything at all, thereby aiding him to lay up something again toward
+making his escape.
+
+Those few belonging to the circus who knew of Toby's intention to escape
+tried their best to console him for the loss of his money, and that kind
+hearted couple, the skeleton and his fat wife, tried to force him to
+take a portion of their scanty earnings in the place of that which the
+monkey had thrown away. But this Toby positively refused to do; and to
+the arguments which they advanced as reasons why they should help him
+along he only replied that until he could get the money by his own
+exertions he would remain with Messrs. Lord and Jacobs and get along as
+best he could.
+
+Every hour in the day the thought of what might have been if he had not
+lost his money so haunted his mind that finally he resolved to make one
+bold stroke and tell Mr. Job Lord that he did not want to travel with
+the circus any longer.
+
+As yet he had not received the two dollars which had been promised him
+for his two weeks' work, and another one was nearly due. If he could get
+this money it might, with what he had saved again, suffice to pay his
+railroad fare to Guilford; and if it would not, he resolved to accept
+from the skeleton sufficient to make up the amount needed.
+
+He naturally shrank from the task; but the hope that he might possibly
+succeed gave him the necessary amount of courage, and when he had gotten
+his work done, on the third morning after he had lost his money, and Mr.
+Lord appeared to be in an unusually good temper, he resolved to try the
+plan.
+
+It was just before the dinner hour. Trade had been exceptionally good,
+and Mr. Lord had even spoken in a pleasant tone to Toby when he told him
+to fill up the lemonade pail with water, so that the stock might not be
+disposed of too quickly and with too little profit.
+
+Toby poured in quite as much water as he thought the already weak
+mixture could receive and retain any flavor of lemon; and then, as his
+employer motioned him to add more, he mixed another quart in, secretly
+wondering what it would taste like.
+
+"When you're mixin' lemonade for circus trade," said Mr. Lord, in such a
+benign, fatherly tone that one would have found it difficult to believe
+that he ever spoke harshly, "don't be afraid of water, for there's where
+the profit comes in. Always have a piece of lemon peel floatin' on the
+top of every glass, an' it tastes just as good to people as if it cost
+twice as much."
+
+Toby could not agree exactly with that opinion, neither did he think
+it wise to disagree, more especially since he was going to ask the very
+great favor of being discharged; therefore he nodded his head gravely,
+and began to stir up what it pleased Mr. Lord to call lemonade, so that
+the last addition might be more thoroughly mixed with the others.
+
+Two or three times he attempted to ask the favor which seemed such a
+great one, and each time the words stuck in his throat, until it seemed
+to him that he should never succeed in getting them out.
+
+Finally, in his despair, he stammered out: "Don't you think you could
+find another boy in this town, Mr. Lord?"
+
+Mr. Lord moved round sideways, in order to bring his crooked eye to bear
+squarely on Toby, and then there was a long interval of silence, during
+which time the boy's color rapidly came and went and his heart beat very
+fast with suspense and fear.
+
+"Well, what if I could?" he said, at length. "Do you think that trade
+is so good I could afford to keep two boys, when there isn't half work
+enough for one?"
+
+Toby stirred the lemonade with renewed activity, as if by this process
+he was making both it and his courage stronger, and said, in a low
+voice, which Mr. Lord could scarcely hear:
+
+"I didn't think that; but you see I ought to go home, for Uncle Dan'l
+will worry about me; an', besides, I don't like a circus very well."
+
+Again there was silence on Mr. Lord's part, and again the crooked eye
+glowered down on Toby.
+
+"So," he said--and Toby could see that his anger was rising very
+fast--"you don't like a circus very well, an' you begin to think
+that your uncle Daniel will worry about you, eh? Well, I want you to
+understand that it don't make any difference to me whether you like a
+circus or not, and I don't care how much your uncle Daniel worries.
+You mean that you want to get away from me, after I've been to all the
+trouble and expense of teaching you the business?"
+
+Toby bent his head over the pail and stirred away as if for dear life.
+
+"If you think you're going to get away from here until you've paid me
+for all you've eat, an' all the time I've spent on you, you're mistaken,
+that's all. You've had an easy time with me--too easy, in fact--and
+that's what ails you. Now you just let me hear two words more out of
+your head about going away--only two more--an' I'll show you what a
+whipping is. I've only been playing with you before when you thought you
+were getting a whipping; but you'll find out what it means if I so much
+as see a thought in your eyes about goin' away. An' don't you dare to
+try to give me the slip in the night an run away; for if you do I'll
+follow you an' have you arrested. Now you mind your eye in the future."
+
+It is impossible to say how much longer Mr. Lord might have continued
+this tirade had not a member of the company--one of the principal
+riders--called him to one side to speak with him.
+
+Poor Toby was so much confused by the angry words which had followed his
+very natural and certainly very reasonable suggestion that he paid no
+attention to anything around him until he heard his own name mentioned;
+and then, fearing lest some new misfortune was about to befall him, he
+listened intently.
+
+"I'm afraid you couldn't do much of anything with him," he heard Mr.
+Lord say. "He's had enough of this kind of life already, so he says, an'
+I expect the next thing he does will be to try and run away."
+
+"I'll risk his getting away from you, Job," he heard the other say; "but
+of course I've got to take my chances. I'll take him in hand from eleven
+to twelve each day--just your slack time of trade--and I'll not only
+give you half of what he can earn in the next two years, but I'll pay
+you for his time, if he gives you the slip before the season is out."
+
+Toby knew that they were speaking of him, but what it all meant he could
+not imagine.
+
+"What are you going to do with him first?" Job asked.
+
+"Just put him right in the ring and teach him what riding is. I tell
+you, Job, the boy's smart enough, and before the season's over I'll have
+him so that he can do some of the bareback acts, and perhaps we'll get
+some money out of him before we go into winter quarters."
+
+Toby understood the meaning of their conversation only too well, and he
+knew that his lot, which before seemed harder than he could bear,
+was about to be intensified through this Mr. Castle, of whom he had
+frequently heard, and who was said to be a rival of Mr. Lord's so far as
+brutality went. The two men now walked toward the large tent, and Toby
+was left alone with his thoughts and two or three little boy customers,
+who looked at him wonderingly and envied him because he belonged to the
+circus.
+
+During the ride that night he told Old Ben what he had heard,
+confidently expecting that that friend at least would console him; but
+Ben was not the champion which he had expected. The old man, who had
+been with a circus, "man and boy, nigh to forty years," did not seem to
+think it any calamity that he was to be taught to ride.
+
+"That Mr. Castle is a little rough on boys," Old Ben said, thoughtfully;
+"but it'll be a good thing for you, Toby. Just so long as you stay with
+Job you won't be nothin' more 'n a candy boy; but after you know how to
+ride it 'll be another thing, an' you can earn a good deal of money an'
+be your own boss."
+
+"But I don't want to stay with the circus," whined Toby; "I don't want
+to learn to ride, an' I do want to get back to Uncle Dan'l."
+
+"That may all be true, an' I don't dispute it," said Ben; "but you see
+you didn't stay with your uncle Daniel when you had the chance, an' you
+did come with the circus. You've told Job you wanted to leave, an' he
+'ll be watchin' you all the time to see that you don't give him the
+slip. Now what's the consequence? Why, you can't get away for a while,
+anyhow, an' you'd better try to amount to something while you are here.
+Perhaps after you've got so you can ride you may want to stay; an' I'll
+see to it that you get all of your wages, except enough to pay Castle
+for learnin' of you."
+
+"I sha'n't want to stay," said Toby. "I wouldn't stay if I could ride
+all the horses at once an' was gettin' a hundred dollars a day."
+
+"But you can't ride one horse, an' you hain't gettin' but a dollar a
+week, an' still I don't see any chance of your gettin' away yet awhile,"
+said Ben, in a matter of fact tone, as he devoted his attention again
+to his horses, leaving Toby to his own sad reflections and the positive
+conviction that boys who run away from home do not have a good time,
+except in stories.
+
+The next forenoon, while Toby was deep in the excitement of selling to
+a boy no larger than himself, and with just as red hair, three cents'
+worth of peanuts and two sticks of candy, and while the boy was trying
+to induce him to "throw in" a piece of gum, because of the quantity
+purchased, Job Lord called him aside, and Toby knew that his troubles
+had begun.
+
+"I want you to go in an' see Mr. Castle; he's goin' to show you how to
+ride," said Mr. Lord, in as kindly a tone as if he were conferring some
+favor on the boy.
+
+If Toby had dared to, he would have rebelled then and there and refused
+to go; but, as he hadn't the courage for such proceeding, he walked
+meekly into the tent and toward the ring.
+
+
+
+
+XIV. MR. CASTLE TEACHES TOBY TO RIDE
+
+
+When Toby got within sight of the ring he was astonished at what he saw.
+A horse, with a broad wooden saddle, was being led slowly around the
+ring; Mr. Castle was standing on one side, with a long whip in his hand;
+and on the tent pole, which stood in the center of the ring, was a long
+arm, from which dangled a leathern belt attached to a long rope that was
+carried through the end of the arm and run down to the base of the pole.
+
+Toby knew well enough why the horse, the whip, and the man were there,
+but the wooden projection from the tent pole, which looked so much like
+a gallows, he could not understand at all.
+
+"Come, now," said Mr. Castle, cracking his whip ominously as Toby came
+in sight, "why weren't you here before?"
+
+"Mr. Lord just sent me in," said Toby, not expecting that his excuse
+would be received, for they never had been since he had arrived at the
+height of his ambition by joining the circus.
+
+"Then I'll make Mr. Job understand that I am to have my full hour of
+your time; and if I don't get it there 'll be trouble between us."
+
+It would have pleased Toby very well to have had Mr. Castle go out with
+his long whip just then and make trouble for Mr. Lord; but Mr. Castle
+had not the time to spare, because of the trouble which he was about to
+make for Toby, and that he commenced on at once.
+
+"Well, get in here and don't waste any more time," he said, sharply.
+
+Toby looked around curiously for a moment, and, not understanding
+exactly what he was expected to get in and do, asked, "What shall I do?"
+
+"Pull off your boots, coat, and vest."
+
+Since there was no other course than to learn to ride, Toby wisely
+concluded that the best thing he could do would be to obey his new
+master without question; so he began to take off his clothes with as
+much alacrity as if learning to ride was the one thing upon which he had
+long set his heart.
+
+Mr. Castle was evidently accustomed to prompt obedience, for he not only
+took it as a matter of course, but endeavored to hurry Toby in the work
+of undressing.
+
+With his desire to please, and urged by Mr. Castle's words and the
+ominous shaking of his whip, Toby's preparations were soon made, and
+he stood before his instructor clad only in his shirt, trousers, and
+stockings.
+
+The horse was led around to where he stood, and when Mr. Castle held
+out his hand to help him to mount Toby jumped up quickly without aid,
+thereby making a good impression at the start as a willing lad.
+
+"Now," said the instructor, as he pulled down the leathern belt which
+hung from the rope and fastened it around Toby's waist, "stand up in
+the saddle, and try to keep there. You can't fall, because the rope will
+hold you up, even if the horse goes out from under you; but it isn't
+hard work to keep on if you mind what you are about; and if you don't
+this whip will help you. Now stand up."
+
+Toby did as he was bid; and as the horse was led at a walk, and as
+he had the long bridle to aid him in keeping his footing, he had no
+difficulty in standing during the time that the horse went once around
+the ring; but that was all.
+
+Mr. Castle seemed to think that this was preparation enough for the boy
+to be able to understand how to ride, and he started the horse into a
+canter. As might have been expected, Toby lost his balance, the horse
+went on ahead, and he was left dangling at the end of the rope, very
+much like a crab that has just been caught by the means of a pole and
+line.
+
+Toby kicked, waved his hands, and floundered about generally, but all to
+no purpose, until the horse came round again, and then he made frantic
+efforts to regain his footing, which efforts were aided--or perhaps it
+would be more proper to say retarded--by the long lash of Mr. Castle's
+whip, that played around his legs with merciless severity.
+
+"Stand up! stand up!" cried his instructor, as Toby reeled first to one
+side and then to the other, now standing erect in the saddle and now
+dangling at the end of the rope, with the horse almost out from under
+him.
+
+This command seemed needless, as it was exactly what Toby was trying to
+do; but as it was given he struggled all the harder, until it seemed to
+him that the more he tried the less did he succeed.
+
+And this first lesson progressed in about the same way until the hour
+was over, save that now and then Mr. Castle would give him some good
+advice, but oftener he would twist the long lash of the whip around the
+boy's legs with such force that Toby believed the skin had been taken
+entirely off.
+
+It may have been a relief to Mr. Castle when this first lesson was
+concluded, and it certainly was to Toby, for he had had all the teaching
+in horsemanship that he wanted, and he thought, with deepest sorrow,
+that this would be of daily occurrence during all the time that he
+remained with the circus.
+
+As he went out of the tent he stopped to speak with his friend the old
+monkey, and his troubles seemed to have increased when he stood in front
+of the cage calling, "Mr. Stubbs! Mr. Stubbs!" and the old fellow would
+not even come down from off the lofty perch where he was engaged in
+monkey gymnastics with several younger companions. It seemed to him, as
+he afterward told Ben, "as if Mr. Stubbs had gone back on him because he
+knew that he was in trouble."
+
+When he went toward the booth Mr. Lord looked at him around the corner
+of the canvas--for it seemed to Toby that his employer could look
+around a square corner with much greater ease than he could straight
+ahead--with a disagreeable leer in his eye, as though he enjoyed the
+misery which he knew his little clerk had just undergone.
+
+"Can you ride yet?" he asked, mockingly, as Toby stepped behind the
+counter to attend to his regular line of business.
+
+Toby made no reply, for he knew that the question was only asked
+sarcastically and not through any desire for information. In a few
+moments Mr. Lord left him to attend to the booth alone and went into the
+tent, where Toby rightly conjectured he had gone to question Mr. Castle
+upon the result of the lesson just given.
+
+That night Old Ben asked him how he had got on while under the teaching
+of Mr. Castle; and Toby, knowing that the question was asked because of
+the real interest which Ben had in his welfare, replied:
+
+"If I was tryin' to learn how to swing round the ring, strapped to a
+rope, I should say that I got along first rate; but I don't know much
+about the horse, for I was only on his back a little while at a time."
+
+"You'll get over that soon," said Old Ben, patronizingly, as he patted
+him on the back. "You remember my words, now: I say that you've got it
+in you, an' if you've a mind to take hold an' try to learn you'll
+come out on the top of the heap yet, an' be one of the smartest riders
+they've got in this show."
+
+"I don't want to be a rider," said Toby, sadly; "I only want to get back
+home once more, an' then you'll see how much it 'll take to get me away
+again."
+
+"Well," said Ben, quietly, "be that as it may, while you're here the
+best thing you can do is to take hold an' get ahead just as fast as you
+can; it 'll make it a mighty sight easier for you while you're with the
+show, an' it won't spoil any of your chances for runnin' away whenever
+the time comes."
+
+Toby fully appreciated the truth of this remark, and he assured Ben that
+he should do all in his power to profit by the instruction given, and to
+please this new master who had been placed over him.
+
+And with this promise he lay back on the seat and went to sleep, not to
+awaken until the preparations were being made for the entree into the
+next town, and Mr. Lord's harsh voice had cried out his name, with no
+gentle tone, several times.
+
+Toby's first lesson with Mr. Castle was the most pleasant one he had;
+for after the boy had once been into the ring his master seemed to
+expect that he could do everything which he was told to do, and when
+he failed in any little particular the long lash of the whip would go
+curling around his legs or arms, until the little fellow's body and
+limbs were nearly covered with the blue and black stripes.
+
+For three lessons only was the wooden upright used to keep him from
+falling; after that he was forced to ride standing erect on the broad
+wooden saddle, or pad, as it is properly called; and whenever he lost
+his balance and fell there was no question asked as to whether or not he
+had hurt himself, but he was mercilessly cut with the whip.
+
+Messrs. Lord and Jacobs gained very much by comparison with Mr. Castle
+in Toby's mind. He had thought that his lot could not be harder than it
+was with them; but when he had experienced the pains of two or three of
+Mr. Castle's lessons in horsemanship he thought that he would stay with
+the candy venders all the season cheerfully rather than take six more
+lessons of Mr. Castle.
+
+Night after night he fell asleep from the sheer exhaustion of crying, as
+he had been pouring out his woes in the old monkey's ears and laying his
+plans to run away. Now more than ever was he anxious to get away,
+and yet each day was taking him farther from home and consequently
+necessitating a larger amount of money with which to start. As Old Ben
+did not give him as much sympathy as Toby thought he ought to give--for
+the old man, while he would not allow Mr. Job Lord to strike the boy
+if he was near, thought it a necessary portion of the education for Mr.
+Castle to lash him all he had a mind to--he poured out all his troubles
+in the old monkey's ears, and kept him with him from the time he ceased
+work at night until he was obliged to commence again in the morning.
+
+The skeleton and his wife thought Toby's lot a hard one, and tried by
+every means in their power to cheer the poor boy. Neither one of them
+could say to Mr. Castle what they had said to Mr. Lord, for the rider
+was a far different sort of a person and one whom they would not be
+allowed to interfere with in any way. Therefore poor Toby was obliged
+to bear his troubles and his whippings as best he might, with only the
+thought to cheer him of the time when he could leave them all by running
+away.
+
+But, despite all his troubles, Toby learned to ride faster than his
+teacher had expected he would, and in three weeks he found little or no
+difficulty in standing erect while his horse went around the ring at
+his fastest gait. After that had been accomplished his progress was more
+rapid, and he gave promise of be--coming a very good rider--a fact which
+pleased both Mr. Castle and Mr. Lord very much, as they fancied that in
+another year Toby would be the source of a very good income to them.
+
+The proprietor of the circus took considerable interest in Toby's
+instruction, and promised Mr. Castle that Mademoiselle Jeannette and
+Toby should do an act together in the performance just as soon as the
+latter was sufficiently advanced. The boy's costume had been changed
+after he could ride without falling off, and now while he was in the
+ring he wore the same as that used by the regular performers.
+
+The little girl had, after it was announced that she and Toby were to
+perform together, been an attentive observer during the hour that Toby
+was under Mr. Castle's direction, and she gave him many suggestions that
+were far more valuable, and quicker to be acted upon, than those given
+by the teacher himself.
+
+"Tomorrow you two will go through the exercise together," said Mr.
+Castle to Toby and Ella, at the close of one of Toby's lessons, after
+he had become so skillful that he could stand with ease on the pad, and
+even advanced so far that he could jump through a hoop without falling
+more than twice out of three times.
+
+The little girl appeared highly delighted by this information, and
+expressed her joy.
+
+"It will be real nice," she said to Toby, after Mr. Castle had left them
+alone. "I can help you lots, and it won't be very long before we can do
+an act all by ourselves in the performance, and then won't the people
+clap their hands when we come in!"
+
+"It 'll be better for you tomorrow than it will for me," said Toby,
+rubbing his legs sorrowfully, still feeling the sting of the whip. "You
+see, Mr. Castle won't dare to whip you, an' he 'll make it all count on
+me, 'cause he knows Mr. Lord likes to have him whip me."
+
+"But I sha'n't make any mistake," said Ella, confidently, "and so you
+won't have to be whipped on my account; and while I am on the horse you
+can't be whipped, for he couldn't do it without whipping me, so you see
+you won't get only half as much."
+
+Toby brightened up a little under the influence of this argument; but
+his countenance fell again as he thought that his chances for getting
+away from the circus were growing less each day.
+
+"You see I want to get back to Uncle Dan'l an' Guilford," he said,
+confidentially; "I don't want to stay here a single minute."
+
+Ella opened her eyes in wide astonishment as she cried: "Don't want to
+stay here? Why don't you go home, then?"
+
+"'Cause Job Lord won't let me," said Toby, wondering if it was possible
+that his little companion did not know exactly what sort of a man his
+master was.
+
+Then he told her--after making her give him all kinds of promises,
+including the ceremony of crossing her throat, that she would never tell
+a single soul--that he had had many thoughts, and had formed all kinds
+of plans for running away. He told her about losing his money, about his
+friendship for the skeleton and the fat lady, and at last he confided in
+her that he was intending to take the old monkey with him when he should
+make the attempt.
+
+She listened with the closest attention, and when he told her that
+his little hoard had now reached the sum of seven dollars and ten
+cents--almost as much as he had before--she said, eagerly: "I've got
+three little gold dollars in my trunk, an' you shall have them all;
+they're my very own, for mamma gave them to me to do just what I wanted
+to with them. But I don't see how you can take Mr. Stubbs with you, for
+that would be stealing."
+
+"No, it wouldn't, neither," said Toby, stoutly. "Wasn't he give to me to
+do just as I wanted to with? An' didn't the boss say he was all mine?"
+
+"Oh, I'd forgotten that," said Ella, thoughtfully. "I suppose you can
+take him; but he'll be awfully in the way, won't he?"
+
+"No," said Toby, anxious to say a good word for his pet; "he always does
+just what I want him to, an' when I tell him what I'm tryin' to do he'll
+be as good as anything. But I can't take your dollars."
+
+"Why not?"
+
+"'Cause that wouldn't be right for a boy to let a girl littler than
+himself help him: I'll wait till I get money enough of my own, an' then
+I'll go."
+
+"But I want you to take my money, too; I want you to have it."
+
+"No, I can't take it," said Toby, shaking his head resolutely as he put
+the golden temptation from him; and then, as a happy thought occurred
+to him, he said, quickly: "I tell you what to do with your dollars: you
+keep them till you grow up to be a woman, an' when I'm a man I'll come,
+an' then we'll buy a circus of our own. I think perhaps I'd like to be
+with a circus if I owned one myself. We'll have lots of money then, an'
+can do just what we want to."
+
+This idea seemed to please the little girl, and the two began to lay
+all sorts of plans for that time when they should be man and woman, have
+lots of money, and be able to do just what they wanted to.
+
+They had been sitting on the edge of the newly made ring while they were
+talking, and before they had half finished making plans for the future
+one of the attendants came in to put things to order, and they were
+obliged to leave their seats, she going to the hotel to get ready for
+the afternoon's performance, and Toby to try to do such work as Mr. Job
+had laid out for him.
+
+Just ten weeks from the time Toby had first joined the circus Mr.
+Castle informed him and Ella that they were to appear in public on the
+following day. They had been practicing daily, and Toby had become so
+skillful that both Mr. Castle and Mr. Lord saw that the time had come
+when he could be made to earn some money for them.
+
+
+
+
+XV. TOBY'S FRIENDS PRESENT HIM WITH A COSTUME
+
+
+During this time Toby's funds had accumulated rather slower than on the
+first few days he was in the business, but he had saved eleven dollars,
+and Mr. Lord had paid him five dollars of his salary, so that he had
+the to him enormous sum of sixteen dollars; and he had about made up his
+mind to make one effort for liberty when the news came that he was to
+ride in public.
+
+He had, in fact, been ready to run away any time within the past week;
+but, as if they had divined his intentions, both Mr. Castle and Mr. Lord
+had kept a very strict watch over him, one or the other keeping him in
+sight from the time he got through with his labors at night until they
+saw him on the cart with Old Ben.
+
+"I was just gettin' ready to run away," said Toby to Ella on the day Mr.
+Castle gave his decision as to their taking part in the performance, and
+while they were walking out of the tent, "an' I shouldn't wonder now if
+I got away tonight."
+
+"Oh, Toby!" exclaimed the girl, as she looked reproachfully at him,
+"after all the work we've had to get ready, you won't go off and leave
+me before we've had a chance to see what the folks will say when they
+see us together?"
+
+It was impossible for Toby to feel any delight at the idea of riding in
+public, and he would have been willing to have taken one of Mr. Lord's
+most severe whippings if he could have escaped from it; but he and
+Ella had become such firm friends, and he had conceived such a boyish
+admiration for her, that he felt as if he were willing to bear almost
+anything for the sake of giving her pleasure. Therefore he said, after
+a few moments' reflection: "Well, I won't go tonight, anyway, even if I
+have the best chance that ever was. I'll stay one day more, anyhow, an'
+perhaps I'll have to stay a good many."
+
+"That's a nice boy," said Ella, positively, as Toby thus gave his
+decision, "and I'll kiss you for it."
+
+Before Toby fully realized what she was about, almost before he had
+understood what she said, she had put her arms around his neck and given
+him a good sound kiss right on his freckled face.
+
+Toby was surprised, astonished, and just a little bit ashamed. He had
+never been kissed by a girl before--very seldom by anyone, save the fat
+lady--and he hardly knew what to do or say. He blushed until his face
+was almost as red as his hair, and this color had the effect of making
+his freckles stand out with startling distinctness. Then he looked
+carefully around to see if anyone had seen them.
+
+"I never had a girl kiss me before," said Toby, hesitatingly, "an'
+you see it made me feel kinder queer to have you do it out here, where
+everybody could see."
+
+"Well, I kissed you because I like you very much and because you are
+going to stay and ride with me tomorrow," she said, positively; and then
+she added, slyly, "I may kiss you again, if you don't get a chance to
+run away very soon."
+
+"I wish it wasn't for Uncle Dan'l an' the rest of the folks at home, an'
+there wasn't any such men as Mr. Lord an' Mr. Castle, an' then I don't
+know but I might want to stay with the circus, 'cause I like you awful
+much."
+
+And as he spoke Toby's heart grew very tender toward the only girl
+friend he had ever known.
+
+By this time they had reached the door of the tent, and as they stepped
+outside one of the drivers told them that Mr. Treat and his wife were
+very anxious to see both of them in their tent.
+
+"I don't believe I can go," said Toby, doubtfully, as he glanced toward
+the booth, where Mr. Lord was busy in attending to customers, and
+evidently waiting for Toby to relieve him, so that he could go to his
+dinner; "I don't believe Mr. Lord will let me."
+
+"Go and ask him," said Ella, eagerly. "We won't be gone but a minute."
+
+Toby approached his employer with fear and trembling. He had never
+before asked leave to be away from his work, even for a moment, and he
+had no doubt but that his request would be refused with blows.
+
+"Mr. Treat wants me to come in his tent for a minute. Can I go?" he
+asked, in a timid voice, and in such a low tone as to render it almost
+inaudible.
+
+Mr. Lord looked at him for an instant, and Toby was sure that he was
+making up his mind whether to kick him or catch him by the collar and
+use the rubber cane on him. But he had no such intention, evidently, for
+he said, in a voice unusually mild, "Yes, an' you needn't come to work
+again until it's time to go into the tent."
+
+Toby was almost alarmed at this unusual kindness, and it puzzled him so
+much that he would have forgotten he had permission to go away if Ella
+had not pulled him gently by the coat.
+
+If he had heard a conversation between Mr. Lord and Mr. Castle that
+very morning he would have understood why it was that Mr. Lord had so
+suddenly become kind. Mr. Castle had told Job that the boy had really
+shown himself to be a good rider, and that in order to make him more
+contented with his lot, and to keep him from running away, he must
+be used more kindly, and perhaps be taken from the candy business
+altogether, which latter advice Mr. Lord did not look upon with favor,
+because of the large sales which the boy made.
+
+When they reached the skeleton's tent they found, to their surprise,
+that no exhibition was being given at that hour, and Ella said, with
+some concern: "How queer it is that the doors are not open! I do hope
+that they are not sick."
+
+Toby felt a strange sinking at his heart as the possibility suggested
+itself that one or both of his kind friends might be ill; for they had
+both been so kind and attentive to him that he had learned to love them
+very dearly.
+
+But the fears of both the children were dispelled when they tried to get
+in at the door and were met with the smiling skeleton himself, who said,
+as he threw the canvas aside as far as if he were admitting his own
+enormous Lilly:
+
+"Come in, my friends, come in. I have had the exhibition closed for
+one hour, in order that I might show my appreciation of my friend Mr.
+Tyler."
+
+Toby looked around in some alarm, fearing that Mr. Treat's friendship
+was about to be displayed in one of his state dinners, which he had
+learned to fear rather than enjoy. But as he saw no preparations for
+dinner he breathed more freely and wondered what all this ceremony could
+possibly mean.
+
+Neither he nor Ella was long left in doubt, for as soon as they had
+entered, Mrs. Treat waddled from behind the screen which served them
+as a dressing room, with a bundle in her arms, which she handed to her
+husband.
+
+He took it and, quickly mounting the platform, leaving Ella and Toby
+below, he commenced to speak, with very many flourishes of his thin
+arms.
+
+"My friends," he began, as he looked down upon his audience of three,
+who were listening in the following attitudes: Ella and Toby were
+standing upon the ground at the foot of the platform, looking up with
+wide open, staring eyes; and his fleshy wife was seated on a bench which
+had evidently been placed in such a position below the speaker's stand
+that she could hear and see all that was going on without the fatigue of
+standing up, which, for one of her size, was really very hard work--"My
+friends," repeated the skeleton, as he held his bundle in front of him
+with one hand and gesticulated with the other, "we all of us know that
+tomorrow our esteemed and worthy friend Mr. Toby Tyler makes his first
+appearance in any ring, and we all of us believe that he will soon
+become a bright and shining light in the profession which he is so soon
+to enter."
+
+The speaker was here interrupted by loud applause from his wife, and he
+profited by the opportunity to wipe a stray drop of perspiration
+from his fleshless face. Then, as the fat lady ceased the exertion of
+clapping her hands, he continued:
+
+"Knowing that our friend Mr. Tyler was being instructed, preparatory to
+dazzling the public with his talents, my wife and I began to prepare for
+him some slight testimonial of our esteem; and, being informed by
+Mr. Castle some days ago of the day on which he was to make his first
+appearance before the public, we were enabled to complete our little
+gift in time for the great and important event."
+
+Here the skeleton paused to take a breath, and Toby began to grow more
+uncomfortably red in the face. Such praise made him feel very awkward.
+
+"I hold in this bundle," continued Mr. Treat as he waved the package on
+high, "a costume for our bold and worthy equestrian, and a sash to match
+for his beautiful and accomplished companion. In presenting these little
+tokens my wife (who has embroidered every inch of the velvet herself)
+and I feel proud to know that, when the great and auspicious occasion
+occurs tomorrow, the worthy Mr. Tyler will step into the ring in a
+costume which we have prepared expressly for him; and thus, when he
+does himself honor by his performance and earns the applause of the
+multitude, he will be doing honor and doing applause for the work of our
+hands--my wife Lilly and myself. Take them, my boy; and when you
+array yourself in them tomorrow you will remember that the only living
+skeleton, and the wonder of the nineteenth century in the shape of the
+mammoth lady, are present in their works if not in their persons."
+
+As he finished speaking Mr. Treat handed the bundle to Toby, and then
+joined in the applause which was being given by Mrs. Treat and Ella.
+
+Toby unrolled the package, and found that it contained a circus rider's
+costume of pink tights and blue velvet trunks, collar and cuffs,
+embroidered in white and plentifully spangled with silver. In addition
+was a wide blue sash for Ella, embroidered to correspond with Toby's
+costume.
+
+The little fellow was both delighted with the gift and at a loss to know
+what to say in response. He looked at the costume over and over again,
+and the tears of gratitude that these friends should have been so good
+to him came into his eyes. He saw, however, that they were expecting him
+to say something in reply, and, laying the gift on the platform, he said
+to the skeleton and his wife:
+
+"You've been so good to me ever since I've been with the circus that I
+wish I was big enough to say somethin' more than that I'm much obliged,
+but I can't. One of these days, when I'm a man, I'll show you how much
+I like you, an' then you won't be sorry that you was good to such a poor
+little runaway boy as I am."
+
+Here the skeleton broke in with such loud applause and so many cries of
+"Hear! hear!" that Toby grew still more confused, and forgot entirely
+what he was intending to say next.
+
+"I want you to know how much obliged I am," he said, after much
+hesitation, "an' when I wear 'em I'll ride just the best I know how,
+even if I don't want to, an' you sha'n't be sorry that you gave them to
+me."
+
+As Toby concluded he made a funny little awkward bow, and then seemed
+to be trying to hide himself behind a chair from the applause which was
+given so generously.
+
+"Bless your dear little heart!" said the fat lady, after the confusion
+had somewhat subsided. "I know you will do your best, anyway, and
+I'm glad to know that you're going to make your first appearance in
+something that Samuel and I made for you."
+
+Ella was quite as well pleased with her sash as Toby was with his
+costume, and thanked Mr. and Mrs. Treat in a pretty little way that made
+Toby wish he could say anything half so nicely.
+
+The hour which the skeleton had devoted for the purpose of the
+presentation and accompanying speeches having elapsed, it was necessary
+that Ella and Toby should go and that the doors of the exhibition be
+opened at once, in order to give any of the public an opportunity of
+seeing what the placards announced as two of the greatest curiosities on
+the face of the globe.
+
+That day, while Toby performed his arduous labors, his heart was very
+light, for the evidences which the skeleton and his wife had given of
+their regard for him were very gratifying. He determined that he would
+do his very best to please so long as he was with the circus, and then,
+when he got a chance to run away, he would do so, but not until he
+had said goodby to Mr. and Mrs. Treat and thanked them again for their
+interest in him.
+
+When he had finished his work in the tent that night Mr. Lord said to
+him, as he patted him on the back in the most fatherly fashion, and as
+if he had never spoken a harsh word to him, "You can't come in here to
+sell candy now that you are one of the performers, my boy; an' if I
+can find another boy tomorrow you won't have to work in the booth any
+longer, an' your salary of a dollar a week will go on just the same,
+even if you don't have anything to do but to ride."
+
+This was a bit of news that was as welcome to Toby as it was unexpected,
+and he felt more happy then than he had for the ten weeks that he had
+been traveling under Mr. Lord's cruel mastership.
+
+But there was one thing that night that rather damped his joy, and that
+was that he noticed that Mr. Lord was unusually careful to watch him,
+not even allowing him to go outside the tent without following. He
+saw at once that, if he was to have a more easy time, his chances
+for running away were greatly diminished, and no number of beautiful
+costumes would have made him content to stay with the circus one moment
+longer than was absolutely necessary.
+
+That night he told Old Ben the events of the day, and expressed the
+hope that he might acquit himself creditably when he made his first
+appearance on the following day.
+
+Ben sat thoughtfully for some time, and then, making all the
+preparations which Toby knew so well signified a long bit of advice, he
+said: "Toby, my boy, I've been with a circus, man an' boy, nigh to forty
+years, an' I've seen lots of youngsters start in just as you re goin' to
+start in tomorrow; but the most of them petered out, because they got to
+knowin' more 'n them that learned 'em did. Now, you remember what I say,
+an' you'll find it good advice: whatever business you get into, don't
+think you know all about it before you've begun. Remember that you can
+always learn somethin', no matter how old you are, an' keep your eyes
+an' ears open, an' your tongue between your teeth, an' you'll amount to
+somethin', or my name hain't Ben."
+
+
+
+
+XVI. TOBY'S FIRST APPEARANCE IN THE RING
+
+
+When the circus entered the town which had been selected as the place
+where Toby was to make his debut as a circus rider the boy noticed a new
+poster among the many glaring and gaudy bills which set forth the varied
+and numerous attractions that were to be found under one canvas for a
+trifling admission fee, and he noticed it with some degree of interest,
+not thinking for a moment that it had any reference to him.
+
+It was printed very much as follows:
+
+MADEMOISELLE JEANNETTE AND MONSIEUR AJAX,
+
+two of the youngest equestrians in the world, will perform their
+graceful, dashing, and daring act entitled
+
+THE TRIUMPH OF THE INNOCENTS!
+
+This is the first appearance of these daring young riders together since
+their separation in Europe last season, and their performance in this
+town will have a new and novel interest.
+
+See MADEMOISELLE JEANNETTE AND MONSIEUR AJAX
+
+"Look there!" said Toby to Ben, as he pointed out the poster, which was
+printed in very large letters, with gorgeous coloring, and surmounted
+by a picture of two very small people performing all kinds of impossible
+feats on horseback. "They've got someone else to ride with Ella today. I
+wonder who it can be?"
+
+Ben looked at Toby for a moment, as if to assure himself that the boy
+was in earnest in asking the question, and then he relapsed into the
+worst fit of silent laughing that Toby had ever seen. After he had quite
+recovered he asked: "Don't you know who Monsieur Ajax is? Hain't you
+never seen him?"
+
+"No," replied Toby, at a loss to understand what there was so very funny
+in his very natural question. "I thought that I was goin' to ride with
+Ella."
+
+"Why, that's you!" almost screamed Ben, in delight. "Monsieur Ajax means
+you--didn't you know it? You don't suppose they would go to put 'Toby
+Tyler' on the bills, do you? How it would look!--'Mademoiselle Jeannette
+an' Monsieur Toby Tyler'!"
+
+Ben was off in one of his laughing spells again; and Toby sat there,
+stiff and straight, hardly knowing whether to join in the mirth or to
+get angry at the sport which had been made of his name.
+
+"I don't care," he said, at length. "I'm sure I think Toby Tyler sounds
+just as well as Monsieur Ajax, an' I'm sure it fits me a good deal
+better."
+
+"That may be," said Ben, soothingly; "but you see it wouldn't go down so
+well with the public. They want furrin riders, an' they must have 'em,
+even if it does spoil your name."
+
+Despite the fact that he did not like the new name that had been given
+him, Toby could not but feel pleased at the glowing terms in which his
+performance was set off; but he did not at all relish the lie that was
+told about his having been with Ella in Europe, and he would have been
+very much better pleased if that portion of it had been left off.
+
+During the forenoon he did not go near Mr. Lord nor his candy stand, for
+Mr. Castle kept him and Ella busily engaged in practicing the feat which
+they were to perform in the afternoon, and it was almost time for
+the performance to begin before they were allowed even to go to their
+dinner.
+
+Ella, who had performed several years, was very much more excited over
+the coming debut than Toby was, and the reason why he did not show more
+interest was, probably, because of his great desire to leave the circus
+as soon as possible, and during that forenoon he thought very much more
+of how he should get back to Guilford and Uncle Daniel than he did of
+how he should get along when he stood before the audience.
+
+Mr. Castle assisted his pupil to dress, and when that was done to his
+entire satisfaction he said, in a stern voice, "Now you can do this act
+all right, and if you slip up on it and don't do it as you ought to,
+I'll give you such a whipping when you come out of the ring that you'll
+think Job was only fooling with you when he tried to whip you."
+
+Toby had been feeling reasonably cheerful before this, but these
+words dispelled all his cheerful thoughts, and he was looking more
+disconsolate when Old Ben came into the dressing tent.
+
+"All ready are you, my boy?" said the old man, in his cheeriest voice.
+"Well, that's good, an' you look as nice as possible. Now remember what
+I told you last night, Toby, an' go in there to do your level best an'
+make a name for yourself. Come out here with me and wait for the young
+lady."
+
+These cheering words of Ben's did Toby as much good as Mr. Castle's had
+the reverse, and as he stepped out of the dressing room to the place
+where the horses were being saddled Toby resolved that he would do his
+very best that afternoon, if for no other reason than to please his old
+friend.
+
+Toby was not naturally what might be called a pretty boy, for his short
+red hair and his freckled face prevented any great display of beauty;
+but he was a good, honest looking boy, and in his tasteful costume
+looked very nice indeed--so nice that, could Mrs. Treat have seen him
+just then, she would have been very proud of her handiwork and hugged
+him harder than ever.
+
+He had been waiting but a few moments when Ella came from her dressing
+room, and Toby was much pleased when he saw by the expression of her
+face that she was perfectly satisfied with his appearance.
+
+"We'll both do just as well as we can," she whispered to him, "and I
+know the people will like us and make us come back after we get through.
+And if they do mamma says she'll give each one of us a gold dollar."
+
+She had taken hold of Toby's hand as she spoke, and her manner was so
+earnest and anxious that Toby was more excited than he ever had been
+about his debut; and, had he gone into the ring just at that moment, the
+chances are that he would have surprised even his teacher by his riding.
+
+"I'll do just as well as I can," said Toby, in reply to his little
+companion, "an' if we earn the dollars I'll have a hole bored in mine,
+an' you shall wear it around your neck to remember me by."
+
+"I'll remember you without that," she whispered; "and I'll give you
+mine, so that you shall have so much the more when you go to your home."
+
+There was no time for further conversation, for Mr. Castle entered just
+then to tell them that they must go in in another moment. The horses
+were all ready--a black one for Toby, and a white one for Ella--and they
+stood champing their bits and pawing the earth in their impatience until
+the silver bells with which they were decorated rang out quick, nervous
+little chimes that accorded very well with Toby's feelings.
+
+Ella squeezed Toby's hand as they stood waiting for the curtain to be
+raised that they might enter, and he had just time to return it when
+the signal was given, and almost before he was aware of it they were
+standing in the ring, kissing their hands to the crowds that packed the
+enormous tent to its utmost capacity.
+
+Thanks to the false announcement about the separation of the children in
+Europe and their reunion in this particular town, the applause was long
+and loud, and before it had died away Toby had time to recover a little
+from the queer feeling which this sea of heads gave him.
+
+He had never seen such a crowd before, except as he had seen them as he
+walked around at the foot of the seats, and then they had simply looked
+like so many human beings; but as he saw them now from the ring they
+appeared like strange rows of heads without bodies, and he had hard work
+to keep from running back behind the curtain whence he had come.
+
+Mr. Castle acted as the ringmaster this time, and after he had
+introduced them--very much after the fashion of the posters--and the
+clown had repeated some funny joke, the horses were led in and they were
+assisted to mount.
+
+"Don't mind the people at all," said Mr. Castle, in a low voice, "but
+ride just as if you were alone here with me."
+
+The music struck up, the horses cantered around the ring, and Toby had
+really started as a circus rider.
+
+"Remember," said Ella to him, in a low tone, just as the horses started,
+"you told me that you would ride just as well as you could, and we must
+earn the dollars mamma promised."
+
+It seemed to Toby at first as if he could not stand up, but by the time
+they had ridden around the ring once, and Ella had again cautioned him
+against making any mistake, for the sake of the money which they were
+going to earn, he was calm and collected enough to carry out his part of
+the "act" as well as if he had been simply taking a lesson.
+
+The act consisted in their riding side by side, jumping over banners and
+through hoops covered with paper, and then the most difficult portion
+began.
+
+The saddles, were taken off the horses, and they were to ride first on
+one horse and then on the other, until they concluded their performance
+by riding twice around the ring side by side, standing on their horses,
+each one with a hand on the other's shoulder.
+
+All this was successfully accomplished without a single error, and when
+they rode out of the ring the applause was so great as to leave no doubt
+but that they would be recalled and thus earn the promised money.
+
+In fact, they had hardly got inside the curtain when one of the
+attendants called to them, and before they had time even to speak to
+each other they were in the ring again, repeating the last portion of
+their act.
+
+When they came out of the ring for the second time they found Old Ben,
+the skeleton, the fat lady, and Mr. Job Lord waiting to welcome them;
+but before anyone could say a word Ella had stood on tiptoe again and
+given Toby just such another kiss as she did when he told her that he
+would surely stay long enough to appear in the ring with her once.
+
+"That's because you rode so well and helped me so much," she said, as
+she saw Toby's cheeks growing a fiery red; and then she turned to those
+who were waiting to greet her.
+
+Mrs. Treat took her in her enormous arms, and, having kissed her, put
+her down quickly, and clasped Toby as if he had been a very small walnut
+and her arms a very large pair of nutcrackers.
+
+"Bless the boy!" she exclaimed, as she kissed him again and again with
+an energy and force that made her kisses sound like the crack of the
+whip and caused the horses to stamp in affright. "I knew he'd amount
+to something one of these days, an' Samuel an' I had to come out, when
+business was dull, just to see how he got along."
+
+It was some time before she would unloose him from her motherly embrace,
+and when she did the skeleton grasped him by the hand and said, in the
+most pompous and affected manner:
+
+"Mr. Tyler, we're proud of you, and when we saw that costume of yours,
+that my Lilly embroidered with her own hands, we was both proud of it
+and what it contained. You're a great rider, my boy, a great rider, and
+you 'll stand at the head of the profession some day, if you only stick
+to it."
+
+"Thank you, sir," was all Toby had time to say before Old Ben had him by
+the hand, and the skeleton was pouring out his congratulations in little
+Miss Ella's ear.
+
+"Toby, my boy, you did well, an' now you'll amount to something, if you
+only remember what I told you last night," said Ben, as he looked upon
+the boy whom he had come to think of as his protege, with pride. "I
+never seen anybody of your age do any better; an' now, instead of bein'
+only a candy peddler, you're one of the stars of the show."
+
+"Thank you, Ben," was all that Toby could say, for he knew that his old
+friend meant every word that he said, and it pleased him so much that he
+could say no more than "Thank you" in reply.
+
+"I feel as if your triumph was mine," said Mr. Lord, looking benignly
+at Toby from out his crooked eye, and assuming the most fatherly tone at
+his command; "I have learned to look upon you almost as my own son, and
+your success is very gratifying to me."
+
+Toby was not at all flattered by this last praise. If he had never seen
+Mr. Lord before, he might, and probably would, have been deceived by
+his words; but he had seen him too often, and under too many painful
+circumstances, to be at all swindled by his words.
+
+Toby was very much pleased with his success and by the praise he
+received from all, and when the proprietor of the circus came along,
+patted him on the head, and told him that he rode very nicely, he was
+quite happy, until he chanced to see the greedy twinkle in Mr. Lord's
+eye, and then he knew that all this success and all this praise were
+only binding him faster to the show which he was so anxious to escape
+from; his pleasure vanished very quickly, and in its stead came a
+bitter, homesick feeling which no amount of praise could banish.
+
+It was Old Ben who helped him to undress after the skeleton and the
+fat lady had gone to their tent and Ella had gone to dress for her
+appearance with her mother, for now she was obliged to ride twice at
+each performance. When Toby was in ordinary clothes again Ben said:
+
+"Now that you're one of the performers, Toby, you won't have to sell
+candy any more, an' you'll have the most of your time to yourself, so
+let's you an' I go out an' see the town."
+
+"Don't you s'pose Mr. Lord expects me to go to work for him again
+today?"
+
+"An' s'posin' he does?" said Ben, with a chuckle. "You don't s'pose the
+boss would let any one that rides in the ring stand behind Job Lord's
+counter, do you? You can do just as you have a mind to, my boy, an' I
+say to you, let's go out an' see the town. What do you say to it?"
+
+"I'd like to go first rate, if I dared to," replied Toby, thinking of
+the many whippings he had received for far less than that which Ben now
+proposed he should do.
+
+"Oh, I'll take care that Job don't bother you, so come along"; and
+Ben started out of the tent, and Toby followed, feeling considerably
+frightened at this first act of disobedience against his old master.
+
+
+
+
+
+XVII. OFF FOR HOME!
+
+
+During this walk Toby learned many things that were of importance to
+him, so far as his plan for running away was concerned. In the first
+place, he gleaned from the railway posters that were stuck up in the
+hotel to which they went that he could buy a ticket for Guilford for
+seven dollars, and also that, by going back to the town from which they
+had come, he could go to Guilford by steamer for five dollars.
+
+By returning to this last town--and Toby calculated that the fare on
+the stage back there could not be more than a dollar--he would have ten
+dollars left, and that surely ought to be sufficient to buy food enough
+for two days for the most hungry boy that ever lived.
+
+When they returned to the circus grounds the performance was over, and
+Mr. Lord in the midst of the brisk trade which he usually had after
+the afternoon performance, and yet, so far from scolding Toby for going
+away, he actually smiled and bowed at him as he saw him go by with Ben.
+
+"See there, Toby," said the old driver to the boy, as he gave him a
+vigorous poke in the ribs and then went off into one of his dreadful
+laughing spells--"see what it is to be a performer an' not workin' for
+such an old fossil as Job is! He'll be so sweet to you now that sugar
+won't melt in his mouth, an' there's no chance of his ever attemptin' to
+whip you again."
+
+Toby made no reply, for he was too busily engaged thinking of something
+which had just come into his mind to know that his friend had spoken.
+
+But as Old Ben hardly knew whether the boy had answered him or not,
+owing to his being obliged to struggle with his breath lest he should
+lose it in the second laughing spell that attacked him, the boy's
+thoughtfulness was not particularly noticed.
+
+Toby walked around the show grounds for a little while with his old
+friend, and then the two went to supper, where Toby performed quite as
+great wonders in the way of eating as he had in the afternoon by riding.
+
+As soon as the supper was over he quietly slipped away from Old Ben, and
+at once paid a visit to Mr. and Mrs. Treat, whom he found cozily engaged
+in their supper behind the screen.
+
+They welcomed Toby most cordially, and, despite his assertions that he
+had just finished a very hearty meal, the fat lady made him sit down to
+the box which served as table, and insisted on his trying some of her
+doughnuts.
+
+Under all these pressing attentions it was some time before Toby found
+a chance to say that which he had come to say, and when he did he was
+almost at a loss how to proceed; but at last he commenced by starting
+abruptly on his subject with the words, "I've made up my mind to leave
+tonight."
+
+"Leave tonight?" repeated the skeleton, inquiringly, not for a moment
+believing that Toby could think of running away after the brilliant
+success he had just made. "What do you mean, Toby?"
+
+"Why, you know that I've been wantin' to get away from the circus,"
+said Toby, a little impatient that his friend should be so wonderfully
+stupid, "an' I think that I'll have as good a chance now as ever I
+shall, so I'm goin' to try it."
+
+"Bless us!" exclaimed the fat lady, in a gasping way. "You don't mean
+to say that you're goin' off just when you've started in the business
+so well? I thought you'd want to stay after you'd been so well received
+this afternoon."
+
+"No," said Toby--and one quick little sob popped right up from his heart
+and out before he was aware of it--"I learned to ride because I had to,
+but I never give up runnin' away. I must see Uncle Dan'l, an' tell him
+how sorry I am for what I did; an' if he won't have anything to say to
+me I'll come back; but if he'll let me I'll stay there, an' I'll be so
+good that by 'n' by he'll forget that I run off an' left him without
+sayin' a word."
+
+There was such a touch of sorrow in his tones, so much pathos in his
+way of speaking, that good Mrs. Treat's heart was touched at once; and
+putting her arms around the little fellow, as if to shield him from some
+harm, she said, tenderly: "And so you shall go, Toby, my boy; but if
+you ever want a home or anybody to love you come right here to us, and
+you'll never be sorry. So long as Sam keeps thin and I fat enough to
+draw the public you never need say that you're homeless, for nothing
+would please us better than to have you come to live with us."
+
+For reply Toby raised his head and kissed her on the cheek, a proceeding
+which caused her to squeeze him harder than ever.
+
+During this conversation the skeleton had remained very thoughtful.
+After a moment or two he got up from his seat, went outside the tent,
+and presently returned with a quantity of silver ten cent pieces in his
+hand.
+
+"Here, Toby," he said--and it was to be seen that he was really too
+much affected even to attempt one of his speeches--"it's right that you
+should go, for I've known what it is to feel just as you do. What Lilly
+said about your having a home with us I say, an' here's five dollars
+that I want you to take to help you along."
+
+At first Toby stoutly refused to take the money; but they both insisted
+to such a degree that he was actually forced to, and then he stood up to
+go.
+
+"I'm goin' to try to slip off after Job packs up the outside booth, if I
+can," he said, "an' it was to say goodby that I come around here."
+
+Again Mrs. Treat took the boy in her arms, as if it were one of her own
+children who was leaving her, and as she stroked his hair back from his
+forehead she said: "Don't forget us, Toby, even if you never do see us
+again; try an' remember how much we cared for you, an' how much comfort
+you're taking away from us when you go; for it was a comfort to see you
+around, even if you wasn't with us very much. Don't forget us, Toby, an'
+if you ever get the chance, come an' see us. Goodby, Toby, goodby." And
+the kind hearted woman kissed him again and again, and then turned her
+back resolutely upon him, lest it should be bad luck to him if she again
+saw him after saying goodby.
+
+The skeleton's parting was not quite so demonstrative. He clasped Toby's
+hand with one set of his fleshless fingers, while with the other he
+wiped one or two suspicious looking drops of moisture from his eyes as
+he said: "I hope you'll get along all right, my boy, and I believe you
+will. You will get home to Uncle Daniel and be happier than ever, for
+now you know what it is to be entirely without a home. Be a good boy,
+mind your uncle, go to school, and one of these days you'll make a good
+man. Goodby, my boy."
+
+The tears were now streaming down Toby's face very rapidly; he had
+not known, in his anxiety to get home, how very much he cared for this
+strangely assorted couple, and now it made him feel very miserable and
+wretched that he was going to leave them. He tried to say something
+more, but the tears choked his utterance and he left the tent quickly to
+prevent himself from breaking down entirely.
+
+In order that his grief might not be noticed and the cause of it
+suspected, Toby went out behind the tent, and, sitting there on a stone,
+he gave way to the tears which he could no longer control.
+
+While he was thus engaged, heeding nothing which passed around him, he
+was startled by a cheery voice which cried: "Halloo! down in the dumps
+again? What is the matter now, my bold equestrian?"
+
+Looking up, he saw Ben standing before him, and he wiped his eyes
+hastily, for here was another from whom he must part and to whom a
+goodby must be spoken.
+
+Looking around to make sure that no one was within hearing, he went
+up very close to the old driver and said, in almost a whisper: "I was
+feelin' bad 'cause I just come from Mr. and Mrs. Treat, an' I've been
+sayin' goodby to them. I'm goin' to run away tonight."
+
+Ben looked at him for a moment, as if he doubted whether the boy knew
+exactly what he was talking about, and then said, "So you still want to
+go home, do you?"
+
+"Oh yes, Ben, so much," was the reply, in a tone which expressed how
+dear to him was the thought of being in his old home once more.
+
+"All right, my boy; I won't say one word ag'in' it, though it do seem
+too bad, after you've turned out to be such a good rider," said the old
+man, thoughtfully. "It's better for you, I know; for a circus hain't no
+place for a boy, even if he wants to stay, an' I can't say but I'm glad
+you're still determined to go."
+
+Toby felt relieved at the tone of this leave taking. He had feared that
+Old Ben, who thought a circus rider was almost on the topmost round of
+fortune's ladder, would have urged him to stay, since he had made his
+debut in the ring, and he was almost afraid that he might take some
+steps to prevent his going.
+
+"I wanted to say goodby now," said Toby, in a choking voice, "'cause
+perhaps I sha'n't see you again.
+
+"Goodby, my boy," said Ben as he took the boy's hand in his. "Don't
+forget this experience you've had in runnin' away; an if ever the time
+comes that you feel as if you wanted to know that you had a friend,
+think of Old Ben, an' remember that his heart beats just as warm for you
+as if he was your father. Goodby, my boy, goodby, an' may the good God
+bless you!"
+
+"Goodby, Ben," said Toby; and then, as the old driver turned and walked
+away, wiping something from his eye with the cuff of his sleeve, Toby
+gave full vent to his tears and wondered why it was that he was such a
+miserable little wretch.
+
+There was one more goodby to be said, and that Toby dreaded more than
+all the others. It was to Ella. He knew that she would feel badly to
+have him go, because she liked to ride the act with him that gave them
+such applause, and he felt certain that she would urge him to stay.
+
+Just then the thought of another of his friends--one who had not yet
+been warned of what very important matter was to occur--came to his
+mind, and he hastened toward the old monkey's cage. His pet was busily
+engaged in playing with some of the younger members of his family, and
+for some moments could not be induced to come to the bars of the cage.
+
+At last, however, Toby did succeed in coaxing him forward, and then,
+taking him by the paw and drawing him as near as possible, Toby
+whispered, "We're goin' to run away tonight, Mr. Stubbs, an' I want you
+to be all ready to go the minute I come for you."
+
+The old monkey winked both eyes violently, and then showed his teeth to
+such an extent that Toby thought he was laughing at the prospect, and
+he said, a little severely, "If you had as many friends as I have got
+in the circus you wouldn't laugh when you was goin' to leave them. Of
+course I've got to go, an' I want to go; but it makes me feel bad to
+leave the skeleton, an' the fat woman, an Old Ben, an' little Ella. But
+I mustn't stand here. You be ready when I come for you, an' by mornin'
+we'll be so far off that Mr. Lord nor Mr. Castle can't catch us."
+
+The old monkey went toward his companions, as if he were in high glee at
+the trip before him, and Toby went into the dressing tent to prepare for
+the evening's performance--which was about to commence.
+
+It appeared to the boy as if everyone was unusually kind to him
+that night, and, feeling sad at leaving those in the circus who had
+befriended him, Toby was unusually attentive to everyone around him. He
+ran on some trifling errand for one, helped another in his dressing,
+and in a dozen kind ways seemed as if trying to atone for leaving them
+secretly.
+
+When the time came for him to go into the ring and he met Ella, bright
+and happy at the thought of riding with him and repeating her triumphs
+of the afternoon, nothing save the thought of how wicked he had been to
+run away from good old Uncle Daniel, and a desire to right that wrong in
+some way, prevented him from giving up his plan of going back.
+
+The little girl observed his sadness, and she whispered, "Has anyone
+been whipping you, Toby?"
+
+Toby shook his head. He had thought that he would tell her what he was
+about to do just before they went into the ring, but her kind words
+seemed to make that impossible, and he had said nothing when the blare
+of the trumpets, the noisy demonstrations of the audience, and the
+announcement of the clown that the wonderful children riders were now
+about to appear, ushered them into the ring.
+
+If Toby had performed well in the afternoon, he accomplished wonders
+on this evening, and they were called back into the ring, not once, but
+twice; and when finally they were allowed to retire everyone behind the
+curtain overwhelmed them with praise.
+
+Ella was so profuse with her kind words, her admiration for what Toby
+had done, and so delighted at the idea that they were to ride together,
+that even then the boy could not tell her what he was going to do, but
+went into his dressing room, resolving that he would tell her all when
+they both had finished dressing.
+
+Toby made as small a parcel as possible of the costume which Mr. and
+Mrs. Treat had given him--for he determined that he would take it with
+him--and, putting it under his coat, went out to wait for Ella. As she
+did not come out as soon as he expected, he asked someone to tell her
+that he wanted to see her, and he thought to himself that when she did
+come she would be in a hurry and could not stop long enough to make any
+very lengthy objections to his leaving.
+
+But she did not come at all--her mother sent out word that Toby could
+not see her until after the performance was over, owing to the fact
+that it was now nearly time for her to go into the ring, and she was not
+dressed yet.
+
+Toby was terribly disappointed. He knew that it would not be safe for
+him to wait until the close of the performance if he were intending to
+run away that night, and he felt that he could not go until he had said
+a few last words to her.
+
+He was in a great perplexity, until the thought came to him that he
+could write a goodby to her, and by this means any unpleasant discussion
+would be avoided.
+
+After some little difficulty he procured a small piece of not very clean
+paper and a very short bit of lead pencil, and, using the top of one of
+the wagons, as he sat on the seat, for a desk, he indited the following
+epistle:
+
+deaR ella I Am goin to Run away two night, & i want two say good by to
+yu & your mother. i am Small & unkle Danil says i dont mount two much,
+but i am old enuf two know that you have bin good two me, & when i Am
+a man i will buy you a whole cirkus, and we Will ride together. dont
+forgit me & i wont yu in haste
+
+Toby Tyler.
+
+Toby had no envelope in which to seal this precious letter, but he felt
+that it would not be seen by prying eyes and would safely reach its
+destination if he intrusted it to Old Ben.
+
+It did not take him many moments to find the old driver, and he said, as
+he handed him the letter, "I didn't see Ella to tell her I was goin', so
+I wrote this letter, an' I want to know if you will give it to her?"
+
+"Of course I will. But see here, Toby"--and Ben caught him by the sleeve
+and led him aside where he would not be overheard--"have you got enough
+money to take you home? for if you haven't I can let you have some." And
+Ben plunged his hand into his capacious pocket, as if he was about to
+withdraw from there the entire United States Treasury.
+
+Toby assured him that he had sufficient for all his wants; but the old
+man would not be satisfied until he had seen for himself, and then,
+taking Toby's hand again, he said: "Now, my boy, it won't do for you to
+stay around here any longer. Buy something to eat before you start,
+an' go into the woods for a day or two before you take the train or
+steamboat.
+
+"You're too big a prize for Job or Castle to let you go without a word,
+an' they'll try their level best to find you. Be careful, now, for if
+they should catch you, goodby any more chances to get away. There"--and
+here Ben suddenly lifted him high from the ground and kissed him--"now
+get away as fast as you can."
+
+Toby pressed the old man's hand affectionately, and then, without
+trusting himself to speak, walked swiftly out toward the entrance.
+
+He resolved to take Ben's advice and go into the woods for a short time,
+and therefore he must buy some provisions before he started.
+
+As he passed the monkeys' cage he saw his pet sitting near the bars,
+and he stopped long enough to whisper, "I'll be back in ten minutes, Mr.
+Stubbs, an' you be all ready then."
+
+Then he went on, and just as he got near the entrance one of the men
+told him that Mrs. Treat wished to see him.
+
+Toby could hardly afford to spare the time just then, but he would
+probably have obeyed the summons if he had known that by so doing he
+would be caught, and he ran as fast as his little legs would carry him
+toward the skeleton's tent.
+
+The exhibition was open, and both the skeleton, and his wife were on
+the platform when Toby entered; but he crept around at the back and up
+behind Mrs. Treat's chair, telling her as he did so that he had just
+received her message and that he must hurry right back, for every moment
+was important then to him.
+
+"I put up a nice lunch for you," she said as she kissed him, "and you'll
+find it on the top of the biggest trunk. Now go; and if my wishes are of
+any good to you, you will get to your uncle Daniel's house without any
+trouble. Goodby again, little one."
+
+Toby did not dare to trust himself any longer where everyone was so kind
+to him. He slipped down from the platform as quickly as possible, found
+the bundle--and a good sized one it was, too--without any difficulty,
+and went back to the monkeys' cage.
+
+As orders had been given by the proprietor of the circus that the boy
+should do as he had a mind to with the monkey, he called Mr. Stubbs; and
+as he was in the custom of taking him with him at night, no one thought
+that it was anything strange that he should take him from the cage now.
+
+Mr. Lord or Mr. Castle might possibly have thought it queer had either
+of them seen the two bundles which Toby carried, but, fortunately for
+the boy's scheme, they both believed that he was in the dressing tent,
+and consequently thought that he was perfectly safe.
+
+Toby's hand shook so that he could hardly undo the fastening of the
+cage, and when he attempted to call the monkey to him his voice sounded
+so strange and husky that it startled him.
+
+The old monkey seemed to prefer sleeping with Toby rather than with
+those of his kind in the cage; and as the boy took him with him almost
+every night, he came on this particular occasion as soon as Toby called,
+regardless of the strange sound of his master's voice.
+
+With his bundles under his arm and the monkey on his shoulder, with both
+paws tightly clasped around his neck, Toby made his way out of the tent
+with beating heart and bated breath.
+
+Neither Mr. Lord, Castle, nor Jacobs were in sight, and everything
+seemed favorable for his flight. During the afternoon he had carefully
+noted the direction of the woods, and he started swiftly toward them
+now, stopping only long enough, as he was well clear of the tents, to
+say, in a whisper:
+
+"Goodby, Mr. Treat, an' Mrs. Treat, an' Ella, an' Ben. Sometime, when
+I'm a man, I'll come back an' bring you lots of nice things, an' I'll
+never forget you--never. When I have a chance to be good to some little
+boy that felt as bad as I did I'll do it, an' tell him that it was you
+did it. Goodby."
+
+Then, turning around, he ran toward the woods as swiftly as if his
+escape had been discovered and the entire company were in pursuit.
+
+
+
+
+XVIII. A DAY OF FREEDOM
+
+
+Toby ran at the top of his speed over the rough road; and the monkey,
+jolted from one side to the other, clutched his paws more tightly around
+the boy's neck, looking around into his face as if to ask what was the
+meaning of this very singular proceeding.
+
+When he was so very nearly breathless as to be able to run no more, but
+was forced to walk, Toby looked behind him, and there he could see the
+bright lights of the circus and hear the strains of the music as he had
+heard them on the night when he was getting ready to run away from
+Uncle Daniel; and those very sounds, which reminded him forcibly of how
+ungrateful he had been to the old man who had cared for him when there
+was no one else in the world who would do so, made it more easy for him
+to leave those behind who had been so kind to him when he stood so much
+in need of kindness.
+
+"We are goin' home, Mr. Stubbs!" he said, exultantly, to the
+monkey--"home to Uncle Dan'l an' the boys; an' won't you have a good
+time when we get there! You can run all over the barn, an' up in the
+trees, an' do just what you want to, an' there'll be plenty of fellows
+to play with you. You don't know half how good a place Guilford is, Mr.
+Stubbs."
+
+The monkey chattered away as if he were anticipating lots of fun on his
+arrival at Toby's home, and the boy chattered back, his spirits rising
+at every step which took him farther away from the collection of tents
+where he had spent so many wretched hours.
+
+A brisk walk of half an hour sufficed to take Toby to the woods, and
+after some little search he found a thick clump of bushes in which he
+concluded he could sleep without the risk of being seen by anyone who
+might pass that way before he should be awake in the morning.
+
+He had not much choice in the way of a bed, for it was so dark in the
+woods that it was impossible to collect moss or leaves to make a soft
+resting place, and the few leaves and pine boughs which he did gather
+made his place for sleeping but very little softer.
+
+But during the ten weeks that Toby had been with the circus his bed had
+seldom been anything softer than the seat of the wagon, and it troubled
+him very little that he was to sleep with nothing but a few leaves
+between himself and the earth.
+
+Using the bundle in which was his riding costume for a pillow, and
+placing the lunch Mrs. Treat had given him near by, where the monkey
+could not get at it conveniently, he cuddled Mr. Stubbs up to his bosom
+and lay down to sleep.
+
+"Mr. Lord won't wake us up in the mornin' an' swear at us for not
+washin' the tumblers," said Toby, in a tone of satisfaction, to the
+monkey; "an' we won't have to go into the tent tomorrow an' sell sick
+lemonade an' poor peanuts. But"--and here his tone changed to one of
+sorrow--"there'll be some there that 'll be sorry not to see us in the
+mornin', Mr. Stubbs, though they'll be glad to know that we got away all
+right. But won't Mr. Lord swear, an' won't Mr. Castle crack his whip,
+when they come to look round for us in the mornin' an' find that we
+hain't there!"
+
+The reply which the monkey made to this was to nestle his head closer
+under Toby's coat, and to show, in the most decided manner, that he was
+ready to go to sleep.
+
+And Toby was quite as ready to go to sleep as he was. He had worked
+hard that day, but the excitement of escaping had prevented him from
+realizing his fatigue until after he had lain down; and almost before he
+had got through congratulating himself upon the ease with which he had
+gotten free both he and the monkey were as sound asleep as if they had
+been tucked up in the softest bed that was ever made.
+
+Toby's very weariness was a friend to him that night, for it prevented
+him from waking; which, if he had done so, might have been unpleasant
+when he fully realized that he was all alone in the forest, and the
+sounds that are always heard in the woods might have frightened him just
+the least bit.
+
+The sun was shining directly in his face when Toby awoke on the
+following morning, and the old monkey was still snugly nestled under his
+coat. He sat up rather dazed at first, and then, as he fully realized
+that he was actually free from all that had made his life such a sad and
+hard one for so many weeks, he shouted aloud, reveling in his freedom.
+
+The monkey, awakened by Toby's cries, started from his sleep in affright
+and jumped into the nearest tree, only to chatter, jump, and swing from
+the boughs when he saw that there was nothing very unusual going on,
+save that he and Toby were out in the woods again, where they could have
+no end of a good time and do just as they liked.
+
+After a few moments spent in a short jubilee at their escape Toby took
+the monkey on his shoulder and the bundles under his arm again, and went
+cautiously out to the edge of the thicket, where he could form some idea
+as to whether or no they were pursued.
+
+He had entered the woods at the brow of a small hill when he had fled
+so hastily on the previous evening, and, looking down, he could see the
+spot whereon the tents of the circus had been pitched, but not a sign
+of them was now visible. He could see a number of people walking around,
+and he fancied that they looked up every now and then to where he stood
+concealed by the foliage.
+
+This gave him no little uneasiness, for he feared that Mr. Lord or Mr.
+Castle might be among the number, and he believed that they would begin
+a search for him at once, and that the spot where their attention would
+first be drawn was exactly where he was then standing.
+
+"This won't do, Mr. Stubbs," he said, as he pushed the monkey higher
+up on his shoulder and started into the thickest part of the woods; "we
+must get out of this place an' go farther down, where we can hide till
+tomorrow mornin'. Besides, we must find some water where we can wash our
+faces."
+
+The old monkey would hardly have been troubled if they had not got their
+faces washed for the next month to come; but he grinned and talked as
+Toby trudged along, attempting to catch hold of the leaves as they were
+passed, and in various other ways impeding his master's progress, until
+Toby was obliged to give him a most severe scolding in order to make him
+behave himself in anything like a decent manner.
+
+At last, after fully half an hour's rapid walking, Toby found just
+the place he wanted in which to pass the time he concluded it would be
+necessary to spend before he dare venture out to start for home.
+
+It was a little valley entirely filled by trees, which grew so thickly,
+save in one little spot, as to make it almost impossible to walk
+through. The one clear spot was not more than ten feet square, but it
+was just at the edge of a swiftly running brook; and a more beautiful
+or convenient place for a boy and a monkey to stop who had no tent, nor
+means to build one, could not well be imagined.
+
+Toby's first act was to wash his face, and he tried to make the monkey
+do the same; but Mr. Stubbs had no idea of doing any such foolish thing.
+He would come down close to the edge of the water and look in; but the
+moment that Toby tried to make him go in he would rush back among the
+trees, climb out on some slender bough, and then swing himself down by
+the tail, and chatter away as if making sport of his young master for
+thinking that he would be so foolish as to soil his face with water.
+
+After Toby had made his toilet he unfastened the bundle which the fat
+lady had given him, for the purpose of having breakfast. As much of an
+eater as Toby was, he could not but be surprised at the quantity of food
+which Mrs. Treat called a lunch. There were two whole pies and half of
+another, as many as two dozen doughnuts, several large pieces of cheese,
+six sandwiches, with a plentiful amount of meat, half a dozen biscuits,
+nicely buttered, and a large piece of cake.
+
+The monkey had come down from the tree as soon as he saw Toby untying
+the bundle, and there was quite as much pleasure depicted on his face,
+when he saw the good things that were spread out before him, as there
+was on Toby's; and he showed his thankfulness at Mrs. Treat's foresight
+by suddenly snatching one of the doughnuts and running with it up the
+tree, where he knew Toby could not follow.
+
+"Now look here, Mr. Stubbs!" said Toby, sternly, "you can have all you
+want to eat, but you must take it in a decent way, an' not go to cuttin'
+up any such shines as that."
+
+And after giving this command--which, by the way, was obeyed just about
+as well as it was understood--Toby devoted his time to his breakfast,
+and he reduced the amount of eatables very considerably before he had
+finished.
+
+Toby cleared off his table by gathering the food together and putting it
+back into the paper as well as possible, and then he sat down to think
+over the situation and to decide what he had better do.
+
+He felt rather nervous about venturing out when it was possible for Mr.
+Lord or Mr. Castle to get hold of him again; and as the weather was
+yet warm during the night, his camping place everything that could be
+desired, and the stock of food likely to hold out, he concluded that
+he had better remain there for two days at least, and then he would be
+reasonably sure that if either of the men whom he so dreaded to see had
+remained behind for the purpose of catching him, he would have got tired
+out and gone on.
+
+This point decided upon, the next was to try to fix up something soft
+for a bed. He had his pocketknife with him, and in his little valley
+were pine and hemlock trees in abundance. From the tips of their
+branches he knew that he could make a bed as soft and fragrant as any
+that could be thought of, and he set to work at once, while Mr. Stubbs
+continued his antics above his head.
+
+After about two hours' steady work he had cut enough of the tender
+branches to make himself a bed into which he and the monkey could burrow
+and sleep as comfortably as if they were in the softest bed in Uncle
+Daniel's house.
+
+When Toby first began to cut the boughs he had an idea that he might
+possibly make some sort of a hut; but the two hours' work had blistered
+his hands, and he was perfectly ready to sit down and rest, without the
+slightest desire for any other kind of a hut than that formed by the
+trees themselves.
+
+Toby imagined that in that beautiful place he could, with the monkey,
+stay contented for any number of days; but after he had rested a time,
+played with his pet a little, and eaten just a trifle more of the lunch,
+the time passed so slowly that he soon made up his mind to run the risk
+of meeting Mr. Lord or Mr. Castle again by going out of the woods the
+first thing the next morning.
+
+Very many times before the sun set that day was Toby tempted to run
+the risk that night, for the sake of the change, if no more; but as he
+thought the matter over he saw how dangerous such a course would be and
+he forced himself to wait.
+
+That night he did not sleep as soundly as on the previous one, for the
+very good reason that he was not as tired. He awoke several times; and
+the noise of the night birds alarmed him to such an extent that he was
+obliged to awaken the old monkey for company.
+
+But the night passed despite his fears, as all nights will, whether
+a boy is out in the woods alone or tucked up in his own little bed at
+home. In the morning Toby made all possible haste to get away, for each
+moment that he stayed now made him more impatient to be moving toward
+home.
+
+He washed himself as quickly as possible, ate his breakfast with the
+most unseemly haste, and, taking up his bundles and the monkey, once
+more started, as he supposed, in the direction from which he had entered
+the woods.
+
+Toby walked briskly along, in the best possible spirits, for his running
+away was now an accomplished fact, and he was going toward Uncle Daniel
+and home just as fast as possible. He sang "Old Hundred" through five
+or six times by way of showing his happiness. It is quite likely that
+he would have sung something a little more lively had he known anything
+else; but "Old Hundred" was the extent of his musical education, and he
+kept repeating that, which was quite as satisfactory as if he had been
+able to go through with every opera that was ever written.
+
+The monkey would jump from his shoulder into the branches above, run
+along on the trees for a short distance, and then wait until Toby came
+along, when he would drop down on his shoulder suddenly, and in every
+other way of displaying monkey delight he showed that he was just as
+happy as it was possible.
+
+Toby trudged on in this contented way for nearly an hour, and every
+moment expected to step out to the edge of the woods, where he could see
+houses and men once more. But instead of doing so the forest seemed
+to grow more dense, and nothing betokened his approach to the village.
+There was a great fear came into Toby's heart just then, and for a
+moment he halted in helpless perplexity. His lips began to quiver, his
+face grew white, and his hand trembled so that the old monkey took hold
+of one of his fingers and looked at it wonderingly.
+
+
+
+
+XIX. MR STUBBS'S MISCHIEF, AND HIS SAD FATE
+
+
+Toby had begun to realize that he was lost in the woods, and the thought
+was sufficient to cause alarm in the mind of one much older than the
+boy. He said to himself that he would keep on in the direction he was
+then traveling for fifteen minutes; and as he had no means of computing
+the time he sat down on a log, took out the bit of pencil with which he
+had written the letter to Ella, and multiplied sixty by fifteen. He
+knew that there were sixty seconds to the minute, and that he could
+ordinarily count one to each second; therefore, when he learned that
+there were nine hundred seconds in fifteen minutes he resolved to walk
+as nearly straight ahead as possible until he should have counted that
+number.
+
+He walked on, counting as regularly as he could, and thought to himself
+that he never before realized how long fifteen minutes were.
+
+It really seemed to him that an hour had passed before he finished
+counting, and then when he stopped there were no more signs that he was
+near a clearing than there had been before he started.
+
+"Ah, Mr. Stubbs, we're lost! we're lost!" he cried, as he laid his cheek
+on the monkey's head and gave way to the lonesome grief that came over
+him. "What shall we do? Perhaps we won't ever find our way out, but will
+die here, an' then Uncle Dan'l won't ever know how sorry I was that I
+ran away."
+
+Then Toby lay right down on the ground and cried so hard that the monkey
+acted as if it were frightened, and tried to turn the boy's face over,
+and finally leaned down and licked Toby's ear.
+
+This little act, which seemed so much like a kiss, caused Toby to feel
+no small amount of comfort, and he sat up again, took the monkey in his
+arms, and began seriously to discuss some definite plan of action.
+
+"It won't do to keep on the way we've been goin', Mr. Stubbs," said
+Toby, as he looked full in his pet's face--and the old monkey sat
+as still and looked as grave as it was possible for him to look and
+sit--"for we must be going into the woods deeper. Let's start off this
+way"--and Toby pointed at right angles with the course they had been
+pursuing--"an' keep right on that way till we come to something, or till
+we drop right down an' die."
+
+It is fair to presume that the old monkey agreed to Toby's plan; for
+although he said nothing in favor of it, he certainly made no objections
+to it, which to Toby was the same as if his companion had assented to it
+in the plainest English.
+
+Both the bundles and the monkey were rather a heavy load for a small boy
+like Toby to carry; but he clung manfully to them, walked resolutely on,
+without looking to the right or to the left, glad when the old monkey
+would take a run among the trees, for then he would be relieved of his
+weight, and glad when he returned, for then he had his company, and that
+repaid him for any labor which he might have to perform.
+
+Toby was in a hard plight as it was; but without the old monkey for a
+companion he would have thought his condition was a hundred times worse,
+and would hardly have had the courage to go on as he was going.
+
+On and on he walked, until it seemed to him that he could really go no
+farther, and yet he could see no signs which indicated the end of the
+woods, and at last he sank upon the ground, too tired to walk another
+step, saying to the monkey--who was looking as if he would like to know
+the reason of this pause, "It's no use, Mr. Stubbs, I've got to sit down
+here an' rest awhile anyhow; besides, I'm awfully hungry."
+
+Then Toby commenced to eat his dinner, and to give the monkey his, until
+the thought came to him that he neither had any water nor did he know
+where to find it, and then, of course, he immediately became so thirsty
+that it was impossible for him to eat any more.
+
+"We can't stand this," moaned Toby to the monkey; "we've got to have
+something to drink, or else we can't eat all these sweet things, an' I'm
+so tired that I can't go any farther. Don't let's eat dinner now, but
+let's stay here an' rest, an' then we can keep on an' look for water."
+
+Toby's resting spell was a long one, for as soon as he stretched himself
+out on the ground he was asleep from actual exhaustion, and did not
+awaken until the sun was just setting, and then he saw that, hard as
+his troubles had been before, they were about to become, or in fact had
+become, worse.
+
+He had paid no attention to his bundles when he lay down, and when he
+awoke he was puzzled to make out what it was that was strewn around the
+ground so thickly.
+
+He had looked at it but a very short time when he saw that it was what
+had been the lunch he had carried so far. After having had the sad
+experience of losing his money he understood very readily that the old
+monkey had taken the lunch while he slept, and had amused himself by
+picking it apart into the smallest particles possible, and then strewn
+them around on the ground where he now saw them.
+
+Toby looked at them in almost speechless surprise, and then he turned to
+where the old monkey lay, apparently asleep; but as the boy watched him
+intently he could see that the cunning animal was really watching him
+out of one half closed eye.
+
+"Now you have killed us, Mr. Stubbs," wailed Toby. "We never can find
+our way out of here; an' now we hain't got anything to eat, and by
+tomorrow we shall be starved to death. Oh dear! wasn't you bad enough
+when you threw all the money away, so you had to go an' do this just
+when we was in awful trouble?"
+
+Mr. Stubbs now looked up as if he had just been awakened by Toby's
+grief, looked around him leisurely as if to see what could be the
+matter, and then, apparently seeing for the first time the crumbs
+that were lying around on the ground, took up some and examined them
+intently.
+
+"Now don't go to makin' believe that you don't know how they come
+there," said Toby, showing anger toward his pet for the first time. "You
+know it was you who did it, for there wasn't anyone else here, an' you
+can't fool me by lookin' so surprised."
+
+It seemed as if the monkey had come to the conclusion that his little
+plan of ignorance wasn't the most perfect success, for he walked meekly
+toward his young master, climbed up on his shoulder, and sat there
+kissing his ear or looking down into his eyes, until the boy could
+resist the mute appeal no longer, and took him into his arms and hugged
+him closely as he said:
+
+"It can't be helped now, I s'pose, an' we shall have to get along the
+best way we can; but it was awful wicked of you, Mr. Stubbs, an I don't
+know what we're goin' to do for something to eat."
+
+While the destructive fit was on him the old monkey had not spared the
+smallest bit' of food, but had picked everything into such minute shreds
+that none of it could be gathered up, and everything was surely wasted.
+
+While Toby sat bemoaning his fate and trying to make out what was to
+be done for food, the darkness, which had just begun to gather when he
+first awoke, now commenced to settle around, and he was obliged to seek
+for some convenient place in which to spend the night before it became
+so dark as to make the search impossible.
+
+Owing to the fact that he had slept nearly the entire afternoon, and
+also rendered wakeful by the loss he had just sustained, Toby lay awake
+on the hard ground, with the monkey on his arm, hour after hour, until
+all kinds of fancies came to him, and in every sound feared he heard
+someone from the circus coming to capture him, or some wild beast intent
+on picking his bones.
+
+The cold sweat of fear stood out on his brow, and he hardly dared to
+breathe, much more to speak, lest the sound of his voice should betray
+his whereabouts and thus bring his enemies down upon him. The minutes
+seemed like hours, and the hours like days, as he lay there, listening
+fearfully to every one of the night sounds of the forest; and it seemed
+to him that he had been there very many hours when at last he fell
+asleep and was thus freed from his fears.
+
+Bright and early on the following morning Toby was awake, and as he came
+to a realizing sense of all the dangers and trouble that surrounded him
+he was disposed to give way again to his sorrow; but he said resolutely
+to himself, "It might be a good deal worse than it is, an' Mr. Stubbs
+an' I can get along one day without anything to eat; an' perhaps by
+night we shall be out of the woods, an' then what we get will taste good
+to us."
+
+He began his walk--which possibly might not end that day--manfully, and
+his courage was rewarded by soon reaching a number of bushes that were
+literally loaded down with blackberries. From these he made a hearty
+meal, and the old monkey fairly reveled in them, for he ate all he
+possibly could, and then stowed enough in his cheeks to make a good
+sized luncheon when he should be hungry again.
+
+Refreshed very much by his breakfast of fruit, Toby again started on his
+journey with renewed vigor, and the world began to look very bright to
+him. He had not thought that he might find berries when the thoughts of
+starvation came into his mind, and, now that his hunger was satisfied,
+he began to believe that he might possibly be able to live, perhaps for
+weeks, in the woods solely upon what he might find growing there.
+
+Shortly after he had breakfast he came upon a brook, which he thought
+was the same upon whose banks he had encamped the first night he spent
+in the woods, and, pulling off his clothes, he waded into the deepest
+part and had a most refreshing bath, although the water was rather cold.
+
+Not having any towels with which to dry himself, he was obliged to sit
+in the sun until the moisture had been dried from his skin and he could
+put his clothes on once more. Then he started out on his walk again,
+feeling that sooner or later he would come out all right.
+
+All this time he had been traveling without any guide to tell him
+whether he was going straight ahead or around in a circle, and he now
+concluded to follow the course of the brook, believing that that would
+lead him out of the forest some time.
+
+During the afternoon he walked steadily, but not so fast that he would
+get exhausted quickly, and when by the position of the sun he judged
+that it was noon he lay down on a mossy bank to rest.
+
+He was beginning to feel sad again. He had found no more berries, and
+the elation which had been caused by his breakfast and his bath was
+quickly passing away. The old monkey was in a tree almost directly above
+his head, stretched out on one of the limbs in the most contented manner
+possible; and as Toby watched him, and thought of all the trouble he had
+caused by wasting the food, thoughts of starvation again came into his
+mind, and he believed that he should not live to see Uncle Daniel again.
+
+Just as he was feeling the most sad and lonely, and where thoughts of
+death from starvation were most vivid in his mind, he heard the barking
+of a dog, which sounded close at hand.
+
+His first thought was that at last he was saved, and he was just
+starting to his feet to shout for help when he heard the sharp report of
+a gun and an agonizing cry from the branches above, and the old monkey
+fell to the ground with a thud that told he had received his death
+wound.
+
+All this had taken place so quickly that Toby did not at first
+comprehend the extent of the misfortune which had overtaken him; but
+a groan from the poor monkey, as he placed one little brown paw to his
+breast, from which the blood was flowing freely, and looked up into his
+master's face with a most piteous expression, showed the poor little boy
+what a great trouble it was which had now come.
+
+Poor Toby uttered a loud cry of agony, which could not have been
+more full of anguish had he received the ball in his own breast, and,
+flinging himself by the side of the dying monkey, he gathered him
+close to his breast, regardless of the blood that poured over him,
+and, stroking tenderly the little head that had nestled so often in his
+bosom, said, over and over again, as the monkey uttered short moans of
+agony: "Who could have been so cruel? Who could have been so cruel?"
+
+Toby's tears ran like rain down his face, and he kissed his dying pet
+again and again, as if he would take all the pain to himself.
+
+"Oh, if you could only speak to me!" he cried, as he took one of the
+poor monkey's paws in his hand, and, finding that it was growing cold
+with the chill of death, put it on his neck to warm it. "How I love you,
+Mr. Stubbs! An' now you're goin' to die an leave me! Oh, if I hadn't
+spoken cross to you yesterday, an' if I hadn't a'most choked you the day
+that we went to the skeleton's to dinner! Forgive me for ever bein' bad
+to you, won't you, Mr. Stubbs?"
+
+As the monkey's groans increased in number, but diminished in force,
+Toby ran to the brook, filled his hands with water, and held it to the
+poor animal's mouth.
+
+He lapped the water quickly and looked up with a human look of gratitude
+in his eyes, as if thanking his master for that much relief. Then Toby
+tried to wash the blood from his breast; but it flowed quite as fast as
+he could wash it away, and he ceased his efforts in that direction, and
+paid every attention to making his friend and pet more comfortable.
+He took off his jacket and laid it on the ground for the monkey to lie
+upon; picked a quantity of large green leaves as a cooling rest for his
+head, and then sat by his side, holding his paws and talking to him
+with the most tender words his lips--quivering with sorrow as they
+were--could fashion.
+
+
+
+
+XX. HOME AND UNCLE DANIEL
+
+
+Meanwhile the author of all this misery had come upon the scene. He was
+a young man, whose rifle and well filled game bag showed that he had
+been hunting, and his face expressed the liveliest sorrow for what he
+had so unwittingly done.
+
+"I didn't know I was firing at your pet," he said to Toby as he laid his
+hand on his shoulder and endeavored to make him look up. "I only saw a
+little patch of fur through the trees, and, thinking it was some wild
+animal, I fired. Forgive me, won't you, and let me put the poor brute
+out of his misery?"
+
+Toby looked up fiercely at the murderer of his pet and asked, savagely:
+"Why don't you go away? Don't you see that you have killed Mr. Stubbs,
+an' you'll be hung for murder?"
+
+"I wouldn't have done it under any circumstances," said the young man,
+pitying Toby's grief most sincerely. "Come away and let me put the poor
+thing out of its agony."
+
+"How can you do it?" asked Toby, bitterly. "He's dying already."
+
+"I know it, and it will be a kindness to put a bullet through his head."
+
+If Toby had been big enough, perhaps there might really have been a
+murder committed, for he looked up at the man who so coolly proposed to
+kill the poor monkey after he had already received his death wound that
+the young man stepped back quickly, as if really afraid that in his
+desperation the boy might do him some injury.
+
+"Go 'way off," said Toby, passionately, "an' don't ever come here again.
+You've killed all I ever had in this world of my own to love me, an' I
+hate you--I hate you!"
+
+Then, turning again to the monkey, he put his hands on each side of his
+head, and, leaning down, kissed the little brown lips as tenderly as a
+mother would kiss her child.
+
+The monkey was growing more and more feeble, and when Toby had shown
+this act of affection he reached up his tiny paws, grasped Toby's
+finger, half raised himself from the ground, and then with a convulsive
+struggle fell back dead, while the tiny fingers slowly relaxed their
+hold of the boy's hand.
+
+Toby feared that it was death, and yet hoped that he was mistaken; he
+looked into the half open, fast glazing eyes, put his hand over his
+heart, to learn if it were still beating; and, getting no responsive
+look from the dead eyes, feeling no heart throbs from under that gory
+breast, he knew that his pet was really dead, and flung himself by his
+side in all the childish abandonment of grief.
+
+He called the monkey by name, implored him to look at him, and finally
+bewailed that he had ever left the circus, where at least his pet's life
+was safe, even if his own back received its daily flogging.
+
+The young man, who stood a silent spectator of this painful scene,
+understood everything from Toby's mourning. He knew that a boy had run
+away from the circus, for Messrs. Lord and Castle had stayed behind one
+day, in the hope of capturing the fugitive, and they had told their own
+version of Toby's flight.
+
+For nearly an hour Toby lay by the dead monkey's side, crying as if his
+heart would break, and the young man waited until his grief should have
+somewhat exhausted itself, and then approached the boy again.
+
+"Won't you believe that I didn't mean to do this cruel thing?" he asked,
+in a kindly voice. "And won't you believe that I would do anything in my
+power to bring your pet back to life?"
+
+Toby looked at him a moment earnestly, and then said, slowly, "Yes, I'll
+try to."
+
+"Now will you come with me, and let me talk to you? For I know who you
+are, and why you are here."
+
+"How do you know that?"
+
+"Two men stayed behind after the circus had left, and they hunted
+everywhere for you."
+
+"I wish they had caught me," moaned Toby; "I wish they had caught me,
+for then Mr. Stubbs wouldn't be here dead."
+
+And Toby's grief broke out afresh as he again looked at the poor little
+stiff form that had been a source of so much comfort and joy to him.
+
+"Try not to think of that now, but think of yourself and of what you
+will do," said the man, soothingly, anxious to divert Toby's mind from
+the monkey's death as much as possible.
+
+"I don't want to think of myself, and I don't care what I'll do," sobbed
+the boy, passionately.
+
+"But you must; you can't stay here always, and I will try to help you
+to get home, or wherever it is you want to go, if you will tell me all
+about it."
+
+It was some time before Toby could be persuaded to speak or think of
+anything but the death of his pet; but the young man finally succeeded
+in drawing his story from him, and then tried to induce him to leave
+that place and accompany him to town.
+
+"I can't leave Mr. Stubbs," said the boy, firmly; "he never left me the
+night I got thrown out of the wagon an' he thought I was hurt."
+
+Then came another struggle to induce him to bury his pet; and finally
+Toby, after realizing the fact that he could not carry a dead monkey
+with him, agreed to it; but he would not allow the young man to help him
+in any way, or even to touch the monkey's body.
+
+He dug a grave under a little fir tree near by, and lined it with wild
+flowers and leaves, and even then hesitated to cover the body with the
+earth. At last he bethought himself of the fanciful costume which the
+skeleton and his wife had given him, and in this he carefully wrapped
+his dead pet. He had not one regret at leaving the bespangled suit, for
+it was the best he could command, and surely nothing could be too good
+for Mr. Stubbs.
+
+Tenderly he laid him in the little grave, and, covering the body with
+flowers, said, pausing a moment before he covered it over with earth,
+and while his voice was choked with emotion: "Goodby, Mr. Stubbs,
+goodby! I wish it had been me instead of you that died, for I'm an awful
+sorry little boy, now that you're dead!"
+
+Even after the grave had been filled, and a little mound made over it,
+the young man had the greatest difficulty to persuade Toby to go with
+him; and when the boy did consent to go at last he walked very slowly
+away, and kept turning his head to look back just so long as the little
+grave could be seen.
+
+Then, when the trees shut it completely out from sight, the tears
+commenced again to roll down Toby's cheeks, and he sobbed out: "I wish I
+hadn't left him. Oh, why didn't I make him lie down by me? an' then he'd
+be alive now; an' how glad he'd be to know that we was getting out of
+the woods at last!"
+
+But the man who had caused Toby this sorrow talked to him about other
+matters, thus taking his mind from the monkey's death as much as
+possible, and by the time the boy reached the village he had told his
+story exactly as it was, without casting any reproaches on Mr. Lord, and
+giving himself the full share of censure for leaving his home as he did.
+
+Mr. Lord and Mr. Castle had remained in the town but one day, for they
+were told that a boy had taken the night train that passed through the
+town about two hours after Toby had escaped, and they had set off at
+once to act on that information.
+
+Therefore Toby need have no fears of meeting either of them just then,
+and he could start on his homeward journey in peace.
+
+The young man who had caused the monkey's death tried first to persuade
+Toby to remain a day or two with him, and, failing in that, he did all
+he could toward getting the boy home as quickly and safely as possible.
+He insisted on paying for his ticket on the steamboat, although Toby did
+all he could to prevent him, and he even accompanied Toby to the next
+town, where he was to take the steamer.
+
+He had not only paid for Toby's ticket, but he had paid for a stateroom
+for him; and when the boy said that he could sleep anywhere, and that
+there was no need of such expense, the man replied: "Those men who were
+hunting for you have gone down the river, and will be very likely to
+search the boat, when they discover that they started on the wrong
+scent. They will never suspect that you have got a stateroom; and if
+you are careful to remain in it during the trip you will get through
+safely."
+
+Then, when the time came for the steamer to start, the young man said to
+Toby: "Now, my boy, you won't feel hard at me for shooting the monkey,
+will you? I would have done anything to bring him back to life, but, as
+I could not do that, helping you to get home was the next best thing I
+could do."
+
+"I know you didn't mean to shoot Mr. Stubbs," said Toby, with moistening
+eyes as he spoke of his pet, "an' I'm sorry I said what I did to you in
+the woods."
+
+Before there was time to say any more the warning whistle was sounded,
+the plank pulled in, the great wheels commenced to revolve, and Toby was
+really on his way to Uncle Daniel and Guilford.
+
+It was then but five o'clock in the afternoon, and he could not expect
+to reach home until two or three o'clock in the afternoon of the next
+day; but he was in a tremor of excitement as he thought that he should
+walk through the streets of Guilford once more, see all the boys, and go
+home to Uncle Daniel.
+
+And yet, whenever he thought of that home, of meeting those boys, of
+going once more to all those old familiar places, the memory of all that
+he had planned when he should take the monkey with him would come into
+his mind and damp even his joy, great as it was.
+
+That night he had considerable difficulty in falling asleep, but did
+finally succeed in doing so; and when he awoke the steamer was going
+up the river, whose waters seemed like an old friend, because they had
+flowed right down past Guilford on their way to the sea.
+
+At each town where a landing was made Toby looked eagerly out on the
+pier, thinking that by chance someone from his home might be there and
+he would see a familiar face again. But all this time he heeded the
+advice given him and remained in his room, where he could see and not
+be seen; and it was well for him that he did so, for at one of the
+landings he saw both Mr. Lord and Mr. Castle come on board the boat.
+
+Toby's heart beat fast and furious, and he expected every moment to hear
+them at the door, demanding admittance, for it seemed to him that they
+must know exactly where he was secreted.
+
+But no such misfortune occurred. The men had evidently only boarded the
+boat to search for the boy, for they landed again before the steamer
+started, and Toby had the satisfaction of seeing their backs as they
+walked away from the pier. It was some time before he recovered from the
+fright which the sight of them gave him; but when he did his thoughts
+and hopes far outstripped the steamer, which, it seemed, was going so
+slowly, and he longed to see Guilford with an impatience that could
+hardly be restrained.
+
+At last he could see the spire of the little church on the hill, and
+when the steamer rounded the point, affording a full view of the town,
+and sounded her whistle as a signal for those on the shore to come to
+the pier, Toby could hardly restrain himself from jumping up and down
+and shouting in his delight.
+
+He was at the gangplank ready to land fully five minutes before the
+steamer was anywhere near the wharf, and when he recognized the first
+face on the pier what a happy boy he was!
+
+He was at home! The dream of the past ten weeks was at length realized,
+and neither Mr. Lord nor Mr. Castle had any terrors for him now.
+
+He ran down the gangplank before it was ready, and clasped every boy he
+saw there round the neck, and would have kissed them if they had shown
+an inclination to let him do so.
+
+Of course he was overwhelmed with questions, but before he would answer
+any he asked for Uncle Daniel and the others at home.
+
+Some of the boys ventured to predict that Toby would get a jolly good
+whipping for running away, and the only reply which the happy Toby made
+to that was:
+
+"I hope I will, an' then I'll feel as if I had kinder paid for runnin'
+away. If Uncle Dan'l will only let me stay with him again he may whip me
+every mornin', an' I won't open my mouth to holler."
+
+The boys were impatient to hear the story of Toby's travels, but he
+refused to tell it them, saying:
+
+"I'll go home, an' if Uncle Dan'l forgives me for bein' so wicked I'll
+sit down this afternoon an' tell you all you want to know about the
+circus."
+
+Then, far more rapidly than he had run away from it, Toby ran toward the
+home which he had called his ever since he could remember, and his heart
+was full almost to bursting as he thought that perhaps he would be told
+that he had forfeited all claim to it, and that he could never more call
+it "home" again.
+
+When he entered the old familiar sitting room Uncle Daniel was seated
+near the window, alone, looking out wistfully--as Toby thought--across
+the fields of yellow waving grain.
+
+Toby crept softly in, and, going up to the old man, knelt down and said,
+very humbly, and with his whole soul in the words, "Oh, Uncle Dan'l!
+if you'll only forgive me for bein' wicked an' runnin' away, an' let me
+stay here again--for it's all the home I ever had--I'll do everything
+you tell me to, an never whisper in meetin' or do anything bad."
+
+And then he waited for the words which would seal his fate. They were
+not long in coming.
+
+"My poor boy," said Uncle Daniel, softly, as he stroked Toby's
+refractory red hair, "my love for you was greater than I knew, and when
+you left me I cried aloud to the Lord as if it had been my own flesh and
+blood that had gone afar from me. Stay here, Toby, my son, and help to
+support this poor old body as it goes down into the dark valley of the
+shadow of death; and then, in the bright light of that glorious future,
+Uncle Daniel will wait to go with you into the presence of Him who is
+ever a father to the fatherless."
+
+And in Uncle Daniel's kindly care we may safely leave Toby Tyler.
+
+THE END
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Toby Tyler, by James Otis
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