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diff --git a/27702.txt b/27702.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e48fa55 --- /dev/null +++ b/27702.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4811 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Mr. Stubbs's Brother, 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: Mr. Stubbs's Brother + A Sequel to 'Toby Tyler' + +Author: James Otis + +Release Date: January 5, 2009 [EBook #27702] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MR. STUBBS'S BROTHER *** + + + + +Produced by David Garcia, Martin Pettit and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Kentuckiana Digital Library) + + + + + + +MR. STUBBS'S BROTHER + + +[Illustration: MR. STUBBS'S BROTHER MISBEHAVES HIMSELF [See p. 205]] + + +MR. STUBBS'S BROTHER + +A Sequel to "TOBY TYLER" + +BY JAMES OTIS + +AUTHOR OF "TIM AND TIP," ETC. + +ILLUSTRATED + +[Illustration: Logo] + +HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS +NEW YORK AND LONDON + + +COPYRIGHT, 1882, 1910, BY HARPER & BROTHERS + +COPYRIGHT, 1910, BY JAMES OTIS KALER + +PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA + + + + +CONTENTS + + +CHAPTER PAGE + + I. THE SCHEME 1 + + II. THE BLIND HORSE 14 + + III. ABNER BOLTON 31 + + IV. THE PONY 40 + + V. OLD BEN 54 + + VI. THE GREAT EVENT 66 + + VII. ATTRACTIONS FOR THE LITTLE CIRCUS 78 + + VIII. THE DINNER PARTY 91 + + IX. MR. STUBBS'S BROTHER 105 + + X. THE ACCIDENT 119 + + XI. CHANGE OF PLANS 131 + + XII. A REHEARSAL 143 + + XIII. THE RESULTS OF LONG TRAINING 156 + + XIV. RAISING THE TENT 170 + + XV. STEALING DUCKS 183 + + XVI. A LOST MONKEY 197 + + XVII. DRIVING A MONKEY 208 + +XVIII. COLLECTING THE ANIMALS 218 + + XIX. THE SHOW BROKE UP 231 + + XX. ABNER'S DEATH 237 + + +ILLUSTRATIONS + +MR. STUBBS'S BROTHER MISBEHAVES HIMSELF _Frontispiece_ + FACING + PAGE +PLANNING THE CIRCUS 14 + +MR. AND MRS. TREAT EXHIBIT PRIVATELY 92 + +TOBY RESCUES THE CROWING HEN FROM MR. STUBBS'S BROTHER 234 + + + + +MR. STUBBS'S BROTHER + + + + +CHAPTER I + +THE SCHEME + + +"Why, we could start a circus jest as easy as a wink, Toby, 'cause you +know all about one an' all you'd have to do would be to tell us fellers +what to do, an' we'd 'tend to the rest." + +"Yes; but you see we hain't got a tent, or bosses, or wagons, or +nothin', an' I don't see how you could get a circus up that way;" and +the speaker hugged his knees as he rocked himself to and fro in a musing +way on the rather sharp point of a large rock, on which he had seated +himself in order to hear what his companions had to say that was so +important. + +"Will you come down with me to Bob Atwood's, an' see what he says about +it?" + +"Yes, I'll do that if you'll come out afterwards for a game of I-spy +'round the meetin'-house." + +"All right; if we can find enough of the other fellers, I will." + +Then the boys slipped down from the rocks, found the cows, and drove +them home as the preface to their visit to Bob Atwood's. + +The boy who was so anxious to start a circus was a little fellow with +such a wonderful amount of remarkably red hair that he was seldom called +anything but Reddy, although his name was known--by his parents, at +least--to be Walter Grant. His companion was Toby Tyler, a boy who, a +year before, had thought it would be a very pleasant thing to run away +from his Uncle Daniel and the town of Guilford in order to be with a +circus, and who, in ten weeks, was only too glad to run back home as +rapidly as possible. + +During the first few months of his return, very many brilliant offers +had been made Toby by his companions to induce him to aid them in +starting an amateur circus; but he had refused to have anything to do +with the schemes, and for several reasons. During the ten weeks he had +been away, he had seen quite as much of a circus life as he cared to +see, without even such a mild dose as would be this amateur show; and, +again, whenever he thought of the matter, the remembrance of the death +of his monkey, Mr. Stubbs, would come upon him so vividly, and cause him +so much sorrow, that he resolutely put the matter from his mind. + +Now, however, it had been a year since the monkey was killed; school had +closed during the summer season; and he was rather more disposed to +listen to the requests of his friends. + +On this particular night, Reddy Grant had offered to go with him for the +cows--an act of generosity which Toby accounted for only on the theory +that Reddy wanted some of the strawberries which grew so plentifully in +Uncle Daniel's pasture. But when they arrived there the strawberries +were neglected for the circus question, and Toby then showed he was at +least willing to talk about it. + +There was no doubt that Bob Atwood knew Reddy was going to try to induce +Toby to help start a circus, and Bob knew, also, that Reddy and Toby +would visit him, although he appeared very much surprised when he saw +them coming up the hill towards his house. He was at home, evidently +waiting for something, at an hour when all the other boys were out +playing; and that, in itself, would have made Toby suspicious if he had +paid much attention to the matter. + +Bob was perfectly willing to talk about a circus--so willing that, +almost before Toby was aware of it, he was laying plans with the others +for such a show as could be given with the material at hand. + +"You see we'd have to get a tent the first thing," said Toby, as he +seated himself on the saw-horse as a sort of place of honor, and +proceeded to give his companions the benefit of his experience in the +circus line. "I s'pose we could get along without a fat woman, or a +skeleton; but we'd have to have the tent anyway, so's folks couldn't +look right in an' see the show for nothin'." + +Reddy had decided some time before how that trifling matter could be +arranged; and, as he went industriously to work making shavings out of a +portion of a shingle, he said: + +"I've got all that settled, Toby; an' when you say you're willin' to go +ahead an' fix up the show, I'll be on hand with a tent that'll make your +eyes stick out over a foot." + +Bob nodded his head to show he was convinced Reddy could do just as he +had promised; but Toby was anxious for more particulars, and insisted +on knowing where this very necessary portion of a circus was coming +from. + +"You see a tent is a big thing," he said seriously; "an' it would cost +more money than the fellers in this town could raise if they should pick +all the strawberries in Uncle Dan'l's pasture." + +"Oh, I don't say as the tent Reddy's got his eye on is a reg'lar one +like a real circus has," said Bob slowly and candidly, as he began to +draw on the side of the wood-shed a picture of what he probably intended +should represent a horse; "but he knows how he can rig one up that'll be +big enough, an' look stavin'." + +With this information Toby was obliged to be satisfied; and with the +view of learning more of the details, in case his companions had +arranged for them, he asked: + +"Where you goin' to get the company--the folks that ride, an' turn +hand-springs, an' all them things?" + +"Ben Cushing can turn twice as many hand-springs as any feller you ever +saw, an' he can walk on his hands twice round the engine-house. I guess +you couldn't find many circuses that could beat him, an' he's been +practising in his barn all the chance he could get for more'n a week." + +Without intending to do so, Bob had thus let the secret out that the +scheme had already been talked up before Toby was consulted, and then +there was no longer any reason for concealment. + +"You see we thought we'd kinder get things fixed," said Reddy quickly, +anxious to explain away the seeming deception he had been guilty of, +"an' we wouldn't say anything to you till we knew whether we could get +one up or not." + +"An' we're goin' to ask three cents to come in; an' lots of the fellers +have promised to buy tickets if we'll let 'em do some of the ridin', or +else lead the hosses." + +"But how are you goin' to get any hosses?" asked Toby, thoroughly +surprised at the way in which the scheme had already been developed. + +"Reddy can get Jack Douglass's blind one, an' we can train him so's +he'll go 'round the ring all right; an' your Uncle Dan'l will let you +have his old white one that's lame, if you ask him. I ain't sure but I +can get one of Chandler Merrill's ponies," continued Bob, now so excited +by his subject that he left his picture while it was yet a three-legged +horse, and stood in front of his friends; "an' if we could sell tickets +enough, we could hire one of Rube Rowe's hosses for you to ride." + +"An' Bob's goin' to be the clown, an' his mother's goin' to make him a +suit of clothes out of one of his grandmother's curtains," added Reddy, +as he snapped an imaginary whip with so many unnecessary flourishes that +he tumbled over the saw-horse, thereby mixing a large quantity of +sawdust in his brilliantly colored hair. + +"An' Reddy's goin' to be ring-master," explained Bob, as he assisted +his friend to rise, and acted the part of Good Samaritan by trying to +get the sawdust from his hair with a curry-comb. "Joe Robinson says +he'll sell tickets, an' 'tend the door, an' hold the hoops for you to +jump through." + +"Leander Leighton's goin' to be the band. He's got a pair of clappers; +an' Mrs. Doak's goin' to show him how to play on the accordion with one +finger, so's he'll know how to make an awful lot of noise," said Reddy, +as he gave up the task of extracting the sawdust, and devoted his entire +attention to the scheme. + +"An' we can have some animals," said Bob, with the air of one who adds +the crowning glory to some brilliant work. + +Toby had been surprised at the resources of the town for a circus, of +which he had not even dreamed; and at Bob's last remark he left his +saw-horse seat as if to enable him to hear more distinctly. + +"Yes," continued Bob, "we can get a good many of some kinds. Old Mrs. +Simpson has got a three-legged cat with four kittens, an' Ben Cushing +has got a hen that crows; an' we can take my calf for a grizzly bear, +an' Jack Havener's two lambs for white bears. I've caught six mice, an' +I'll have more'n a dozen before the show comes off; an' Reddy's goin' to +bring his cat that ain't got any tail. Leander Leighton's goin' to bring +four of his rabbits an' make believe they're wolves; an' Joe Robinson's +goin' to catch all the squirrels he can--we'll have the largest for +foxes, an' the smallest for hyenas; an' Joe'll keep howlin' while he's +tendin' the door, so's to make 'em sound right." + +"Bob's sister's goin' to show him how to sing a couple of songs, an' +he's goin' to write 'em out on paper so's to have a book to sell," added +Reddy, delighted at the surprise expressed in Toby's face. "Nahum Baker +says if we have any kind of a show he'll bring up some lemonade an' some +pies to sell, an' pass 'em 'round jest as they do in a reg'lar circus." + +This last information was indeed surprising, for, inasmuch as Nahum +Baker was a man who had an apology for a fruit-store near the wharves, +it lent an air of realism to the plan, this having a grown man connected +with them in the enterprise. + +"But he mustn't get any of the boys to help him, an' then treat them as +Job Lord did me," said Toby earnestly, the scheme having grown so in the +half-hour that he began to fear it might be too much like the circus +with which he had spent ten of the longest and most dreary weeks he had +ever known. + +"I'll look out for that," said Bob confidently, "If he tries any of them +games we'll make him leave, no matter how good a trade he's doin'." + +"Now, where we goin' to have the show?" and from the way Toby asked the +question it was easily seen that he had decided to accept the position +of manager which had been so delicately offered him. + +"That's jest what we ain't fixed about," said Bob, as if he blamed +himself severely for not having already attended to this portion of the +business. "You see, if your Uncle Dan'l would let us have it up by his +barn that would be jest the place, an' I almost know he'd say yes if you +asked him." + +"Do you s'pose it would be big enough? You know when there's a circus in +town everybody comes from all around to see it, an' it wouldn't do to +have a place where they couldn't all get in," and Toby spoke as if there +could be no doubt as to the crowds that would collect to see this +wonderful show of theirs. + +"It'll have to be big enough, if we use the tent I'm goin' to get," said +Reddy decidedly; "for you see that won't be so awful large, an' it would +make it look kinder small if we put it where the other circuses put +theirs." + +"Well, then, I s'pose we'll have to make that do, an' we can have two +or three shows if there are too many to come in at one time," said Toby +in a satisfied way that matters could be arranged so easily; and then, +with a big sigh, he added, "If only Mr. Stubbs hadn't got killed, what a +show we could have! I never saw him ride; but I know he could have done +better than any one else that ever tried it, if he wanted to, an' if we +had him we could have a reg'lar circus without anybody else." + +Then the boys bewailed the untimely fate of Mr. Stubbs, until they saw +that Toby was fast getting into a mood altogether too sad for the proper +transaction of circus business, and Bob proposed that a visit be paid +Ben Cushing, for the purpose of having him give them a private +exhibition of his skill, in order that Toby might see some of the talent +which was to help make their circus a glorious success. + + + + +CHAPTER II + +THE BLIND HORSE + + +Reddy had laid his plans so well that all the intending partners were +where they could easily be found on this evening when Toby's consent was +to be won, and Ben Cushing was no exception. On the hard, uneven floor +of his father's barn, with all his clothes discarded save his trousers +and shirt, he was making such heroic efforts in the way of practice, +that while the boys were yet some distance from the building they could +hear the thud of Ben's head or heels as he unexpectedly came in contact +with the floor. + +When the three visitors stood at the door and looked in, Ben professed +to be unaware of their presence, and began a series of hand-springs that +might have been wonderful, if he had not miscalculated the distance, +and struck the side of the barn just as he was getting well into the +work. + +[Illustration: PLANNING THE CIRCUS] + +Then, having lost his opportunity of dazzling them by showing that even +when he was alone he could turn any number of hand-springs simply in the +way of exercise, he suddenly became aware of their presence, and greeted +his friends with the anxiously asked question as to what Toby had +decided to do about entering the circus business. + +Bob and Reddy, instead of answering, waited for Toby to speak; it was a +good opportunity to have the important matter settled definitely, and +they listened anxiously for his decision. + +"I'm goin' into it," said Toby after a pause, during which it appeared +as if he were trying to make up his mind, "'cause it seems as if you had +it almost done now. You know when I got home last summer I didn't ever +want to hear of a circus or see one, for I'd had about enough of them, +an' then I'd think of poor Mr. Stubbs, an' that would make me feel awful +bad. I didn't think, either, that we could get up such a good show; but +now you fellers have got so much done towards it, I think we'd better go +ahead--though I do wish Mr. Stubbs was alive, an' we had a skeleton an' +a fat woman." + +Reddy Grant cheered very loudly as a means of showing how delighted he +was at thus having finally enlisted Toby in the scheme, and Bob, as +proof of the high esteem in which all the projectors of the enterprise +held this famous circus-rider, said: + +"Now you know all about circuses, Toby, an' you shall be the chief boss +of this one, an' we'll do just what you say." + +Toby almost blushed as this great honor was actually thrust upon him, +and he hardly knew what reply to make, when Ben ceased his acrobatic +exercises, and, with Bobby and Reddy, stood waiting for him to give his +orders. + +"I s'pose the first thing to do," he said at length, "is to see if Jack +Douglass is willin' for us to have his hoss, an' then find out what +Uncle Dan'l says about it. If we don't get the hoss, it won't be any use +to say anything to Uncle Dan'l." + +Reddy was so anxious to have matters settled at once that he offered to +go up to Mr. Douglass's house then, if the others would wait there for +his return, which proposition was at once accepted. + +Mr. Douglass was an old colored man who lived fully half a mile from the +village; but Reddy's eagerness caused quick travelling, and in a +surprisingly short time he was back breathless and happy. The coveted +horse was to be theirs for as long a time as they wanted him, provided +they fed him well, and did not attempt to harness him into a wagon. + +The owner of the sightless animal had expressed his doubts as to +whether he would ever make much of a circus-horse, owing to his lack of +sight and his extreme age; but he argued that if, as was very probable, +the animal fell while being ridden, he would hurt his rider quite as +much as himself, and therefore the experiment would not be tried so +often as seriously to injure the steed. + +It only remained to consult Uncle Daniel on the matter, and of course +that was to be attended to by Toby. He would have waited until a fitting +opportunity presented itself; but his companions insisted so strongly, +that he went home at once to have the case decided. + +Uncle Daniel was seated by the window as usual, looking out over the +distant hills as if he were trying to peer in at the gates of that city +where so many loved ones awaited him, and it was some moments before +Toby could make him understand what it was he was trying to say. + +"So ye didn't get circusin' enough last summer?" asked the old +gentleman, when at last he realized what it was the boy was talking +about. + +"Oh yes, I did!" replied Toby, quickly; "but you see that was a real +one, an' this of ours is only a little make-believe for three cents. We +want to get you to let us have the lot between the barn an' the road to +put our tent on, an' then lend us old Whitey. We're goin' to have Jack +Douglass's hoss that's blind, an' we've got a three-legged cat, an' one +without any tail, an' lots of things." + +"It's a kind of a cripples' circus, eh? Well, Toby boy, you can do as +you want to, an' you shall have old Whitey; but it seems to me you'd +better tie her lame leg on, or she'll shake it off when you get to +makin' her cut up antics." + +Then Uncle Daniel returned to his reverie, and the show was thus decided +upon, the projectors going again to view the triangular piece of land +so soon to be decorated with their tents and circus belongings. + +Each hour that passed after Toby had decided, with Uncle Daniel's +consent, to go into the circus business made him more eager to carry out +the brilliant plan that had been unfolded by Bob Atwood and Reddy Grant, +until his brain was in a perfect whirl when he went to bed that night. +He was sure he could ride as well as when he was under Mr. Castle's +rather severe training, and he thought over and over again how he would +surprise every one who knew him; but he did not stop to think that there +might be a difference between the horse he had ridden in the circus and +the lame one of Uncle Daniel's, or the blind one belonging to Mr. +Douglass. He had an idea that it all depended upon himself, with very +little reference to the animal, and he was sure he had his lesson +perfectly. + +Early as he got up the next morning, his partners in the enterprise +were waiting for him just around the corner of the barn, where he found +them as he went for the cows, and they walked to the pasture with him in +order to discuss the matter. + +Ben Cushing was in light-marching and acrobatic costume, worn for the +occasion in order to give a full exhibition of his skill; and Reddy had +been up so long that he had had time to procure Mr. Douglass's wonderful +steed, which he had already led to the pasture so that he could be +experimented upon. + +"I thought I'd get him up there," he said to Toby, "so's you could try +him; 'cause if we don't get money enough to hire one of Rube Rowe, +you'll have to ride the blind one or the lame one, an' you'd better find +out which you want. If you try him in the pasture the fellers won't see +you; but if you did it down by your house, every one of 'em would huddle +'round." + +Toby thought the general idea was a good one; but he was just a trifle +uncertain as to how the blind horse would get along on such uneven +ground. However, he said nothing, lest his companions should think he +was afraid to make the attempt; and when Ben and Bob proceeded to mark +out a ring, he advised them as to its size. + +The most level piece of ground that could be found was selected as the +place for the trial, but several small mounds prevented it from being +all a circus-rider could ask for. + +Bob volunteered to lead the horse around the track several times, hoping +he would become so accustomed to it as to be able to go by himself after +a while; and Toby made his preparations by laying his hat on the ground +with a stone on it, so that he should be sure to find it when his +rehearsal was done. + +It was a warm job Bob had undertaken, this leading the blind animal +along the ill-defined line that marked the limits of the ring, for the +sun shone brightly, and there were no friendly trees to lend a shelter; +but he paid no attention to his discomfort because of the fact that he +was doing something towards the enterprise which was to bring them in +both honor and money. + +The poor old horse was the least interested of the party, and he +stumbled around the circle in an abused sort of way, as if he considered +it a piece of gross injustice to force him on the weary round when the +grass was so plentiful and tender just under his feet. + +Ben was busily engaged in lengthening Mr. Douglass's rather weak and +aged bridle with a small piece of rope, and from time to time he +encouraged the ambitious clown in his labor. + +"Keep it up, if it is hot!" he shouted; "an' when we get him so's he can +do it alone, he'll be jest as good a circus-hoss as anybody would want, +for we can stuff him with hay an' grass till he's fat," and Ben looked +at the clearly defined ribs in a critical way, as if trying to decide +how much food would be necessary to cover them with flesh. + +"Oh, I can keep on as long as the hoss can," said Bob, as he wiped the +perspiration from his face with one hand, and clung firmly to the +forelock of the animal with the other; "but we've been round here as +many as six times already, an' he don't seem to know the way any better +than when we started." + +"Oh yes, he does," cried Reddy, who was practising for his duties as +ring-master, anxious that his education should advance as fast as the +horse's did; "he's got so he knows enough to turn out for that second +knoll, though he does stumble a little over the first one." + +By this time Ben had the bridle adjusted to suit him, Toby was ready to +make his first attempt at riding since he left the circus, and the more +serious work was begun. + +Ben bridled the horse after some difficulty, Reddy drew out from its +hiding-place a whip made by tying a piece of cod-line to an alder +branch, and Toby was about to mount, when Joe Robinson came in sight. + +He had been running at full speed, and was nearly breathless; but he +managed to cry out so that he could be understood after considerable +difficulty: + +"Hold on! don't go to ridin' till after we get some hoops for you to +jump through." + +"I guess I won't try any jumpin' till after I see how he goes," said +Toby as he looked rather doubtfully first at the horse's weak legs, and +then at his sharp back; "besides, we can't use the hoops till he gets +more used to the ring." + +Joe threw himself on the ground as if he felt quite as much aggrieved +because he was thus left out of the programme as the horse apparently +did because he was in it, and Bob consoled him by explaining that he +had no reason to feel slighted, since he, who, as the clown, was to be +the life of the entertainment, could take no other part in these +preparatory steps than to lead a blind horse around a still blinder +ring. + +"Hold him while I get on," said Toby as he clutched the mane and a +portion of the prominent backbone, drawing himself up at some risk of +upsetting the rather shaky steed. + +But there was no necessity of his giving this order, for, although four +boys sprang to do his bidding, the weary horse remained as motionless as +a statue, save for his hard breathing which proclaimed the fact that the +"heaves" had long since singled him out as a victim. + +Toby succeeded in getting on the animal's back after some exertion; but +he found standing there an entirely different matter from standing on +the broad saddles that were used in the circus, and the boy and the +horse made a shaky-looking pair. + +"Shall I start him?" asked Bob, while Reddy stood as near the centre of +the ring as he could get, prepared to snap his cod-line whip at the +first signal. + +Toby hesitated a moment; he knew that to attempt to stand upon, or on +either side of, that prominent backbone, after its owner was in motion, +would be simply to invite his own downfall; and he said, as he seated +himself carefully astride the bone: + +"Let him walk around once till I see how he goes." + +Reddy cracked his whip without producing any effect upon the patient +steed, but, after much coaxing, Bob succeeded in starting him again, +while Toby bounced up and down much like a kernel of corn on a griddle, +such a decided motion did the horse have. + +"He won't ever do for a ridin' hoss," said Toby with much difficulty, +when he was half-way around the circle, "'cause you see his bones is so +sharp that he feels as if he was comin' to pieces every time he steps." + +"Jest get him to trottin' once, an' then you can tell what he's good +for," suggested Reddy, anxious to try the effect of his whip; and, +without waiting for the rider's permission, he lashed the unfortunate +animal with the cod-line until he succeeded in rousing him thoroughly. + +It was in vain Toby begged him to stop, and Bob shouted that such a +course was not the proper one for a ring-master to pursue. Reddy was +determined the rider should have an opportunity of trying the horse +under full speed, and the result was that the animal broke loose from +Bob's guiding hand, rushing out of the imaginary ring into the centre of +the pasture at a rate of speed that would have surprised and frightened +Mr. Douglass had he been there to see it. + +Shaken first up, then down, and from one side to the other, Toby +stretched himself out at full length, clasping the horse around the +neck as the patched bridle broke, and shouting "Whoa!" at the full +strength of his lungs. + +After running fully fifty yards, until it seemed to Toby that his head +and his body had been pounded into one, the horse stopped, leaned one +heel up against the other, and stood as if dreamily asking whether they +wanted any more circus out of him. + +"Couldn't anybody ride him, he jolts so," said Toby to his partners, as +they came running up to where he stood trying to find out whether or not +his tongue was bleeding, and fearing it was, because his teeth had been +pounded down on it so hard two or three times. "You see, in the circus +they had big, wide saddles, an' the hosses didn't go anything like him." + +"Well, we can fix a saddle," said Bob, thoughtfully; "but I don't know +as we could do anything to the hoss." + +"Perhaps old Whitey'll go better, 'cause she's lame," suggested Reddy, +feeling that considerable credit was due him for having made it possible +to test the animal's qualities in so short a time. + +"I wouldn't wonder if this one would be all right when he gets a saddle +on an' is trained," said Joe, and then he added, quickly, "I hain't got +anything more to do to-day, an' I'll stay up here an' train him." + +The partners were only too glad to accept this offer; and while Joe led +the horse back to the supposed ring, Ben gave a partial exhibition of +his acrobatic feats, omitting the most difficult, owing to the uneven +surface of the land. + +Then the partners retired to the shade of some alder bushes, where they +could fight mosquitoes and talk over their plans at the same time, while +Joe was perspiring in his self-imposed task of educating the blind +horse. + + + + +CHAPTER III + +ABNER BOLTON + + +"Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said Bob, "'cause I've seen 'em +a good many times in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made. While +I'm doin' that you fellers must be fixin' 'bout who else we'll have in +the show. Leander Leighton will come up here to-morrow, so's we can hear +how he plays, an' we must have everything fixed by then." + +"Why didn't he come to-day?" asked Ben, thinking that all the members of +the firm should have been present at this first rehearsal. + +"Well, you see, he had to split some wood, an' he had to take care of +the baby. I offered to help him with the wood; but he said he couldn't +get away any quicker if I did, for just as soon as the baby saw another +feller waitin' 'round, she'd yell so awful hard he'd have to stay in all +day." + +This explanation as to the absence of the band appeared to be perfectly +satisfactory to those present, and they began to discuss the merits of +certain of their companions in order to decide upon the proper ones to +enlist as members, since the number of their performers was not so large +as they thought it should be in a show where an admission fee of three +cents was to be charged. + +Just as they were getting well into their discussion, and, of course, +speaking of such matters as managers should keep a profound secret from +the public, Bob cried out: + +"There comes Abner Bolton! He's always runnin' 'round where he hain't +wanted; an' I wonder how he come to know we was here? I'll send him off +mighty quick now, you see." + +The boy who had disturbed Bob so greatly was so near when he was first +discovered that by the time the threat had been uttered he was close +upon them. He was a small boy, not more than eight years old, and hardly +as large as a boy of six should be; he walked on crutches because of his +deformed legs, which hung withered and useless, barely capable of +supporting his slight weight. + +"Now, what do _you_ want?" asked Bob, in an angry tone. + +"I don't want anything," was the mild reply, as the cripple halted just +outside the shade, as if not daring to come any farther until invited. +"I heard you was goin' to get up a circus, an' I thought perhaps you'd +let me watch you, 'cause I wouldn't bother you any." + +"You would bother us, an' you can't stay 'round here, for we hain't +goin' to have anybody watchin' us. You may come to the show if you can +get three cents." + +"I don't s'pose I could do that," said the boy, looking longingly +towards the shade, but still standing in the sun. "I don't have any +chance to get money, an' I do wish you boys would let me stay where you +are, for it's so awful lonesome out to the poor-farm, an' I can't run +around as you can." + +"Well, you can't stay here, an' the sooner you go back to the village +the better we'll like it, for we don't want anybody to know what we're +talkin' about." + +Toby had attempted to speak once or twice while Bob was engaged with the +cripple from the poor-farm; but he did not get an opportunity until +Abner turned to go away, looking thoroughly sad and disheartened. + +"Don't go, Abner, but come and set down here where it's cool, an' +perhaps we can fix it for you." + +The cripple turned as Toby spoke, and the look which came into his face +went right to the heart of the boy, who for ten long weeks had known +what it was to be almost entirely without a friend. + +"I don't see what you want him 'round here for," said Bob, petulantly, +as Abner seated himself by Toby's side, thoroughly exhausted by his long +walk. "He can't do nothin'; an' if he could, we don't want no fellers +from the poor-farm mixed up with the show." + +"It don't make any difference if he does live to the poor-farm," said +Toby, as he put his little brown hand on Abner's thin fingers. "He has +to stay there 'cause his father and mother's dead, an' perhaps I'd been +there, 'cept for Uncle Dan'l. If I'd thought before about his bein' +lonesome an' not bein' able to play like the rest of us, I'd gone out to +see him; an' now we do know it we'll let him stay with us, an' perhaps +he can do something in the circus." + +"The fellers will laugh at us, an' say we're runnin' a poorhouse show," +replied Bob, sulkily. + +"Well, let 'em laugh; we'll feel a good deal better'n they do, 'cause +we'll know we're tryin' to let a little feller have some fun what don't +get many chances;" and, in his excitement, Toby spoke so loudly that Joe +came running up to see what was the matter. + +"Let him stay 'round here to-day, 'cause we've got all through +practisin', an' then tell him to keep away," said Ben, thinking this +idea a very generous one. + +"He can belong to the show jest as well as not; an' if you fellers will +let him, I'll give you my part of all the money we make." + +This proposition of Toby's put the matter on a very different basis, and +both Ben and Bob now looked favorably inclined towards it. + +"Don't you do that, Toby," said Abner, his eyes filling with tears +because of the kindness shown him. "I'll go right away, an' I won't +come into the village again to bother you." + +"You shall come into the village every day, Abner, an' you won't bother +us at all, for you shall go 'long of me everywhere I do, an' I won't +never walk any faster'n you can;" and Toby moved his seat nearer Abner, +to show that he took him under his especial care. + +"He might help tend the door," said Joe, kindly, anxious to please Toby, +"an' that'll give me a chance to do more howlin' for the hyenas, 'cause +that'll be 'bout all I oughter do if I have to hold the hoops." + +"Yes, he can do that," and Toby was very eager now, "an' we can get him +a stool to sit on, an' he can do jest as much as if he could stand up." + +By this time Bob and Ben had decided that, in consideration of Toby's +offer, Abner should be counted as one of the company, and the matters +under discussion that had been interrupted by the cripple's coming were +again taken up. + +Owing to the possible chance that Joe could not succeed in training the +blind horse sufficiently to make him useful in the ring, it was +necessary to know just what animals they could procure, and Bob offered +to see Chandler Merrill for the purpose of securing the services of his +Mexican pony, who had never allowed any one to ride him without first +having a severe battle. + +"We can train him down all right," said Bob; "an' you fellers come down +now while I find out 'bout the pony, so's we can come back here after +dinner." + +As it was very important that this matter should be settled as soon as +possible, Bob's advice was acted upon; and as the boys started to go, +Toby said: + +"Come, Abner, you come home with me an' get some dinner, an' then you +can come back here when I do." + +Bob was disposed to make sport of this sudden friendship; but Toby paid +no attention to what he said, and if any of them wanted to talk with +him, they too were obliged to walk with the boy from the poor-farm. + +By the time they arrived at Uncle Daniel's, Toby had formed many plans +for making the life of the homeless boy more cheerful than it ever had +been. + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +THE PONY + + +Toby's interest in the crippled boy whom he had taken under his charge +was considerably greater than in the contemplated circus; and both Bob +and Ben felt angry and injured when, in the midst of some brilliant plan +for startling those of the good people of Guilford who should come to +their circus, Toby would stop to say something to Abner, who was +hobbling along as fast as possible in order that he might not oblige the +party to wait for him. + +For a number of years Toby had known that there was a crippled orphan at +the poor-farm; but it so happened that he had not met him very often, +and even then he had no idea of the lonely life the boy was obliged to +lead. + +On the way to the village he had formed several plans by which he might +aid Abner; but none of them could be put into operation until after he +had consulted Uncle Daniel and Aunt Olive. + +It was nearly noon, and the understanding was that each one should get +his dinner and go to the pasture again, when it would be known whether +they were to be able to number Chandler Merrill's pony among the +attractions of their show, or be wholly dependent upon the disabled +horses that as yet made up their collection. + +"You're comin' to get dinner with me, Abner," said Toby, as he stopped +in front of Uncle Daniel's gate, while the little fellow was continuing +on his way to the only place he could call home, there to get his dinner +with the other paupers. + +"I'm afraid your aunt won't want me," he said, shyly, while it was plain +to be seen that he would be more than well pleased to accept the +invitation. + +"Aunt Olive won't care a bit, an' she'll be glad to have you, I know, +'cause she says it always does her good to see hungry people eat, though +if that's so I must have done her an awful sight of good lots of times, +for it don't seem to me I ever set down to the table in my life but what +I was awful hungry. Come on now, so's we'll have time to get our hands +an' faces washed before the dinner-bell rings." + +Abner followed Toby in a hesitating way, much as if he expected each +moment to be ordered back; and when they arrived at the door he stood on +the threshold, not daring to enter until permission had been given. + +"This is Abner Bolton, Uncle Dan'l," said Toby, as he saw that his newly +made friend would not come in without an invitation from some one +besides himself. "He lives out to the poor-farm, an' he don't have any +such nice home as I've got, so I thought you wouldn't care if I brought +him in to dinner." + +"You've got a good heart, Toby, boy, and the Lord will reward you for +it," said Uncle Daniel, as he stroked the boy's refractory hair; and +then he said to Abner, "Come in, my lad, and share Toby's dinner, nor +need you ever hesitate about accepting any such invitation when it leads +you here." + +Then Aunt Olive greeted Abner so kindly that the poor boy hardly knew +whether it was reality or a dream, so strange was it all to him. + +During the dinner Toby told of the difficulty he had had in getting his +partners to consent to Abner's being one of the company, and Aunt Olive, +who had shown considerable interest in the circus scheme, said: + +"Why don't you let him keep a stand, and then he can make some money for +himself. I will bake him a lot of doughnuts and ginger-snaps, and your +Uncle Dan'l will lend him money enough to buy lemons an' sugar. It will +be a deal better than to have Nahum Baker there with his pies that are +as heavy as lead, an' doughnuts that have soaked up all the fat in the +pan." + +Toby was delighted with the plan, and Abner's eyes glistened at the mere +idea that it might be possible for him to do, once in his life at least, +as did other and more fortunate boys. + +It certainly seemed, when they arrived at the pasture again, as if +everything was conspiring in favor of their circus, for Chandler Merrill +had willingly consented to let them use his pony; but he had done so +with the kindly prophecy that the little animal would "kick their brains +out" if they were not careful with him. + +In order to make sure that the consent would not be withdrawn, and at +the same time to prove that he told the truth, Bob had brought the pony +with him, and, judging from his general appearance as he stood gazing +suspiciously at the Douglass horse, he deserved all that was said of him +regarding his vicious qualities. He was about half the size of an +ordinary horse, and his coat was ragged-looking, owing to its having +been rubbed off in spots, thus giving him the air of just such a pony as +one would suppose willing to join a party of boys in starting a circus. + +"Now, there's a hoss that hain't either lame or blind," said Bob, +proudly, as he led the pony once around the ring to show his partners +how he stepped. If he was intending to say anything more, he concluded +to defer it while he made some very rapid movements in order to escape +the blow the "hoss" aimed at him with his hind-feet. + +"Kicks, don't he?" said Toby, in a tone which plainly told he did not +think him very well suited to their purpose. + +"Well, he did then," and Bob fastened the halter more securely by +putting one end of the rope through the pony's mouth; "but you see +that's 'cause he hain't been used much, an' he's tickled 'cause he's +goin' to belong to a circus." + +"How long before he'll get over bein' tickled?" asked Joe. "I'm willin' +to train Jack Douglass's hoss; but I don't know 'bout this one till he +gets sorry enough not to kick." + +"Oh, he'll be all right jest as soon as Toby rides him 'round the ring a +little while." + +"Do you think I'm goin' to ride him?" asked Toby, beginning to believe +his partners expected more of him than ever Mr. Castle did. + +"Of course; a feller what's been with a circus ought to know how to ride +any hoss that ever lived," replied Bob, with considerable emphasis, +owing to the fact that the pony kicked and plunged so that his words +were jerked out of him, rather than spoken. + +"I s'pose some fellers can; but I wasn't with the circus long enough to +find out how to ride such hosses as them," and Toby retired to the shade +of the alder bushes, where Abner was sitting to wait until Bob and the +pony had come to terms. + +It was quite as much as Bob could do to hold his prize, without trying +to make any arrangements for having him ridden, and he called Reddy to +help him. + +Now, as the ring-master of the contemplated circus, Reddy ought to have +known all about horses, and he thought he did until the pony made one +plunge, just as he came up smiling with whip in hand. Then he said, as +he ran towards Toby: + +"I don't believe I want to be ring-master if we're goin' to have that +hoss." + +"Here, Joe, you help me," cried Bob, in desperation, growing each moment +more afraid of the steed. "I want to get him up by the fence, where we +can hitch him, till we find out what to do with him." + +Joe was perfectly willing to assist the unfortunate clown in his +troubles; but, as he started towards him, the pony wheeled and flung his +heels out with a force that showed he would do some damage if he could, +and Joe also joined the party among the bushes. + +Bob was thus left alone with his prize, and a most uncomfortable time he +appeared to be having of it, standing there in the hot sun clinging +desperately to the halter, and jumping from one side to the other when +the pony attempted to bite, or strike him with his fore-feet. + +"Let him go; he hain't any good," shouted Reddy from his secure retreat. + +"If I let go the halter, he'll jump right at me," and there was a +certain ring in Bob's voice that told he was afraid. + +"Hitch him to the fence, an' then climb over," suggested Joe. + +"But I can't get him over there, for he won't go a step," and Bob +continued to hold fast to the halter, afraid to do so, but still more +afraid to let go. + +He had borrowed the pony; but it certainly seemed as if the animal had +borrowed him, for his fear caused him to cling desperately to the halter +as the only possible means of saving his life. + +The boys under the alder bushes were fully alive to the fact that +something should be done although they were undecided as to what that +something should be. + +Joe proposed that they all rush out and scare the pony away, but Bob +insisted that he would be the sufferer by such a course. Reddy thought +if Bob should show more spirit, and let the vicious little animal see +that he was not afraid of him, everything would be all right; but when +it was proposed that he try the plan himself, he concluded, perhaps, +there might be serious objections to such a course. + +Ben thought if all of them got hold of the halter, they could pull the +pony to the fence, and this plan was looked upon with such favor that it +was adopted at once. + +Every one, except Abner, took hold of the halter, after some little +delay in getting there, owing to the readiness of the pony to use his +heels at the slightest provocation; and, just when they were about to +put forth all their strength in pulling, the pony jumped towards them +suddenly, rendering their efforts useless, and starting all, save Bob, +back to the alder bushes in ignominious flight. + +Bob still remained at his post, or, more correctly speaking, the halter, +and it was very much against his will that he did so. + +"I wish Chandler Merrill would come up here an' get his old hoss, for I +don't want him any longer," he said, angrily. "He ought to be prosecuted +for lettin' us have such a old tiger." + +Bob did not seem to remember that, if he had refused the loan of the +pony, he would have considered Chandler Merrill very selfish; in fact, +he hardly remembered anything save his own desire to get rid of the +animal, and as quickly as possible. + +"What shall I do?" he cried, in desperation. "I can't stand here all +day, an' the hoss don't mean to let me get away." + +"We've got to help Bob," said Toby, decidedly, as he arose to his feet +again, and went towards the unfortunate clown. "If you fellers will try +to hold him, I'll get on his back, an' then Bob can get away." + +"But he'll throw you off, an' hurt you," objected Abner, trying to +prevent his newly made friend from going. + +"I can stop him from doing that, an' it's the only way I know of to help +Bob." + +"You get on, Toby, an' then I'll scoot jest as soon as you get hold of +the halter," said Bob, happy at this prospect of being relieved. "Then, +when you get a chance, you jump off, an' we'll let somebody else take +him home." + +It was a hard task, and they all ran considerable risk of getting +kicked; but at last it was accomplished, so far as mounting was +concerned. Toby was on the pony's back with a firm grasp of the rope +that was made to serve as bridle. + +"Now, be all ready to run," he said; and there was no disposition to +linger shown by any of his friends. + +"Let go!" he shouted, and at the sound of his voice the boys went one +way and the pony another at full speed. + +It was not until the would-be circus managers were within the shelter of +the clump of bushes that they stopped to look for their partner, and +then they saw him at the further end of the pasture, the pony running +and leaping as if doing his best to dislodge his rider. + +Even the Douglass horse seemed to be excited by the display of spirit, +for he capered around in a manner very unbecoming one as old and blind +as he. + +Only for a few moments could they watch the contest, and then the +distant trees hid Toby Tyler and Chandler Merrill's pony from view. + + + + +CHAPTER V + +OLD BEN + + +Some time the boys watched for Toby's return, and just as they were +beginning to think they ought to go in search of him, and fearing lest +he had been hurt by the vicious pony, they saw him coming from among the +trees, alone and on foot. + +"Well," said Bob, with a sigh of relief, "he's got rid of the hoss, an' +that was all we wanted." + +Toby's story, when at last, hot and tired, he reached the alder bushes, +was not nearly so exciting as his partners anticipated. He had clung to +the pony until they entered the woods, where he was brushed off by the +branches of the trees as easily as if he had been a fly, and with as +little damage. + +How they should get the pony back into its owner's keeping was a +question difficult to answer, and they were all so completely worn out +by their exertions to get rid of him that they did not attempt to come +to any conclusion regarding it. + +While they were resting from their labors, and before they had ceased to +congratulate each other that they had succeeded in separating themselves +from the pony, Leander Leighton, his accordion under his arm and his +clappers in his hand, made his appearance. + +His struggle with the baby had evidently come to an end sooner than he +had dared hope, and the managers were happy at this speedy prospect of +hearing what their band could do in the way of music. + +"Boys!" shouted Leander, excitedly, while he was some distance away, +"there's a real circus comin' here next week--the same one Toby Tyler +run away with--an' the men are pastin' up the bills now, down to the +village!" + +The boys looked at each other in surprise; it had never entered into +their calculations that they might have a real circus as a rival, and +certainly Toby had never thought he would again see those whom he had +first run away with and then run away from. He was rather disturbed by +the prospect at first, for it seemed certain that Job Lord and Mr. +Castle would try to compel him to go with them; but a moment's thought +convinced him that Uncle Daniel would not allow them to carry him away, +and he grew as eager for more news as any of the others. + +Leander knew no more than he had already told; after having been +relieved from his care of the baby, he had started for the pasture, and +had seen the show-bills as he came along. He was certain it was the same +circus Toby had gone with, for the names on the bills were the same, and +he had heard some of the townspeople say so as he came along. + +"An' I shall see the skeleton an' the fat woman again," said Toby, +delighted at the idea of meeting those kind friends from whom he had +thought himself parted with forever. + +"Don't you s'pose you could get 'em to leave that show an' come with +ours?" asked Bob, thinking perhaps some kind fortune had thrown this +opportunity in their way that they might the better succeed in their +project. + +Toby was not sure such a plan could be made to work, for the reason that +they were only intending to give two or three performances, and Mr. and +Mrs. Treat might not think it worth their while to leave the circus they +were with on the strength of such uncertain prospects. + +"And you shall go to the show, Abner," said Toby, pleased at the +opportunity he would have of making the crippled boy happy for one day +at least; "an' I'll take all of you fellers down, an' get the skeleton +to talk at you, so's you can see how nice he is. You shall see his wife, +an' old Ben, an' Ella, an'--" + +"But won't you be afraid of Job Lord?" interrupted Leander, fearful lest +Toby's dread of meeting his old employer might prevent them from having +all this promised enjoyment. + +"Uncle Dan'l wouldn't let him take me away, an' now I'm home here I +don't believe old Ben would let him touch me." + +There was evidently no probability that they would transact any more +business relative to their own circus that day, so intent were they on +talking about the one that was to come, and it was not until nearly time +to drive the cows home that they remembered the presence of their band. + +Ben proposed that Leander should show them what he could do in the way +of music, so that he need not be at the trouble of bringing his +accordion up into the pasture again, and the boys ceased all +conversation for the purpose of listening to the so-called melody. + +After considerable preparation in the way of polishing his clappers on +the cuff of his jacket and fingering the keys of his accordion to make +sure they were in proper working order, Leander extracted with one +finger a few bars of "Yankee Doodle" from the last-named instrument, and +gave an imitation of a drum with the clappers, in a manner that won for +him no small amount of applause. + +"Now, we'll go home," said Toby, "'cause Uncle Dan'l will be waitin' for +me an' the cows, an' to-morrow I'll meet you down-town where the circus +pictures be." + +Then he helped Abner on to his crutches, and walked beside him all the +way, wishing, oh, so much! that he could save the poor boy from having +to go out to the poor-farm to sleep. + +"You come in just as early as you can in the mornin', Abner, an' you +shall eat dinner with me," he said, as he parted with the boy at Uncle +Daniel's gate, "an' perhaps you'll make so much money at our circus that +you won't ever have to go out to the poor-farm again." + +Abner tried to thank his friend for the kindness he had shown him; but +the sobs of gratitude came into his throat so fast that it was +impossible, and he hobbled away towards his dreary home, while Toby ran +into the house to tell the astounding news of the coming of the circus. + +"So all the people who were so kind to you will be here next week, will +they?" said, rather than asked, Aunt Olive. "Well, Toby, we'll kill one +of the lambs, an' you shall invite them up here to dinner, which will +kind of encourage them to be good to any other little boy who may be as +foolish as you were." + +Toby lay awake a long time that night, thinking of the pleasure he was +to have in seeing Mr. and Mrs. Treat, old Ben and little Ella, eating +dinner in Uncle Daniel's home, and of how good a boy he ought to be to +repay his uncle and aunt for their loving-kindness to him. + +Operations were almost entirely suspended by the would-be circus +managers in view of the coming of the real show. It would have been +commercial folly to attempt to enter into competition with it; the real +circus would, without a doubt, prove too strong a rival for them to +contend against; and by waiting until after it had come and gone they +might be able to pick up some useful ideas regarding the show they +proposed to give. + +This delay would be to their advantage in a great many other ways. The +band would have so much time for practice that he might learn another +tune, or even be able to play with more than one finger; their acrobat +would have so many rehearsals that he could, perhaps, double his present +allowance of hand-springs, and Joe would be able to bring his horses to +a more perfect state of training. + +Mr. Douglass, having no use for his horse, was perfectly willing he +should remain under Joe's tuition, providing it was done in Uncle +Daniel's pasture; but matters were not in so good a condition regarding +the pony. + +Chandler Merrill was anxious to have his property returned to him, and +not willing to go after it. Besides, Mr. Douglass's horse was in great +danger of being kicked to death so long as the vicious little animal +remained in the same pasture. + +Very many were the discussions the boys had on the subject; but nothing +could be suggested which promised any relief, after Bob's brilliant idea +of driving the pony out, and letting him find his way home as best he +might, was tried without success. The pony not only refused to go out, +but he actually drove the boys away by the liberal use he made of his +heels. + +Slowly the time passed until the day before the one on which the circus +was to arrive, Toby had almost been counting the hours and Abner, who +was to see the interior of a circus tent for the first time in his life, +was quite as excited as he. + +The lamb had been killed as Aunt Olive had promised, and a rare store of +good things in the way of apple-pies, cake, doughnuts, and custards had +been prepared, until the pantry looked like a large-sized baker's shop +just opened for inspection. + +Everything was ready for the guests, who were to be invited to dinner +next day; and when Toby went to bed that night, it seemed as if he would +never get to sleep for thinking of all the friends he was to see. + +Abner was in quite as sleepless a condition as Toby; Aunt Olive had +invited him to remain overnight, so that he might see everything that +was going on, and as he lay in the soft, geranium-scented bed, his eyes +were kept wide open by his delight with what seemed to him the +magnificence of the room. + +It seemed as though each boy in the village considered himself Toby's +particular and intimate friend during the week that preceded the coming +of the circus; and the marbles, balls, and boats that were showered upon +him in the way of gifts would almost have stocked a small shop. + +Then, on this day before the circus, all the boys in town were most +anxious to know just where Toby proposed meeting the cavalcade, at what +time he was to start, and other details which showed quite plainly it +was their intention to accompany him if possible. + +When Toby went to bed, it was with the express understanding with Uncle +Daniel that he was to be called at daylight, in order that he might +start out to meet the circus when it stopped to prepare for its entrance +into the town. The place where the procession was usually formed was +fully two miles from town, and as Abner could hardly walk that distance, +and certainly could not walk so fast as Toby would want to go, he had +agreed to drive the cows to pasture, after which he was to go to the +tenting-ground, where his friend would introduce him to all the +celebrities. + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +THE GREAT EVENT + + +Uncle Daniel seemed quite as anxious as Toby that he should leave the +house in time to meet his circus friends before the entree was made, and +Aunt Olive afterwards said he didn't sleep a wink after two o'clock for +fear he might not waken in time to rouse the anxious boy. + +It was fully an hour before sunrise when Uncle Daniel awakened Toby, and +cautioned him to eat as much of the lunch Aunt Olive had set out as +possible, insisting that what he could not eat he should put into his +pocket, as it would be a long while before he would get his dinner. + +The two miles Toby was obliged to walk seemed very short ones, and at +nearly every house on the road one or more boys were watching for him +quite as eagerly as for the show itself, so that by the time he arrived +at the place where two or three of the wagons had drawn up by the side +of the road, he had as many as a hundred boys for an escort, all of whom +were urging him to get the manager to take out a few lions and tigers +for their inspection before starting for the village. + +Toby could hold out no promise to them; on the contrary, he insisted +that he hardly knew the manager, save by sight, and explained to them +that they were unwise to come with him on any such errand, since none of +the curiosities could be seen there, and if old Ben were still with the +company he should ride back with him. + +But the boys put very little faith in what he said, seeming to have the +idea that he simply wanted to get rid of them, and, instead of going +away, they surrounded him more closely. + +Toby watched anxiously as each wagon came up, and he failed to +recognize any of the drivers. For the first time it occurred to him that +perhaps those whom he knew were no longer with this particular company, +and his elation gave way to sadness. + +Fully twenty wagons had come, and he had just begun to think his fears +had good foundation, when in the distance he saw the well-remembered +monkey-wagon, with the burly form of old Ben on the box. + +Toby could not wait for that particular team to come up, even though it +was driven at a reasonably rapid speed; but he started towards it as +fast as he could run, and, following him something like the tail of a +comet, were all his friends, who, having come so far, were determined +not to lose sight of him for a single instant, if it could be prevented +by any exertions on their part. + +Old Ben was driving in a sleepy sort of way, and paid no attention to +the little fellow who was running towards him, until Toby shouted, and +then the horses were stopped with a jerk that nearly threw them back on +their haunches. + +"Well, Toby, my son! I declare, I am glad to see you;" and old Ben +reached down for the double purpose of shaking hands and helping the boy +on to the seat beside him. "Well, well, well, it's been some time since +you've been on this 'ere box, hain't it? I'd kinder forgotten what town +it was we took you from; I knew it was somewhere hereabouts though, an' +I've kept my eye peeled for you ever since we've been in this part of +the country. So you found your Uncle Dan'l all right, did you?" + +"Yes, Ben, an' he was awful good to me when I got home; but Mr. Stubbs +got shot." + +"No? you don't tell me! How did that happen?" + +Then Toby told the story of his pet's death, and, although it had +occurred a year before, he could not keep the tears from his eyes as he +spoke of it. + +"You mustn't feel bad 'bout it, Toby," said Ben, consolingly, "for, you +see, monkeys has got to die jest like folks, an' your Stubbs was sich a +old feller that I reckon he'd died anyhow before long. But I've got one +in the wagon here that looks a good deal like yours, an' I'll show him +to you." + +As Ben spoke he drew his wagon, now completely surrounded by boys, up by +the side of the road near the others, and opened the panel in the top so +that Toby could have a view of his passengers. + +Curled up in the corner nearest the roof, where Mr. Stubbs had been in +the habit of sitting, Toby saw, as Ben had said, a monkey that looked +remarkably like Mr. Stubbs, save that he was younger and not so sedate. + +Toby uttered an exclamation of surprise and joy as he pushed his hand +through the bars of the cage, and the monkey shook hands with him as Mr. +Stubbs used to do when greeted in the morning. + +"Why, I never knew before that Mr. Stubbs had any relations!" said Toby, +looking around with joy imprinted on every feature. "Do you know where +the rest of the family is, Ben?" + +There was no reply from the driver for some time; but instead, Toby +heard certain familiar sounds as if the old man were choking, while his +face took on the purplish tinge which had so alarmed the boy when he saw +it for the first time. + +"No, I don't know where his family is," said Ben, after he had recovered +from his spasm of silent laughter, "an' I reckon he don't know nor care. +Say, Toby, you don't really think this one is any relation to your +monkey, do you?" + +"Why, it must be his brother," said Toby, earnestly, "'cause they look +so much alike; but perhaps Mr. Stubbs was only his cousin." + +Old Ben relapsed into another spasm, and Toby talked to the monkey, who +chattered back at him, until the boys on the ground were in a perfect +ferment of anxiety to know what was going on. + +It was some time before Toby could be persuaded to pay attention to +anything else, so engrossed was he with Mr. Stubbs's brother, as he +persisted in calling the monkey, and the only way Ben could engage him +in conversation was by saying, + +"You don't seem to be very much afraid of Job Lord now." + +"You won't let him take me away if he should try, will you?" Toby asked, +quickly, alarmed at the very mention of his former employer's name, even +though he had thought he would not be afraid of him, protected as he now +was by Uncle Daniel. + +"No, Toby, I wouldn't let him if he was to try it on, for you are just +where every boy ought to be, an' that's at home; but Job's where he +can't whip any more boys for some time to come." + +"Where's that?" + +"He's in jail. About a month after you left he licked his new boy so bad +that they arrested him, an' he got two years for it, 'cause it pretty +nigh made a cripple out of the youngster." + +Toby was about to make some reply; but Ben continued unfolding his +budget of news. + +"Castle stayed with us till the season was over, an' then he went out +West. I don't know whether he got his hair cut trying to show the Injuns +how to ride, or not; but he never come back, an' nobody I ever saw has +heard anything about him." + +"Are Mr. and Mrs. Treat with the show?" + +"Yes, they're still here; he's a leetle thinner, I believe, an' she's +twenty pound heavier. She says she weighs fifty pounds more'n she did; +but I don't believe that, even if she did strike for five dollars more a +week this season on the strength of it, an' get it. They keep right on +cookin' up dinners, an' invitin' of folks in, an' the skeleton gets +choked about the same as when you was with the show. I don't know how it +is that a feller so thin as Treat is can eat so much." + +"Uncle Dan'l says it's 'cause he works so hard to get full," said Toby, +quietly, "an' I shouldn't wonder if I grew as thin as the skeleton one +of these days, for I eat jest as awful much as I used to." + +"Well, you look as if you got about all you needed, at any rate," said +Ben, as he mentally compared the plump boy at his side with the thin, +frightened-looking one who had run away from the circus with his monkey +on his shoulder and his bundle under his arm. + +"Is Ella here?" asked Toby, after a pause, during which it seemed as if +he were thinking of much the same thing that Ben was. + +"Yes, an' she keeps talkin' about what big cards you an' her would have +been if you had only stayed with the show. But I'm glad you had pluck +enough to run away, Toby, for a life like this hain't no fit one for +boys." + +"And I was glad to get back to Uncle Dan'l," said Toby, with a great +deal of emphasis. "I wouldn't go away without he wanted me to, if I +could go with a circus seven times as large as this. Do you suppose +young Stubbs would act bad if I was to take him for a walk?" + +"Who?" asked Ben, looking down at the crowd of boys with no slight show +of perplexity. + +"Mr. Stubbs's brother," and Toby motioned to the door of the cage. "I'd +like to take him up in my arms, 'cause it would seem so much like it +used to before his brother died." + +Ben was seized with one of the very worst laughing spasms Toby had ever +seen, and there was every danger that he would roll off the seat before +he could control himself; but he did recover after a time, and as the +purple hue slowly receded from his face, he said: + +"I'll tell you what we'll do, Toby. You come to the tent when the +afternoon performance is over, an' I'll fix it so's you shall see Mr. +Stubbs's brother as much as you want to." + +Just then Toby remembered that Ben was to be his guest for a while that +day, and, after explaining all Aunt Olive had done in the way of +preparing dainties, invited him to dinner. + +"I'll come, Toby, because it's to see you an' them that has been good to +you," said Ben, slowly, and after quite a long pause: "but there hain't +anybody else I know of who could coax me out to dinner; for, you see, +rough fellows like me hain't fit to go around much, except among our +own kind. But say, Toby, your Uncle Dan'l hain't right on his speech, is +he?" + +Toby looked so puzzled that Ben saw he had not been understood, and he +explained: + +"I mean, he don't get up a dinner for the sake of havin' a chance to +make a speech, like the skeleton, does he, eh?" + +"Oh no, Uncle Dan'l don't do that. I know you'll like him when you see +him." + +"And I believe I shall, Toby," said Ben, speaking very seriously; "I'd +be sure to, because he's such a good uncle to you." + +Just then the conversation was interrupted by the orders to prepare for +the parade; and as the manager drove up to see that everything was done +properly, he stopped to speak with and congratulate Toby on being home +again, a condescension on his part that caused a lively feeling of envy +in the breasts of the other boys, because they had not been so honored. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +ATTRACTIONS FOR THE LITTLE CIRCUS + + +While he stood there, the wagon in which the skeleton and his wife +travelled rolled past; but Toby knew they were still sleeping, and would +continue to do so until their tent was ready for them to go into. + +The carriage in which the women of the company rode also passed him, and +he almost fancied he could see Ella sitting in one of the seats sleeping +with her head on her mother's shoulder, as she had slept on the stormy +night when his head was nearly jerked from his body as he tried to sleep +while sitting upright. + +There were but three of the drivers who had been with the circus the +year before, and, after speaking with them, he stood by the side of the +road, and watched the preparations for the entree with feelings far +different from those with which he had observed such preparations in +that dreary time when he expected each moment to hear Job Lord order him +to attend to his work. + +The other boys crowded quite as close to him as they could get, as if by +this means they allied themselves in some way with the show; and when a +drove of ponies were led past, Joe Robinson said, longingly: + +"There, Toby, if we had one or two of them to train, it would be +different work from what it is to make the Douglass boss remember his +way round the ring." + +"You wouldn't have to train them any," began Toby; and then he had no +time to say anything more, for Ben, who had been talking with the +manager, called to him. + +"Has your Uncle Dan'l got plenty of pasturage?" asked Ben, when the boy +approached him. + +"Well, he's got twenty acres up by the stone quarry, an' he keeps three +cows on it, an' Jack Douglass's hoss, that don't count, for he's only +there till we boys have our circus," said Toby, never for a moment +dreaming of the good fortune that was in store for him. + +"So you're goin' to have a circus of your own, eh?" asked Ben, with a +smile that alarmed Toby, because he feared it was a signal for one of +those terrible laughing spells. + +"We're only goin' to have a little three-cent one," replied Toby, +modestly, noting with satisfaction that Ben's mirth had gone no further +than the smile. + +"Two of our ponies are about used up," said the manager, "and we've got +to leave them somewhere. Ben tells me he is going to see your Uncle +Dan'l this noon, so suppose you take one of these boys and ride them up +to the pasture. Ben will make a bargain with your uncle for their +keeping, and you can use them in your circus if you want to." + +Joe Robinson actually jumped for joy as he heard this, and Toby's +delight spread itself all over his face, while Bob Atwood and Ben +Gushing went near the fence, where they stood on their heads as a way of +expressing their elation at thus being able to have real live ponies in +their circus. + +A black and a red pony were the ones pointed out for Toby to take away, +and they were not more than twice as large as Newfoundland dogs; they +were, in fact, just exactly what was wanted for a little circus such as +the boys were about to start. + +Joe was so puffed up with pride at being allowed to ride one of these +ponies through the village that if his mind could have affected his body +he would not have weighed more than a pound, and he held his head so +high that it seemed a matter of impossibility for him to see his feet. + +Very much surprised were Uncle Daniel and Aunt Olive at seeing Toby and +Joe dash into the yard astride of these miniature horses, just as they +were sitting down to breakfast; and when the matter had been explained, +Abner appeared quite as much pleased that the boys would have this +attraction in their circus as if he were the sole proprietor of it. + +It was with the greatest reluctance that either of the boys left his +pony in the stable-yard and sat down to breakfast, so eager was Joe to +get back to the tenting-ground to see what was going on, and so anxious +was Toby to see the skeleton and his wife as soon as possible. But they +ate because Uncle Daniel insisted that they should do so; and, when +breakfast was over, he advised that the ponies be left in the stable +until Chandler Merrill's pony could be removed from the pasture. + +When they started down town again, Abner went with them, and it was so +late in the morning that Toby was sure the skeleton and his wife would +be prepared to receive visitors. + +When Toby, Abner, and Joe reached the tenting-ground, everything was in +that delightful state of bustle and confusion which is attendant upon +the exhibition of a circus in a country town, where the company do not +expect that the tent will be more than half filled, and where, in +consequence, the programme will be considerably shortened. + +It did not require much search on Toby's part to find the tent wherein +the skeleton and his wife exhibited their contrasting figures, for the +pictures which hung outside were so gaudy, and of such an unusually +large size, that they commanded the attention of every visitor. + +"Now I'm goin' in to see 'em," said Toby, first making sure that the +exhibition had not begun; "an' Joe, you take Abner over so's he can see +how Nahum Baker keeps a stand, an' then he'll know what to do when we +have our circus. I'll come back here for you pretty soon." + +Then Toby ran around to the rear of the tent, where he knew he would +find a private entrance, thus running less risk of receiving a blow on +the head from some watchful attendant, and in a few moments he stood +before Mr. and Mrs. Treat, who, having just completed their +preparations, were about to announce that the exhibition could be +opened. + +"Why, Toby Tyler, you dear little thing!" cried the enormous lady, in a +joyful tone, after she had looked at the boy intently for a moment, to +make sure he was really the one whom she had rescued several times from +Job Lord's brutality; and then she took him in her fat arms, hugging him +much as if he were a lemon and she an unusually large squeezer. "Where +did you come from? How have you been? Did you find your Uncle Daniel?" + +Her embrace was so vigorous that it was some seconds after she had +released him before he could make any reply; and while he was trying to +get his breath the fleshless Mr. Treat took him solemnly by the hand, +and cleared his throat as if he were determined to take advantage of the +occasion to make one of his famous speeches. + +"My dear Mr. Tyler," he said, squeezing Toby's hand until it ached, "it +is almost impossible for me to express the joy I feel at meeting you +once more. We--Lilly and I--have looked forward to such a moment as this +with a great deal of impatience, and even during our most prosperous +exhibitions we have found time to speak of you." + +"There, there, Samuel, don't take up so much time with your long-winded +talk, but let me see the dear little fellow myself;" and Mrs. Treat +lifted her slim husband into a chair, where he was out of her way, and +again greeted Toby by kissing him on both cheeks with a resounding smack +that rivalled anything Reddy Grant had yet been able to do in the way +of cracking his whip. + +Then she fairly overwhelmed him with questions, nor would she allow her +husband to say a word until Toby had answered them all. He was again +obliged to tell the story of Mr. Stubbs's death; of his return home, and +everything connected with his running away from the circus; while all +the time the fat lady alternately kissed and hugged him, until it seemed +as if he would never be able to finish his story. + +"And, now that you are home again, don't ever think of running away, +even though I must admit that you made a wonderful success in the ring;" +and Mr. Treat crossed one leg over the other in a triumphant way, +pleased that he had at last succeeded in getting a chance to speak. + +Toby was very emphatic in his assurances that he should never run away +again, for he had had quite as much experience in that way as he +wanted; and, after he had finished, Mrs. Treat, by way of further +showing her joy at meeting him once more, brought out from a large black +trunk fully half a dozen doughnuts, each quite as large among their kind +as she was among women. + +"Now eat every one of them," she said, as she handed them to Toby, "an' +it will do me good to see you, for you always used to be such a hungry +little fellow." + +Toby had already had two breakfasts that morning, but he did not wish to +refuse the kindly proffered gift, and he made every effort to do as she +requested, though one of the cakes would have been quite a feast for him +at his hungriest moment. + +The food reminded him of the dinner-invitation he was to deliver, and, +as he forced down the rather heavy cake, he said: + +"Aunt Olive's killed a lamb, an' made an awful lot of things for dinner +to-day, an' Uncle Dan'l says he'd be glad to have you come up. Ben's +coming an' I'm goin' to find Ella, so's to have her come, an' we'll +have a good time." + +"Lilly an' I will be pleased to see your aunt's lamb, and we shall be +delighted to meet your Uncle Daniel," replied the skeleton, before his +wife could speak, and then a "far-away" look came into his eyes, as if +he could already taste, or at least smell, the feast in which he was +certain he should take so much pleasure. + +"That's just the way with Samuel," said Mrs. Treat, as if she would +offer some apology for the almost greedy way in which her husband +accepted the invitation; "he's always thinking so much about eating that +I'm afraid he'll begin to fat up, and then I shall have to support both +of us." + +"Now, my dear"--and Mr. Treat used a tone of mild reproof--"why should +you have such ideas, and why express them before our friend, Mr. Tyler? +I've eaten considerable, perhaps, at times; but during ten years you +have never seen me grow an ounce the fatter, and surely I have grown +some leaner in that time." + +"Yes, yes, Sammy, I know it, and you shall eat all you can get, only try +not to show that you think so much about it." Then, turning to Toby, she +said, "He's such a trial, Sam is. We'll go to see your uncle, Toby, and +we should be very glad to do so even if we wasn't going for dinner." + +"Ben an' me will come 'round when it's time to go," said Toby, and then, +in a hesitating way, he added, "Abner's out here--he's a cripple that +lives out to the poor-farm--an' he never saw a circus or anything. Can't +I bring him in here a minute before you open the show?" + +"Of course you can, Toby, my dear, and you may bring all your friends. +We'll give an exhibition especially for them. We haven't got a +sword-swallower this year, and the albino children that you used to know +have had to leave the business, because albinos got so plenty they +couldn't earn their salt; but we've got a new snake-charmer, and a man +without legs, and a bearded lady, so--" + +"So that our entertainment is quite as morally effective and +instructively entertaining as ever," said Mr. Treat, interrupting his +wife to speak a good word for the exhibition. + +Toby ran out quickly, that he might not delay the regular business any +longer than was absolutely necessary; and at the very entrance of the +tent, looking at the pictures in wonder that almost amounted to awe, he +found Abner with his partners, and about a dozen other boys. + +"Come right in quick, fellers," said Toby, breathlessly, "an' you can +see the whole show before it commences." + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +THE DINNER PARTY + + +The invitation was no sooner given than accepted; and in a twinkling +every one of those boys was inside the tent, looking at the skeleton and +the fat woman as though they had been old acquaintances. + +Toby had told Mr. and Mrs. Treat of the little circus they were +intending to have, and he introduced to them his partners in the +enterprise. + +The fleshy Lilly smiled encouragingly upon them, and the skeleton, +moving his chair slightly to prevent his wife from interrupting him, +said: + +"I am pleased to meet you, gentlemen, principally, and I might almost +say wholly, because you are the friends of my old friend, Mr. Tyler. +Whatever business relations you may have with him, whether in the great +profession of the circus, or in the humbler walks of life, I am sure he +will honor the connection." + +From appearances Mr. Treat would have continued to talk for some time, +but his wife passed around more doughnuts, and the attention of the +visitors was so distracted that he was obliged to stop. + +"And this is Abner," said Toby, taking advantage of the break in the +skeleton's speech to lead forward his crippled friend. + +Abner limped blushingly towards the gigantic lady, and when both she and +her thin husband spoke to him kindly, he was so covered with confusion +at the honor thus showered upon him that he was hardly able to say a +word. + +But the time was passing rapidly, and as there were many persons +outside, probably, waiting for an opportunity to pay their money to see +the varied attractions of the show, Mrs. Treat gave the signal for the +snake-charmer to begin the entertainment, which was given as a mark of +respect, as the skeleton explained, to their friend Toby Tyler. + +[Illustration: MR. AND MRS. TREAT EXHIBIT PRIVATELY] + +This private exhibition lasted about fifteen minutes, and when, at its +close, the doors were thrown open to such of the public as were willing +to pay to come in, the boys were not at all anxious to leave. + +"Let them stay as long as they want to, Toby," said the skeleton +indulgently. + +The boys were only too glad to avail themselves of this permission, and +Toby said to Abner: + +"I want to see if I can find Ella, an' you stay here till I come back." + +"I'll keep him right here by me," said Mrs. Treat, "and he'll be safe +enough." + +Remembering how she had served Job Lord, Toby had no fears for the +safety of his friend; he went at once, therefore, to deliver the +invitation to the last of Aunt Olive's expected guests. + +When, after some little time, Toby returned, the boys had satisfied +their curiosity so far as the side-show was concerned, and all except +Abner had left the tent. + +That he had found Ella was evident, as that young lady herself skipped +along by his side in the greatest possible delight at having met her +former riding companion; and that she had accepted his invitation to +dinner was shown by the scrupulous care with which she was dressed. + +"It's time to go up to Uncle Dan'l's," Toby whispered to Mrs. Treat, +"an' Ben's harnessin' the hosses into your wagon, so's you won't have to +go to the trouble of puttin' on your other clothes." + +"I don't know as we ought to go up there in this rig," said Mrs. Treat +doubtfully, as she looked down at her "show dress," made to display her +arms and neck to the greatest advantage, and then at her husband's +costume, which was as scanty as his body. "I wanted to dress up when we +went there; but I don't see how I'll get the chance to do it." + +"I wouldn't bother, 'cause Uncle Dan'l will like you jest as well that +way, an' it will take you too long," said Toby impatiently. + +The skeleton, on being consulted as to the matter, decided to do as Toby +wished, because by adopting that course they would the sooner get the +dinner about which he had been thinking ever since he had received the +invitation. + +But while Mrs. Treat was ready to believe that her costume might be +reasonably fit to wear to a dinner party, she was certain that something +more than tights and a pair of short, red velvet trousers was necessary +for her husband. + +Mr. Treat tried to argue with his much larger half, insisting that Uncle +Daniel would understand the matter; but his wife insisted so strongly, +and with such determination to have her own way, that he compromised by +adding to his scanty wardrobe a black frock-coat and a tall silk hat, +which gave him a rather more comical than distinguished appearance. + +The audience were dismissed as soon as possible; Abner was helped into +the wagon, perfectly delighted at being allowed to ride in a circus van, +and the party started for Uncle Daniel's. + +Toby sat on the box with Ben, to show him the way; and when the gaudily +painted cart stopped in front of the farm-house; it was much as if a +peacock had suddenly alighted amid a flock of demure hens. + +Uncle Daniel was out in the yard to receive his strangely assorted +guests, and the greeting they received from both him and Aunt Olive was +as hearty as if they had been old acquaintances. + +There was a look of calm satisfaction on the skeleton's face as the odor +of roast lamb was mingled with Uncle Daniel's welcome when he descended +from the wagon; and as the company were ushered into the "fore-room," +the air of which was pungent with the odors of herbs used to keep the +moths from carpet and furniture, a restful feeling came over them such +as only those whose lives are dreary rounds of travelling can feel. + +Uncle Daniel insisted on taking care of the horses himself, for his idea +of the duties of host would not allow that Ben should help him, and +almost as soon as he had finished this work dinner was ready. + +When all the guests were at the table, and Uncle Daniel bowed his head +to invoke a blessing on those who had befriended the fatherless, the +look of general discomfort old Ben had worn from the time he reached the +house passed away, and in its place came the peaceful look Toby had seen +on Sundays after the old driver had come from church. + +It seemed to Toby that he had never really known Uncle Daniel before, so +jolly was he in his efforts to entertain his guests; and the manner in +which he portioned out the food, keeping the plates well filled all the +time, was in the highest degree pleasing to Mr. Treat. + +Of course very much was said about the time when Toby was an unwilling +member of the circus, and Mrs. Treat and Ben told of the boy's +experiences in a way that brought many a blush to his cheeks. Mr. Treat +was too busy with Aunt Olive's lamb, as he affectionately spoke of it, +to be able to say anything; he was wonderfully fortunate in not choking +himself but once, and that was such a trifling matter that it was all +over in a moment. + +Old Ben told Toby that night, however, that Treat would not have got on +so well, if his wife had not trodden on his toes frequently, as a hint +to eat more slowly. + +Although Abner had spent several hours in the side-show, it seemed as if +he would never tire of gazing at Mrs. Treat's enormous frame, and so +intently did he look at her that he missed a good chance of getting a +second piece of custard pie, though Toby nudged him several times to +intimate that he could have more as well as not. + +Ben told a number of stories of circus life; Mrs. Treat related some of +her experiences in trying to prevent her husband from eating too fast; +Ella told Aunt Olive of the home she and her mother lived in during +winter; and the hour which had been devoted to this visit passed so +pleasantly that every one was sorry when it was ended. + +"You've got a trim little farm here," said Ben to Uncle Daniel, when the +two went out to harness the horses; "an' I reckon that a man who has got +land enough to support him is fixed jest about as well as he can be. I +don't know of anything I'd rather be than a farmer, if I could only get +away from circus life." + +"Whenever you want to leave that business," said Uncle Daniel solemnly +and earnestly, "you come right here, and I'll show you the chance to +become a farmer." + +"I'd like to," said Ben, with a sigh of regret that the matter seemed so +impossible; "but I've been with a circus now, man an' boy, goin' on +forty-one years, an' I s'pose I shall always be with one." + +Then he changed the conversation, making an arrangement with Uncle +Daniel for pasturing the ponies that were to be left behind, and by the +time the bargain was completed the horses were at the door. + +While Uncle Daniel and old Ben had been at the stables, Mr. Treat had +been showing his liberality by giving Aunt Olive tickets for the +side-show and circus, and inducing her to promise that she and Uncle +Daniel would see both shows. He had also given Toby fully a dozen circus +tickets for distribution among his friends; and then, as Uncle Daniel +entered, he said: + +"I wish to express thanks--both for myself and my wife Lilly--for the +very kind manner in which you have entertained us to-day." + +Before he could say anything more the others came to say good-bye, and +he was disappointed again. Aunt Olive kissed Ella several times, while +the parting with the others was almost as between old friends, and the +guests started for the tent again, more than satisfied with their visit. + +"Now, Toby, you look me up jest after the show is out this afternoon, +an' we'll fix it so's you shall have a chance to talk with Mr. Stubbs's +brother," said Ben, as they were driving along. + +As a matter of course Toby promised to be there, and to bring Abner with +him. + +"You said that little cripple had to live at the poor-farm, didn't you?" +asked Ben, after quite a long pause. + +"Yes, an' it's 'cause he hain't got no father or mother, nor no Uncle +Dan'l like I've got," said Toby sadly. + +"Hain't he got any relations anywhere?" + +"No; Uncle Dan'l said he didn't have a soul that he could go to." + +"It must be kinder hard for him to live there alone, an' I don't s'pose +he'll ever be able to walk." + +Toby was not at all certain whether or not Abner could ever be cured; +but he told the old driver what he knew of the lonely life the boy led. +Ben did not appear to hear what was said, for he was in one of his deep +studies and seemed unconscious of everything except the fact that his +horses were going in the proper direction. + +"I'll tell you what I'll do, Toby," he said, after remaining silent +until they were nearly at the tent. "I hain't got a child or a chick in +the world, an' I'll take care of that boy." + +Toby looked up in surprise, as he repeated, in a puzzled way: + +"You'll take care of him?" + +"I don't mean that I'll take hold an' tote' him 'round; but he shall +have as much as he needs out of every dollar I get. I'll see your Uncle +Dan'l, an' fix it somehow so he'll be taken out of the poorhouse." + +"Why, Ben, how good you are!" and Toby looked up at his friend with +sincere admiration imprinted on his face. + +"It hain't 'cause I'm good, my lad; but if I didn't help that poor +fellow in some way, I'd see them big eyes an' that pale face of hisn +every night I rode on this box alone; so you see I only do it for the +sake of havin' peace," said Ben, with a forced laugh; and then he +stopped the horses at the rear of Mr. Treat's tent. "Now you jump down, +Toby, so's to see the skeleton don't break himself all to pieces gettin' +out, for I'm kinder 'fraid he will some day. I'd rather drive a hundred +monkeys than one sich slim man as him." + +Then Ben had a fit of internal laughter caused by his own remark, and +Uncle Daniel's guests were ready to resume their duties at the circus. + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +MR. STUBBS'S BROTHER + + +It was so near the time for the circus to begin that Toby was obliged to +hurry considerably in order to distribute among his friends the tickets +the skeleton had given him, and he advised Abner to remain with Mrs. +Treat while he did so, in order to escape the crowd, among which he +might get injured. + +Then he gave his tickets to those boys who he knew had no money with +which to buy any, and so generous was he that when he had finished he +had none for himself and Abner. + +That he might not be able to witness the performance did not trouble him +very greatly, although it would have been a disappointment not to see +Ella ride; but he blamed himself very much because he had not saved a +ticket for Abner, and he hurried to find Ben that he might arrange +matters for him. + +The old driver was easily found, and still more easily persuaded to +grant the favor which permitted Abner to view the wonderful sights +beneath the almost enchanted canvas. + +From one menagerie wagon to another Toby led his friend as quickly as +possible, until they stood in front of the monkeys' cage, where Mr. +Stubbs's supposed brother was perched as high as possible, away from the +common herd of monkeys which chatted familiarly with every one who +bribed them. + +Toby was in the highest degree excited; it seemed as if his pet that had +been killed was again before him, and he crowded his way up to the bars +of the cage, dragging Abner with him, until he was where he could have a +full view of the noisy prisoners. + +Toby called to the monkey as he had been in the habit of calling to Mr. +Stubbs, but now the fellow paid no attention to him whatever; there were +so many spectators that he could not spend his time upon one, unless he +were to derive some benefit in return. + +Fortunately, so far as his happiness was concerned, Toby had the means +of inducing the monkey to visit him, for in his pocket yet remained two +of the doughnuts Mrs. Treat had almost forced upon him; and, remembering +how fond Mr. Stubbs had been of such sweet food, he held a piece out to +the supposed brother. + +Almost immediately that monkey made up his mind that the freckle-faced +boy with the doughnut was the one particular person whom he should be +acquainted with, and he came down from his perch at a rapid rate. + +So long as Toby was willing to feed him with doughnuts he was willing to +remain; but when his companions gathered around in such numbers that +the supply of food was quickly exhausted, he went back to his lofty +perch, much to the boy's regret. + +"He looks like Mr. Stubbs, and he acts like him, an' it must be his +brother sure," said Toby to himself as Abner hurried him away to look at +the other curiosities. When he was at some distance from the cage he +turned and said, "Good-bye," as if he were speaking to his old pet. + +During the performance that afternoon Abner was in a delightful whirl of +wonder and amazement; but Toby's attention was divided between what was +going on in the ring and the thought of having Mr. Stubbs's brother all +to himself as soon as the performance should be over. + +He did, however, watch the boy who sold peanuts and lemonade, but this +one was much larger than himself, and looked rough enough to endure the +hardships of such a life. + +Toby was also attentive when Ella was in the ring, and he was envied by +all his acquaintances when she smiled as she passed the place where he +was sitting. + +Abner would have been glad if the performance had been prolonged until +midnight; but Toby, still thinking of Mr. Stubbs's brother, was pleased +when it ended. + +He and Abner waited by the animal's cages until the crowd had again +satisfied their curiosity; and as the last visitor was leaving the tent +old Ben came in, followed by Mr. and Mrs. Treat, both in exhibition +costume. + +Toby was somewhat surprised at seeing them, for he knew their busiest +time was just at the close of the circus, and while he was yet wondering +at their coming he saw Ella approaching from the direction of the +dressing-tent. + +He had not much time to spend in speculation, however, for Ben said, as +he came up: + +"Now, boy, you shall see Mr. Stubbs's brother, and talk to him just as +long as you want to." + +The skeleton and his wife and Ella looked at each other and smiled in a +queer way as Ben said this; but Toby was too much excited at the idea of +having the monkey in his arms to pay any attention to what was going on +around him. + +Ben, unlocking the door of the cage, succeeded, after considerable +trouble, in catching the particular inmate he wanted, and, handing him +to Toby, said: + +"Now let's see if he knows you as well as Stubbs did." + +Toby took the monkey in his arms with a glad cry of delight, and fondled +him as if he really were the pet he had lost. + +Whether it was because the animal knew that the boy was petting him, or +because he had been treated harshly, and was willing to make friends +with the first one who was kind to him, it is difficult to say; certain +it is that as soon as he found himself in Toby's arms he nestled down +with his face by the boy's neck, remaining there as contentedly as if +the two had been friends for years. + +"There, don't you see he knows me!" cried the boy in delight, and then +he sat down upon the ground, caressing the animal, and whispering all +sorts of loving words in his ear. + +"He does seem to act as if he had been introduced to you," said old Ben, +with a chuckle. "It would be kinder nice if you could keep him, wouldn't +it?" + +"'Deed it would," replied Toby earnestly. "I'd give everything I've got +if I could have him, for he does act so much like Mr. Stubbs it seems as +if it must be him." + +Then Ella whispered something to the old driver, the skeleton bestowed +a very mysterious wink upon him, the fat woman nodded her head till her +cheeks shook like two balls of very soft butter, and Abner looked +curiously on, wondering what was the matter with Toby's friends. + +He soon found out what it was, however, for Ben, after indulging in one +of his laughing spasms, asked: + +"Whose monkey is that you've got in your arms, Toby?" + +"Why, it belongs to the circus, don't it?" And the boy looked up in +surprise. + +"No, it don't belong to the circus; it belongs to you--that's who owns +it." + +"Me? Mine? Why, Ben--" + +Toby was so completely bewildered as to be unable to say a word, and +just as he was beginning to think it some joke, Ben said: + +"The skeleton an' his wife, an' Ella and I, bought that monkey this +forenoon, an' we give him to you so's you'll still be able to have a Mr. +Stubbs in the family." + +"Oh, Ben!" was all Toby could say; with the monkey tightly clasped in +his arms, he took the old driver by the hand; but just then the skeleton +stepped forward holding something which glistened. + +"Mr. Tyler," he said, in his usual speech-making style, "when our friend +Ben told us this morning about your having discovered Mr. Stubbs's +brother, we sent out and got this collar for the monkey, and we take the +greatest possible pride in presenting it to you; although, if it had +been something that my Lilly could have made with her own fair fingers, +I should have liked it better." + +As he ceased speaking, he handed Toby a very pretty little dog-collar, +on the silver plate of which was inscribed: + + + +---------------------------------+ + | MR. STUBBS'S BROTHER. | + | PRESENTED TO | + | TOBY TYLER | + | | + | BY | + | | + | THE SKELETON, THE FAT WOMAN, | + | OLD BEN, LITTLE ELLA. | + +---------------------------------+ + + +Toby took the collar, and as he fastened it on the monkey's neck he +said, in a voice that trembled considerably with emotion: + +"You've all of you been awful good to me, an' I don't know what to say +so's you'll know how much I thank you. It seems as if ever since I +started with the circus you've all tried to see how good you could be; +an' now you've given me this monkey that I wanted so much. Some time, +when I'm a man, I'll show you how much I think of all you've done for +me." + +The tears of gratitude that were gathering in Toby's eyes prevented him +from saying anything more, and then Mrs. Treat and Ella both kissed him, +while Ben said, in a gruff tone: + +"Now carry the monkey home, an' get your supper, for you'll want to come +down here this evening, an' you won't have time if you don't go now." + +Ella, after making Toby promise that he would see her again that night, +went with Mr. and Mrs. Treat, while old Ben, as if afraid he might +receive more thanks, walked quickly away towards the dressing-rooms, and +there was nothing else for Toby and Abner to do but go home. + +It surely seemed as if every boy in the village knew that Toby Tyler had +remained in the tent after the circus was over, and almost all of them +were waiting around the entrance when the two boys came out with the +monkey. + +If Toby had stayed there until each one of his friends had looked at and +handled the monkey as much as he wanted to, he and Abner would have +remained until morning, and Mr. Stubbs's brother would have been made +very ill-natured. + +He waited until his friends had each looked at the monkey, and then he +and Abner started home, escorted by nearly all the boys in town. + +The partners in the amateur-circus scheme were nearly as wild with joy +as Toby was, for now their enterprise seemed an assured success, since +they had two real ponies and a live monkey to begin with. They seemed to +consider it their right to go to Uncle Daniel's with Toby; and when the +party reached the corner that marked the centre of the village, they +decided that the others of the escort should go no farther--a decision +which relieved Toby of an inconvenient number of friends. + +As it was, the party was quite large enough to give Aunt Olive some +uneasiness lest they should track dirt in upon her clean kitchen floor, +and she insisted that both the boys and the monkey should remain in the +yard. + +Toby had an idea that Mr. Stubbs's brother would be treated as one of +the family; and, had any one hinted that the monkey would not be allowed +to share his bed and eat at the same table with him, he would have +resented it strongly. + +But Uncle Daniel soon convinced him that the proper place for his pet +was in the wood-shed, where he could be chained to keep him out of +mischief, and Mr. Stubbs's brother was soon safely secured in as snug a +place as a monkey could ask for. + +Not until this was done did the partners return to their homes, or the +centre of attraction--the tenting-grounds--nor did Toby find time to get +his supper and go for the cows. + +Not once during the afternoon had Toby said anything to Abner of the +good fortune that might come to him through old Ben; but when he got +back from the pasture and met Uncle Daniel in the barn, he told him what +the old driver had said about Abner. + +"Are you sure you heard him rightly, Toby, boy?" asked the old gentleman +as he pushed his glasses up on his forehead, as he always did when he +was surprised or perplexed. + +"I know he said that; but it seems as if it was too good to be true, +don't it?" + +"The Lord's ways are not our ways, my boy, and if he sees fit to work +some good to the poor cripple, he can do it as well through a circus +driver as through one of his elect," said Uncle Daniel reverentially, +and then he set about milking the cows in such an absent-minded way that +he worried old Short-horn until she kicked the pail over when it was +nearly half full. + + + + +CHAPTER X + +THE ACCIDENT + + +That night Toby and Abner went to the circus grounds with Uncle Daniel +and Aunt Olive; and when old Ben approached the party as they were +nearing the tent, Toby motioned the cripple to come with him, for he +thought it might be better that the boy should not hear the conversation +concerning himself. + +It had been decided by Uncle Daniel that the boys should go to the +circus grounds that evening, and stay there until it was nearly dark, +when they were to go home and go to bed; for he never believed it could +do boys any good to be out after dark, while he was certain it was +better for their health if they went to bed early. + +Therefore Toby intended to make this visit simply one of farewell, +after Abner should see a little more of the bustle and confusion that +had so fascinated him in the afternoon. + +To that end the boys walked around the enclosure, listened to the men +who were loudly crying the wonderful things they had for sale, and all +the while kept a bright lookout in the hope of seeing some of their +circus friends. + +It was nearly time for the performance to begin when the boys went into +the skeleton's tent, and said good-bye to the thin man and his fat wife. + +Then Toby, anxious to run around to the dressing-rooms to speak with +Ella, and not daring to take Abner with him, said to the boy: + +"Now you wait here for a minute, an' I'll be right back." + +Abner was perfectly contented to wait; it seemed to him that he would +have been willing to stay there all night, provided the excitement +should be continued, and he gazed around him in perfect delight as he +leaned against one of the tent ropes. + +Toby found Ella without much difficulty; but both she and her mother had +so much to say to him that it was some time before he could leave them +to go in search of Ben. + +The old driver was curled up on his wagon, taking "forty winks," as he +called a nap, before starting on the road again. + +When Toby awakened him, he explained that he would not have taken the +liberty if it had not been for the purpose of saying good-bye, and Ben +replied, good-naturedly: + +"That's all right, Toby; I should only have been angry with you if you +had let me sleep. I've fixed it with your uncle about that little +cripple; and now, when I get pitched off and killed some of these dark +nights, there'll be one what'll be sorry I'm gone. Be a good boy, Toby; +don't ever do anything you'd be afraid to tell your Uncle Dan'l of, and +next year I'll see you again." + +Toby wanted to say something; but the old driver had spoken his +farewell, and was evidently determined neither to say nor to hear +anything more, for he crawled up on the box of the wagon again, and +appeared to fall asleep instantly. + +Toby stood looking at him a moment, as if trying to make out whether +this sudden sleep was real, or only feigned in order to prevent the +parting from being a sad one; and then he said, as he started towards +the door: + +"Well, I thank you over and over again for Mr. Stubbs's brother, even if +you have gone to sleep." Then he went to meet Abner. + +When he reached the place where he had left his friend, to his great +surprise he could see nothing of him. There was no possibility that he +could have made any mistake as to the locality, for he had left him +standing just behind the skeleton's tent. + +Toby ran quickly around the enclosure, asked some of the attendants in +the dressing-room if they had seen a boy on crutches, and then he went +into Mr. Treat's tent. But he could neither hear nor see anything of +Abner, whose complete disappearance was, to say the least, very strange. + +Toby was completely bewildered by this sudden disappearance, and for +some moments he stood looking at the place where he had left his friend, +as if he thought that his eyes must have deceived him, and that the boy +was still there. + +There were but few persons around the outside of the tent, those who had +money enough to pay for their admission having gone in, and those who +were penniless having gone home, so that Toby did not find many of whom +to make inquiries. The attaches of the circus were busily engaged +packing the goods for the night's journey, and a number of them had +gathered around one of the wagons a short distance away. But Toby +thought it useless to ask them for tidings of his missing friend, for he +knew by experience how busy every one connected with the circus was at +that hour. + +After he had looked at the tent rope against which he had seen Abner +leaning, until he recovered his presence of mind, he went into the tent +again for the purpose of getting Uncle Daniel to help him in the search. +As he was passing the monkey wagon, however, he saw old Ben--whom he had +left apparently in a heavy sleep--examining his wagon to make sure that +everything was right, and to him he told the story of Abner's strange +disappearance. + +"I guess he's gone off with some of the other fellows," said Ben, +thinking the matter of but little importance, but yet going out of the +tent with Toby as he spoke. "Boys are just like eels, an' you never know +where to find 'em after you once let 'em slip through your fingers." + +"But Abner promised me he'd stay right here," said Toby. + +"Well, some other fellows came along, an' he promised to go with them, I +s'pose." + +"But I don't believe Abner would; he'd keep his promise after he made +it." + +While they were talking they had gone out of the tent, and Ben started +at once towards the crowd around the wagon, for he knew there was no +reason why so many men should be there when they had work to do +elsewhere. + +"Did you go over there to see what was up?" asked the old driver. + +"No, I thought they were getting ready to start, an' I could see Abner +wasn't there." + +"Something's the matter," muttered the old man, as he quickened his +pace, and Toby, alarmed by the look on his friend's face, hurried on, +hardly daring to breathe. + +One look into the wagon around which the men were gathered was +sufficient to show why it was that Abner had not remained by the tent +as he had promised; for he lay in the bottom of the cart, to all +appearances dead, while two of the party were examining him to learn the +extent of his injuries. + +"What is the matter? How did this boy get hurt?" asked Ben, sternly, as +he leaped upon the wagon, and laid his hand over the injured boy's +heart. + +"He was standing there close by the guy ropes when we were getting ready +to let the canvas down. One of the side poles fell and struck him on the +head, or shoulder, I don't know which," replied a man. + +"It struck him here on the back of the neck," said one of those who were +examining the boy, as he turned him half over to expose an ugly-looking +wound around which the blood was rapidly settling. "It's a wonder it +didn't kill him." + +"He hain't dead, is he?" asked Toby, piteously, as he climbed up on one +of the wheels and looked over in a frightened way at the little +deformed body that lay so still and lifeless. + +"No, he hain't dead," said Ben, who had detected a faint pulsation of +the heart; "but why didn't some of you send for a doctor when it first +happened?" + +"We did," replied one of the men. "Some of the village boys were here, +and we started them right off." + +Almost as the man spoke, Dr. Abbott, one of the physicians of the town, +drove up and made his way through the crowd. + +Toby, too much alarmed to speak, watched the doctor's every movement as +he made an examination of the wounded boy, and listened to the accounts +the men gave of the way in which the accident had happened. + +"His injuries are not necessarily fatal, but they are very dangerous. He +lives at the poor-farm, and should be taken there at once," said the +doctor after he had made a slight and almost careless examination. + +Toby was anxious that the poor boy should be taken to his home rather +than to the comfortless place the doctor had proposed; but he did not +dare make the suggestion before asking Uncle Daniel's consent to it. He +was about to ask them not to move Abner until he could find his uncle, +when Ben whispered something to the doctor that caused him to look at +the old driver in surprise. + +"I'll ask Uncle Dan'l to take him home with us," said Toby as he slipped +down from his high perch and started towards the tent. + +"I'll take care of that," said Ben as he went towards the tent with him. +"I had just fixed it with your uncle so's he'd take Abner from the +poor-farm an' board him, an' now there's all the more reason why he +should do it. You go back an' stay with Abner, an' I'll bring your Uncle +Dan'l out." + +Then Toby went back to the wagon where the poor little cripple still +lay as one dead, while the blood flowed in a tiny stream from one of his +arms, where the physician had opened a vein. + +Not understanding the reason for this blood-letting, and supposing that +the crimson flow was due to the injuries Abner had received, Toby cried +out in his fear; but one of the men explained the case to him, and then +he waited as patiently as possible for the driver's return. + +Both Uncle Daniel and Aunt Olive came out with Ben, and within a very +few moments Abner was being carried to the farm-house, in the same wagon +that had taken him there before in company with the skeleton and his +party, for that famous dinner. + +It frightened Toby still more to see the unconscious boy carried into +the house by Ben and the doctor as though he were already dead; and when +Aunt Olive led them into the best room, where no one had slept since +Uncle Daniel's sister died, it seemed as if every one believed Abner +could not live, or they would not have carried him there. + +Toby hardly knew when Ben went away, or whether he said anything before +he left, or, in fact, anything else, so sad and confused was he. He did +not even think about Mr. Stubbs's brother, but remained in one corner of +the room, almost hidden by one of the flowing chintz curtains, until +Uncle Daniel heard him sobbing, and led him away to his room. + +"There is good reason to hope Abner will recover," said the old man as +he stroked Toby's hair; "but he is in the keeping of the One who never +errs, and whatsoever He does is good." + +Then Uncle Daniel actually kissed the boy, as he told him to go to bed +and go to sleep. Toby went to bed as he was commanded, though it seemed +impossible he should sleep while it might be that Abner was dying. + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +CHANGE OF PLANS + + +Toby was thoroughly surprised, when he awoke, to find that it was +morning, and that his slumber had been as sweet as if nothing had +happened. He dressed himself as quickly as possible, and ran +down-stairs, and Uncle Daniel told him the doctor had just left, after +saying he thought Abner would recover. + +It was a sad visit Toby paid Mr. Stubbs's brother that morning; and, as +he petted him, the tears came into his eyes when he thought of poor +Abner, until he was obliged to leave the monkey to himself, after having +tied him so that he could take a short run out of doors. + +Then he visited the ponies in the stable, and when he returned to the +house he found all his partners in the circus enterprise, as well as +several other boys, waiting to hear an account of the accident. + +Dr. Abbott had reported that Abner had been injured; but, as he had not +given any particulars, the villagers were in a state of anxious +uncertainty regarding it. + +After Toby had told them all he knew about the matter, and had allowed +them to see the monkey and the ponies, which some of them seemed to +regard as of more importance than the injured boy, Bob asked: + +"Well, now what about our circus?" + +"Why, we can't do anything on that till Abner gets well," said Toby, as +if surprised that the matter should even be spoken about. + +"Why not? He wasn't goin' to do any of the ridin', an' now's the time +for us to go ahead while we can remember what they did at the show +yesterday. It don't make any difference 'bout our circus if he did get +hurt," and Bob looked around at the others as if asking whether they +agreed with him or not. + +"I think we ought to wait till he gets better," said Joe, "'cause he was +goin' in with us, an' it don't seem jest fair to have the show when he's +so sick." + +"That's foolish," said Ben, with a sneer. "If he hadn't come up to the +pasture the other day, you wouldn't thought anything 'bout him, an' he'd +been out to the poor-farm where he belongs." + +"If he hadn't come up there," said Toby, "I'd never known how lonesome +he was, an' I'd gone right on havin' a good time without ever once +thinkin' of him. An' if he hadn't come up there, perhaps he wouldn't got +hurt, an' it seems almost as if I'd done it to him, 'cause I took him to +the circus." + +"Don't make a fool of yourself, Toby Tyler!" and Ben Gushing spoke +almost angrily. "You act awful silly 'bout that feller, an' father says +he's only a pauper anyway." + +"It wouldn't make any difference if he was, 'cause he's a poor lonesome +cripple; but he hain't a pauper, for old Ben's goin' to take care of +him, an' he pays Uncle Dan'l for lettin' him stay here." + +This news was indeed surprising to the boys, and as they fully realized +that Abner was under the protection of a "circus man," he rose +considerably in their estimation. + +They were anxious to know all about the matter, and when Toby told them +all he could, they looked at the case in such an entirely different +light that Ben Gushing even offered to go out in the field, where he +could be seen from the windows of the room in which Abner lay, and go +through his entire acrobatic performance in the hope the sight might do +the invalid some good. Leander Leighton also offered to come twice each +day and play "Yankee Doodle" with one finger on the accordion, in order +to soothe him. + +But Toby thought it best to decline both these generous offers; he was +glad they had been made, but would have been much better pleased if they +had come while it was still believed Abner's only home was at the +poorhouse. + +When the boys went away, Toby pleaded so hard that Aunt Olive consented +to his sitting in the chamber where Abner lay, with the agreement that +he should make no noise; and there he remained nearly all the day, as +still as any mouse, watching the pale face on which death seemed already +to have set its imprint. + +Each day for two weeks Toby remained on watch, leaving the room only +when it was necessary, and he was at last rewarded by hearing Abner call +him by name. + +After that, Aunt Olive allowed the two boys to talk a little, and a few +days later Mr. Stubbs's brother was brought in to pay his respects to +the invalid. + +Many times during Abner's illness had the boys been up to learn how he +was getting on, and to try to persuade Toby to commence again the +preparations for the circus; but he had steadily refused to proceed +further in the matter until Abner could at least play the part of +spectator. + +Uncle Daniel had had several letters from Ben inquiring about Abner's +condition; and as each one contained money, some of which had been sent +by the skeleton and his wife to "Toby Tyler's friend," the sick boy had +wanted for nothing. Ben had also written that he had gained the consent +of the proprietors of the circus to have the ponies driven for Abner's +benefit, and had sent a dainty little carriage and harnesses so that he +could ride out as soon as he was able. + +Chandler Merrill had grown tired of waiting for his pony, and had taken +him from the pasture, while Reddy had long since returned the blind +horse to its owner. + +But during all these five weeks the work had gone slowly but steadily on +circusward. Leander had become so expert a musician on the accordion, +that he could play "Yankee Doodle" with all his fingers, "Old Hundred" +with two; and was fast mastering the intricacies of "Old Dog Tray." + +As to Ben Gushing, it would be hard to say exactly how much progress he +had made, the reports differed so much. He claimed to be able to turn +hand-springs around the largest circus ring that was ever made, and to +stand on his head for a week; but some of the boys who were not partners +in the enterprise flatly contradicted this, and declared that they could +do as many feats in the acrobatic line as he could. + +Joe Robinson had practised howling until Reddy insisted that there was +little or no difference between him and the fiercest and +strongest-lunged hyena that ever walked. Bob could sing the two songs +his sister had taught him, and had written out twelve copies of them in +order to have a good stock to sell from; but Leander predicted that he +would not be able to dispose of many, because one was the "Suwanee +River," and the other "A Poor Wayfaring Man," the words of which any boy +could get by consulting an old music-book. + +Reddy had made a remarkably large whip, which he could snap once out of +every three attempts, and not hit himself on the head more than once out +of five. + +Thus the circus project was as promising as ever, and Abner, as well as +the other partners, had urged Toby to take hold of it again; but he had +made no promises until the day came when Abner was able to sit up, and +Dr. Abbott said that he could go out for a ride in another week, if he +still continued to improve. + +Then it was that Toby told his partners he would meet them on the first +day Abner went out for a ride, and tell them when he would take up the +circus work again, which made every one more anxious than ever to see +the poor-farm boy out of doors. + +From the time when the tiny little carriage and the two sets of harness +glistening with silver had come, Toby had been anxious for a drive with +the ponies; but he had resolutely refused to use them until Abner could +go with him, although Uncle Daniel had told him he could try them +whenever he wished. He had waited for his other pleasures until Abner +could join him, and he insisted on waiting for this one. One day, when +Aunt Olive spoke to him about it, he said: + +"If I was sick, an' had such a team sent to me, I'd feel kinder bad to +have some other boy using it, an' so I'm goin' to let Abner be the +first one to go out with the ponies." + +It was hard not even to get into the little carriage that was so +carefully covered with a white cloth in the stable; but Toby resisted +the temptation, and when at last the day did come that Aunt Olive and +Uncle Daniel helped the sick boy down-stairs, and lifted him into the +prettiest little pony carriage ever seen in Guilford, he felt amply +rewarded for his denial. + +They drove all over the town, stopping now and then to speak with some +of their friends, or to answer questions as to Abner's health; and when +it was nearly time to return home Toby turned the ponies' heads towards +the pasture, where he knew his partners were waiting for him according +to agreement. + +"We'll go on with the circus now," he said to Abner, "for I can take you +with me in this team, an' you can stay in it all the time we're +practising so's it'll be 'most as good as if you could do something +towards it yourself." + +Abner was quietly happy; the tender, thoughtful care that had been +bestowed upon him since his mishap had been such as, in his mind at +least, repaid him for all the pain. + +"I hope you will have it," he said, earnestly, "for, even if I can't be +with you all the time, I won't feel as if I was keepin' you from it." + +Then he put his hand in a loving way on Toby's cheek, and the "boss of +the circus" felt fully repaid for having waited for his pleasure. + +At the pasture all the partners were gathered, for Toby had promised to +tell them when he would begin operations; and as he drove the ponies up +to the bars, he shouted: + +"Abner an' me will be up here about nine o'clock to-morrow morning, an' +we'll bring Mr. Stubbs's brother with us." + +There was a mighty shout, and Ben Cushing stood on his head, when this +announcement was made, and then Toby and Abner drove home as quickly as +their ponies could scamper. + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +A REHEARSAL + + +When Toby told Uncle Daniel that night of their intention to go on with +the work of the long-delayed circus, and that Abner was to ride up to +the pasture where he could see everything that was going on, the old +gentleman shook his head doubtingly, as if he feared the consequences to +the invalid, who appeared very much exhausted even by the short ride he +had taken. + +Abner, interpreting Uncle Daniel's shake of the head the same way Toby +did, pleaded hard to be allowed to go, insisting that he would be no +more tired sitting in the little carriage than he would in a chair at +home; and Aunt Olive joined in the boys' entreaty, promising to arrange +the pillows in such a manner that Abner could lie down or sit up, as +best suited him. + +"We'll see what the doctor has to say about it," replied Uncle Daniel, +and, with much anxiety, the boys awaited the physician's coming. + +"Go? Why, of course he can go, and it will do him good to be +out-of-doors," said the medical gentleman when he made his regular +afternoon visit and Uncle Daniel laid the case before him. + +Toby insisted on bringing Mr. Stubbs's brother into the invalid's room +as a signal mark of rejoicing at the victory the doctor had won for +them, and Abner was so delighted with the funny pranks the monkey played +that it would have been difficult to tell by his face that the morning +ride had tired him. + +Mr. Stubbs's brother was quite as mischievous as a monkey could be; he +capered around the room, picking at this thing and looking into that, +until Aunt Olive laughed herself tired, and Uncle Daniel declared that +if the other monkey was anything like this one, Toby was right when he +named him Steve Stubbs, so much did he resemble that gentleman in +inquisitiveness. + +The day had been so exciting to the boy who had been confined to one +room for several weeks, that he was quite ready to go to bed when Aunt +Olive suggested it; and Toby went about his evening's work with a +lighter heart than he had had since the night he found his crippled +friend lying so still and death-like in the circus wagon. + +The next morning Toby was up some time before the sun peeped in through +the crevices of Uncle Daniel's barn to awaken the cows, and he groomed +the tiny ponies till their coats shone like satin. The carriage was +washed until every portion of it reflected one's face like a mirror, and +the harnesses with their silver mountings were free from the slightest +suspicion of dirt. + +Then after the cows had been driven to the pasture Mr. Stubbs's brother +was treated to a bath, and was brushed and combed until, losing all +patience at such foolishness, he escaped from his too cleanly-disposed +master, taking refuge on the top of the shed, where he chattered and +scolded at a furious rate as he tried to explain that he had no idea of +coming down until the curry-comb and brush had been put away. + +But when the pony team was driven up to the door, and Toby decorated the +bridles of the little horses with some of Aunt Olive's roses, Mr. +Stubbs's brother came down from his high perch, and picked some of the +flowers for himself, putting them over his ears to imitate the ponies; +then he gravely seated himself in the carriage, and Toby had no +difficulty in fastening the cord to his collar again. + +Aunt Olive nearly filled the little carriage with pillows so soft that a +very small boy would almost have sunk out of sight in them; and in the +midst of these Abner was placed carefully, looking for all the world, as +Toby said, like a chicken in a nest. + +Mr. Stubbs's brother was fastened in the front in such a way that his +head came just above the dash-board, over which he looked in the most +comical manner possible. + +Then Toby squeezed in on one side, declaring he had plenty of room, +although there was not more than three square inches of space left on +the seat, and even a portion of that was occupied by a fan and some +other things Aunt Olive had put in for Abner's use. + +Both the boys were in the highest possible state of happiness, and Abner +was tucked in until he could hardly have been shaken had he been in a +cart instead of a carriage with springs. + +"Be sure to keep Abner in the shade, and come home just as soon as he +begins to grow tired," cried Aunt Olive as Toby spoke to the ponies, and +they dashed off like a couple of well-trained Newfoundland dogs. + +"I'll take care of him like he was wax," cried Toby as they drove out +through the gateway, and Mr. Stubbs's brother screamed and chattered +with delight, while Abner lay back restful and happy. + +It was just the kind of a morning for a ride, and Abner appeared to +enjoy it so much that Toby turned the little steeds in the direction of +the village, driving fully a mile before going to the pasture. + +When they did arrive at the place where the first rehearsal was to be +held, they found the partners gathered in full force; and, although it +was not even then nine o'clock, they had evidently been there some time. + +Joe Robinson ran to let the bars down, while the ponies pranced into the +field as if they knew they were the objects of admiration from all that +party, and they shook their tiny heads until the petals fell from the +roses in a shower upon the grass. + +Mr. Stubbs's brother stood as erect as possible, and was so excited by +the cheers of the boys that he seized the flowers he had tucked over his +ears, and flung them at the party in great glee. + +The carriage was driven into the shade cast by the alders; the ponies +were unharnessed, and fastened where they could have a feast of grass; +and Toby was ready for business, or thought he was. But, just as he was +about to consult with his partners, a scream from both Abner and the +monkey caused him to turn towards the carriage quickly. + +From the moment they had entered the pasture, Mr. Stubbs's brother had +shown the greatest desire to be free; and when he saw his master walking +away, while he was still a prisoner, he made such efforts to release +himself that he got his body over the dash-board of the carriage, and, +when Toby looked, he was hanging there by the neck as if he had just +committed suicide. + +Toby ran quickly to the relief of his pet; and when he had released him +from his uncomfortable position, the other boys pleaded so hard that +Toby gave him his freedom, which he celebrated by scampering across the +pasture on all four paws, with his tail curled up over his back like a +big letter O. + +It seemed very much as if Mr. Stubbs's brother would break up the +rehearsal, for he did look so comical as he scampered around that all +the partners neglected their business to watch and laugh at him, until +Toby reminded them that he could not stay there very long because of +Abner's weakness. + +Then Bob and Reddy straightened themselves up in a manner befitting +circus proprietors, and began their work. + +"Leander is goin' to commence the show by playin' 'Yankee Doodle,'" said +Bob, as he consulted a few badly written words he had traced on the back +of one of his father's business cards, "an' while he's doin' it Joe'll +put in an' howl all he knows how, for that's the way the hyenas did at +the last circus." + +The entire programme was evidently to be carried out that morning, for, +as Bob spoke, Leander marched with his accordion and a great deal of +dignity to a rock near where a line representing the ring had been cut +in the turf. + +"Now you'll see how good he can do it," said Bob, with no small amount +of pride; and Leander, with his head held so high that it was almost +impossible to see his instrument, struck one or two notes as a prelude, +while Joe took his station at a point about as far distant from the ring +as the door of the tent would probably be. + +Leander started with the first five or six notes all right, and Joe +began some of the most wonderful howling ever heard, which appeared to +disconcert the band, for he got entirely off the track of his original +tune, and mixed "Yankee Doodle" with "Old Dog Tray" in the most +reckless manner, Joe howling louder at every false note. + +Almost every one in that pasture, save possibly the performers +themselves, was astonished at the din made by these two small boys; and +Mr. Stubbs's brother, who had hung himself up on a tree by his tail, +dropped to his feet in the greatest alarm, adding his chatter of fear to +the general confusion. + +But the two performers were not to be daunted by anything that could +occur; in fact, Joe felt rather proud that his howling was so savage as +to frighten the monkey, and he increased his efforts until his face was +as red as a nicely boiled beet. + +For fully five minutes the overture was continued; then the band stopped +and looked around with an air of triumph, while Joe uttered two or three +more howls by way of effect, and to show that he could have kept it up +longer had it been necessary. + +"There! what do you think of that?" asked Reddy, in delight. "You +couldn't get much more noise if you had a whole band, could you?" + +"It's a good deal of noise," said Toby, not feeling quite at liberty to +express exactly his views regarding the music; "but what was it Leander +was playin'?" + +"I played two tunes," replied Leander, proudly. "I can play 'Yankee +Doodle' with the whole of one hand; but I think it sounds better to play +that with my thumb and two fingers, an' 'Old Dog Tray' with the other +two fingers. You see, I can give 'em both tunes at once that way." + +The monkey went back to the tree as soon as the noise had subsided; but, +from the way he looked over his shoulder now and then, one could fancy +he was getting ready to run at the first sign that it was to commence +again. + +"Didn't that sound like a whole cageful of hyenas?" asked Joe, as he +wiped the perspiration from his face, and came towards his partners. "I +can keep that up about as long as Leander can play, only it's awful hard +work." + +Toby had no doubt as to the truth of that statement; but before he could +make any reply, Bob said: + +"Now, this is where Ben comes in. He starts the show, an' he ends it, +an' I sing right after he gets through turnin' hand-springs this first +time. Now, Leander, you start the music jest as soon as Ben comes, an' +keep it up till he gets through." + +Ben was prepared for his portion of the work. His trousers were belted +tightly around his waist by a very narrow leather belt, with an +enormously large buckle, and his shirt-sleeves were rolled up as high as +he could get them, in order to give full play to his arms. + +"He's been rubbin' goose-grease all over him for as much as two weeks, +an' he can bend almost any way," whispered Reddy to Toby, as Ben stood +swinging his arms at the entrance to the ring, as if limbering himself +for the work to be done. + +Leander started "Yankee Doodle" in slow and solemn strains; Ben gathered +himself for a mighty effort, and began to go around the ring in a series +of hand-springs in true acrobatic style. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +THE RESULTS OF LONG TRAINING + + +Mr. Stubbs's brother had been a close observer of all that was going on, +probably to guard against another sudden fright such as the overture had +given him, and the moment Ben commenced to revolve he leaped from the +tree, running with full speed towards the whirling acrobat. + +Toby started to catch him, but the monkey was too quick in his +movements: before any one could prevent him he had caught the revolving +boy by one leg, and for a few seconds it was difficult to tell which was +Ben and which the monkey. + +Of course such an interruption as that broke up the performance for the +time being, and Toby was obliged to exert all his authority to +disentangle the monkey from the performer. + +"I knew it wouldn't do to let him be loose," said Toby, in a +half-apologetic tone. "Now I'll set here an' hold him while you commence +over again, Ben." + +"Well, now, be sure you hold him," said Ben, seriously, "for I don't +want him to catch me again when I'm goin' 'round so fast, for it hurts a +feller to tumble the way he made me." + +Bob offered to help hold the unruly monkey, and, when he and Toby had +taken a firm grip on the collar, the music was started again, and Ben +recommenced his performance. + +This time he got through with it in a highly successful and creditable +manner; he proved to be a really good acrobat, so far as turning +hand-springs and standing on his head were concerned, and Toby felt +certain that this portion of the entertainment would be pleasing. + +Bob now went into the ring, and began to sing the "Suwanee River" in a +manner which he intended should captivate his audience; but he had +neglected to give the band any orders, and the consequence was that, +when he commenced to sing, Leander began to play "Old Dog Tray," a +proceeding which mixed the musical matters considerably. + +"You mustn't do that, Leander," Bob said, sharply, after he had done his +best to sing the band down, and failed in the attempt. "It won't do for +you to play one thing while I'm tryin' to sing something else. Now, you +be restin' while I'm doin' my part." + +Leander was so deeply interested in the enterprise that he was perfectly +willing to keep on playing without ever thinking of taking a rest; but +in deference to Bob's wishes he ceased his efforts, although he did +venture to remark that he noticed particularly, when the real circus was +there, that the band always played when the clown sang. + +Bob got along very well with his portion of the rehearsal after the +first mistake had been rectified; and when he finished he bowed +gracefully in response to the applause bestowed upon him. + +"Now's the time when you come in, Toby," said Bob; "an' if you'll see +how you can ride the ponies, Joe'll run around the ring with 'em." + +Toby was willing to do his share of the work, and all the more so +because he could see that Abner, from his cosy seat under the bushes, +was deeply interested in all that was going on. + +Joe got one of the ponies while Toby made his preparations; and after +the little horse had been led around the circle two or three times to +show what was expected of him, Toby got on his back. This was Reddy's +opportunity to act the part of ring-master, and he seized his long whip, +standing in the centre of the ring, in what he believed to be the +proper attitude. + +"Run around with him till I tell you to let go," said Toby, as he tied +the reins together to form a bridle, and then stood on the pony's back +as Mr. Castle had taught him to do. + +There was so great a difference between the motion of this horse and +that of the one owned by Mr. Douglass, that Toby began to understand it +might be quite as necessary to train the animal as its rider. + +Owing to his lack of practice he was a little clumsy; but after one or +two attempts he went around the ring standing on one foot, almost as +well as he had done it when with Ella. + +The boys, who had never seen Toby ride before were thoroughly elated by +the brief exhibition he gave them; and if he had done as they wanted, he +would have tired both himself and the pony completely. + +"I'll practise some, now Abner can come out," said Toby, as he led his +steed to a spot where he could get more grass, but neglected to fasten +him; "an' I wouldn't wonder if I could ride two at once, after a little +while." + +His partners in the enterprise were more than delighted with their +rider, and they already began to believe they should have such a circus +as would, in some points, eclipse the real one that had lately visited +the town. + +After the excitement caused by Toby's riding had in a measure died away, +Ben continued with his feats according to the programme, and then Bob +commenced his second song. + +The audience of partners were listening to it intently, the more because +it seemed to them that Bob had made a mistake as to the tune, and they +were anxious to see what he was going to do about it--when the pony +Toby had been riding suddenly dashed into the ring, with what looked +very like a boy on his back. + +The partners were amazed at this interruption, and Bob continued to +sound the note he was wrestling with when he first saw the pony coming +towards him, until it ended almost in a shriek. + +"Who is it?" cried Joe, as the pony dashed across the pasture, urged to +full speed by its rider, and in an instant more all saw a long curling +tail, which showed unmistakably who the culprit was. + +"It's Mr. Stubbs's brother!" cried Toby, in alarm, "and how shall we +catch him?" + +It was, indeed, the monkey, and during the next ten minutes it seemed to +the boys that they ran over every square foot of that pasture, scaring +the cows and tiring themselves, until the frightened little horse was +penned up in one corner, and his disagreeable rider was taken from him. + +This last act of the rehearsal had occupied so much time, and the +monkey was making himself so troublesome, that Toby decided to go home, +the others promising to come to Uncle Daniel's barn that afternoon, when +Reddy was to explain how the tent was to be procured, a matter which, up +to this time, he had kept a profound secret from all but Bob. + +Short as the time spent at the rehearsal seemed to the boys, it was +considerably too long for one in Abner's weak condition, as was evident +from his face when Aunt Olive came to the door to help him out of the +carriage. + +He seemed thoroughly exhausted, and, as soon as he got into the house, +asked to be allowed to lie down--a confession of weakness that gave Aunt +Olive a great deal of uneasiness, because she considered herself in a +great measure responsible for the ride and its results, as she had urged +Abner to go before the doctor's advice had been heard in the matter. + +Toby's fears regarding the invalid were always reflections of Aunt +Olive's; but when he saw Abner go to sleep so quickly, he thought she +was alarmed without cause, and believed his friend would be quite +himself so soon as he should awaken. + +Dinner-time came and passed, and Abner was still sleeping sweetly. +Therefore Toby could see no reason why he should not join his partners, +whom he saw going into the barn before dinner was over. + +"The boys have come up to see 'bout the tent," he said to Aunt Olive, +"an' I'm goin' out to the barn, where they're waitin' for me. Will you +call me when Abner wakes up?" + +Aunt Olive promised that he should be informed as soon as the sick boy +could see him, and Toby joined his partners with never a fear but that +Abner would soon be able to participate in all his sports. + +That the boys had come to Uncle Daniel's barn on very serious business +was evident from their faces, and the two large packages they brought. + +Two rolls of what looked to be sail-cloth were lying on the barn floor, +and around them Bob, Reddy, Joe, Ben, and Leander were seated with a +look on their faces that was very nearly a troubled one. + +"What's them?" asked Toby, in surprise, as he pointed to the bundles. + +"The tent," and Reddy gave a big sigh as he spoke. + +"What, have you got two?" asked Toby, a look of glad surprise showing +itself on his face. + +Reddy shook his head. + +"What's the matter? If there hain't two tents here, what makes the two +bundles?" And Toby was almost impatient because he could not understand +the matter. + +"Well, you see, this is just how it is," said Reddy, as he began to +untie the fastenings from the rolls of canvas. "When I told you I could +get a tent, I'd asked Captain Whetmore to lend me two of the sails what +he took off his schooner, an' he told me yes." + +"An' you've got 'em, haven't you?" and Toby looked meaningly at the +canvas. + +"Yes, we've got 'em," replied Joe; "but now we don't know how to fix +'em, 'cause you see we've got to put 'em up like a roof, an' we hain't +got anything for the ends." + +Reddy had planned to use each of the sails as a side to the tent, +fastening them along the top to a ridge-pole; and it had never occurred +to him, in all the time he had had to think the matter over, that as yet +he had nothing with which to form the ends. + +It was a question that puzzled the boys greatly, and caused their faces +to grow very long, until Toby said: + +"I'll tell you how we can fix one end. We can put it right up against +the barn, where the little door is, an' then we can have the stalls for +a dressin'-room." + +The faces of the partners lightened at once, and each wondered why he +had not thought of such a plan. + +"An' I'll tell you how we could fix the other end," said Toby, quickly, +as another happy thought presented itself. "If Mr. Mansfield would lend +us his big flag, it would jest do it." + +"That's the very thing, an' I'll go an' ask him now;" and Bob started +out of the barn at full speed, while Reddy, now that the important +question was settled, displayed great alacrity in unrolling his +treasures. + +The sails were not in a remarkable state of preservation, or Captain +Whetmore would not have taken them from his vessel; but Reddy explained +that the holes could be closed up by pasting paper over them, or by each +boy borrowing a sheet from his mother and pinning it up underneath. + +One of the sails was considerably larger than the other; but Reddy had +also thought of this, and proposed to make them look the same size by +"tucking one in" at the end. + +Bob returned before the sails had been thoroughly inspected, and brought +with him the coveted flag, thus showing he had been successful in his +mission. + +"Now let's put it right up, an' then we can build our ring, an' do our +practisin' there instead of goin' up to the pasture," suggested Ben. + +Since there was no reason why this should not be done, Bob and Ben +started for the woods to cut some young trees with which to make a +ridge-pole and posts, while the others carried the canvas out-of-doors, +and made calculations as to where and how it should be put up. + +When they commenced work, they had no idea but that it would be +completed before supper-time; but when the village clock struck the hour +of five, they had not finished making the necessary poles and pegs. + +"We can't come anywhere near getting it done to-night," said Toby, +surprised at the lateness of the hour, and wondering why Aunt Olive had +not called him as she had promised. "Let's put the sails back in the +barn, an' to-morrow mornin' we can begin early, an' have it all done by +noon." + +There was no hope that they could complete the work that night Therefore +Toby's advice was followed; and when the partners separated, each +promised to be ready for work early the next morning. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +RAISING THE TENT + + +Toby went into the house, feeling rather uneasy because he had not been +called; but when Aunt Olive told him that Abner had aroused from his +slumber but twice, and then only for a moment, he had no idea of being +worried about his friend, although he did think it a little singular he +should sleep so long. + +That evening Dr. Abbot called again, although he had been there once +before that day; and when Toby saw how troubled Uncle Daniel and Aunt +Olive looked after he had gone, he asked; + +"You don't think Abner is goin' to be sick, do you?" + +Uncle Daniel made no reply, and Aunt Olive did not speak for some +moments; then she said: + +"I am afraid he stayed out too long this morning; but the doctor hopes +he will be better to-morrow." + +If Toby had not been so busily engaged planning for Abner to see the +work next day, he would have noticed that the sick boy was not left +alone for more than a few moments at a time, and that both Uncle Daniel +and Aunt Olive seemed to have agreed not to say anything discouraging to +him regarding his friend's illness. + +When he went to bed that night, he fancied Uncle Daniel's voice +trembled, as he said: + +"May the good God guard and spare you to me, Toby, boy;" but he gave no +particular thought to the matter, and the sandman threw dust in his eyes +very soon after his head was on the pillow. + +In the morning his first question was regarding Abner, and then he was +told that his friend was not nearly so well as he had been; Aunt Olive +even said that Toby had better not go into the sick-room, for fear of +disturbing the invalid. + +"Go on with your play by yourself, Toby, boy, and that will be a great +deal better than trying to have Abner join you, until he is much +better," said Uncle Daniel, kindly. + +"But hain't he goin' to have a ride this mornin'?" + +"No, he is not well enough to get up. You go on building your tent, and +you will be so near the house that you can be called at any moment, if +Abner asks for you." + +Toby was considerably disturbed by the fact that he was not allowed to +see his friend, and by the way Uncle Daniel spoke; but he went out to +the barn where his partners were already waiting for him, feeling all +the more sad now because of his elation the day before. + +He had no heart for the work, and, after telling the boys that Abner +was sick again, proposed to postpone operations until he should get +better; but they insisted that as they were so near the house, it would +be as well to go on with the work as to remain idle, and Toby could +offer no argument to the contrary. + +Although he did quite as much towards the putting-up of the tent as the +others did, it was plain to be seen that he had lost his interest in +anything of the kind, and at least once every half-hour he ran into the +house to learn how the sick boy was getting on. + +All of Aunt Olive's replies were the same: Abner slept a good portion of +the time, and during the few moments he was awake said nothing, except +in answer to questions. He did not complain of any pain, nor did he +appear to take any notice of what was going on around him. + +"I think it's because he got all tired out yesterday, an' that he'll be +himself again to-morrow," said Aunt Olive, after Toby had come in for +at least the sixth time, and she saw how worried he was. + +This hopeful remark restored Toby to something very near his usual good +spirits; and when he went back to his work after that, his partners were +pleased to see him take more interest in what was going on. + +The tent was up firmly enough to resist any moderate amount of wind, but +it did not look quite so neat as it would have done had it not been +necessary to perform the operation of "tucking in" one end, which made +that side hang in folds that were by no means a pleasing addition to the +general appearance. + +The small door of the barn, over which the tent was placed, served +instead of a curtain to their dressing-room; and at one side of it, on +an upturned barrel, arrangements were made for a band-stand. + +Mr. Mansfield's flag covered the one end completely, and all the boys +thought it gave a better appearance to the whole than if they had made +it wholly of canvas. + +The ring, which Reddy marked out almost before the tent was up, occupied +nearly the whole of the interior; but since they did not intend to have +any seats for their audience, it was thought there would be plenty of +room for all who would come to see them. The main point was to have the +ring, and to have it as nearly like that of a regular circus as +possible, while the audience could be trusted to take care of itself. + +The animals to be exhibited were to be placed in small cages at each +corner. Reddy had at first insisted that each cage should be on a cart +to make it look well; but he gave up that idea when Bob pointed out to +him that six mice or two squirrels would make rather a small show in a +wagon, and that they would be obliged to enlarge their tent if they +carried out that plan, even provided they could get the necessary +number of carts, which was very doubtful. + +In the matter of getting sheets from their mothers they had not been as +successful as they had anticipated. No one of the ladies who had been +spoken to on the subject was willing to have her bed-linen decorating +the interior of a circus-tent, even though the show was to be only a +little one for three cents. + +Reddy was quite sure he could mend one or two of the largest holes if he +had a darning-needle and some twine; but after he got both from Aunt +Olive, and stuck the needle twice in his own hand, once in Joe +Robinson's, and then broke it, he concluded that it would be just as +well to paste brown paper over the holes. + +It was a hard job to dig the ground up in order to make as large a ring +as the boys had marked out, but by persistent work it was accomplished, +as almost everything can be; and then Ben went to practising, in order +that he might, as he expressed it, "get the hang of the thing." + +Of course, the fact that a tent had been put up by the side of Uncle +Daniel's barn was soon known to every boy in the village, and the rush +of visitors that afternoon was so great that Joe was obliged to begin +his duties as door-keeper in advance, in order to keep back the crowd. + +The number of questions asked by each boy who arrived kept Joe so busy +answering them that, after every one in town knew exactly what was going +on, Reddy hit upon the happy plan of getting a large piece of paper, and +painting on it an announcement of their exhibition. + +It was while he was absent in search of the necessary materials with +which to carry out this work that the finishing touches were put on the +interior; and the partners were counting the number of hand-springs Ben +could turn without stopping, when a great shout arose from the visitors +outside, and the circus owners heard a pattering and scratching on the +canvas above their heads. + +"Mr. Stubbs's brother has got loose, an' he's tearin' 'round on the +tent!" shouted Joe, as he poked his head in through a hole in the flag, +and at the same time struggled to keep back a small but bold boy with +his foot. + +Toby, followed by the other proprietors, rushed out at this alarming bit +of news, and, sure enough, there was the monkey dancing around on the +top of the tent like a crazy person, while the rope with which he had +been tied dangled from his neck. + +It seemed to Toby that no other monkey could possibly behave half so +badly as did Mr. Stubbs's brother on that occasion. He danced back and +forth from one end of the tent to the other, as if he had been a +tight-rope performer giving a free exhibition; then he would sit down +and try to find out just how large a hole he could tear in the tender +canvas, until it seemed as if the tent would certainly be a wreck before +they could get him down. + +Toby coaxed and scolded, and scolded and coaxed, but all to no purpose. +The monkey would clamber down over the end of the tent as if he were +about to allow himself to be made a prisoner, and then, just as Toby was +about to catch the rope, he would spring upon the ridge-pole again, +chattering with joy at the disappointment he had caused. + +The visitors fairly roared with delight, and even the proprietors, whose +borrowed property was being destroyed, could not help laughing at times, +although there was not one of them who would not have enjoyed punishing +Mr. Stubbs's brother very severely. + +"He'll break the whole show up if we don't get him off," said Bob, as +the monkey tore a larger hole than he had yet made, and the crowd +encouraged him in his mischievous work by their wild cheers. + +"I know it; but how can we get him down?" asked Toby, in perplexity, +knowing that it would not be safe for any one of them to climb upon the +decayed canvas, even if there were a chance that the monkey would wait +for them to catch him after they got there. + +"Get a long pole, an' scrape him off," suggested Joe; but Toby shook his +head, for he knew that to "scrape" a monkey from such a place would be +an impossibility. + +Bob had an idea that if he had a rope long enough to make a lasso, he +could get it around the animal's neck and pull him down; but just as he +set out to find the rope, Mr. Stubbs's brother settled the matter +himself. + +He had torn one hole fully five inches long, and commenced on another a +short distance from the first, when the thin fabric gave way, the two +rents were made one, and down fell Mr. Monkey, only saved from falling +to the ground by his chin catching on the edges of the cloth. + +There he hung, his little round head just showing above the canvas, with +a bewildered, and, at the same time, discouraged look on his face. + +Toby knew that it would be but a moment before the monkey would get his +paws out from under the canvas, and thus extricate himself from his +uncomfortable position. Running quickly inside the tent, he seized Mr. +Stubbs's brother by his long tail, pulling him completely through, and +the mischievous pet was again a prisoner. + +It was a great disappointment to the boys on the outside when this +portion of the circus was hidden from view; but it was equally as great +a relief to the partners that the destruction of their tent was at last +averted. + +After the excitement had nearly subsided, and Toby was reading his pet +a lesson on the sin of destructiveness, Reddy arrived with the materials +for making his circus poster--a sheet of brown paper, a bottle of ink, +and a brush made by chewing the end of a pine stick. + +He began his work at once. It was a long task, but was at last +accomplished, and when the partners went to their respective homes that +night, the following placard adorned one side of the tent: + + + +-------------------------+ + | BiG CiRCUS | + | | + | DOORS OpEn PuTTy SOOn | + | | + | PRiCe 3 CEnTS | + +-------------------------+ + + + + +CHAPTER XV + +STEALING DUCKS + + +After Toby had secured Mr. Stubbs's brother so that he could not +liberate himself, he ran into the house to inquire for Abner. + +The news this time was more encouraging, for the sick boy had awakened +thoroughly after his long sleep, and had asked how the work on the tent +was getting on. Aunt Olive thought Toby could see him, and, after +promising that he would not remain very long, or allow Abner to talk +much, he went up-stairs. + +The crippled boy was lying in the bed bolstered up with pillows, looking +out of the window that commanded a view of the tent, and evidently +puzzled to know whether the large sheet of brown paper which he saw on +one side was there as an ornament, or to serve some useful purpose. + +Toby explained to him that it was the poster Reddy had made, and then +told him all that had been done that day towards getting ready for the +great exhibition which was to dazzle the good people of Guilford, as +well as to bring in a rich reward, in the way of money, to the managers. + +Abner was so interested in the matter, and seemed so bright and cheerful +when he was talking about it, that Toby's fears regarding his illness +were entirely dispelled; he came to the conclusion that Abner had simply +been tired, as Aunt Olive had said, and that he would be better than +ever by morning. + +This belief was strengthened by the doctor, who came while Toby was +still with his friend, and who, in answer to a question, said, cheerily: + +"Of course he'll be all right; he may not be quite smart enough to go +out to-morrow, but before the week is ended I'll guarantee that you'll +have hard work to keep him in the house." + +Toby's heart was light again as he attended to his evening's work; and +when he met Joe, on his way to the pasture, he laid plans for the coming +exhibition with a greater zest than he had displayed since the matter +was first spoken of. + +Now that the tent was up, and Abner on the sure and rapid road to +recovery, Toby thought it quite time that Mr. Stubbs's brother should be +taught to take some part in the performance. Joe was of the same +opinion, and they decided to commence the education of the monkey that +very night, giving him two or three lessons each day until he should be +thoroughly trained. + +The cows were not exactly hurried on the way home that night; but they +were not allowed to loiter by the roadside when they saw particularly +tempting tufts of grass, and as soon as they were in the barn Mr. +Stubbs's brother was taken to the tent. + +He was in anything rather than a good condition for training, for he +evidently remembered his frolic of the afternoon, and was anxious to +repeat it. Toby thought he could be made to leap through hoops as a +beginning of his circus education, and all the energies of the boys were +bent to the accomplishment of this. + +But the monkey was either remarkably stupid just then, or determined to +take no part in the show, for although Joe held the hoops until his arms +ached, and Toby coaxed and scolded till he was hoarse, Mr. Stubbs's +brother could not be persuaded even to attempt to leap. + +"It's no use to try any more to-night," said Toby, impatiently, when it +was nearly dark inside the tent, and his pet was showing signs of anger. +"We'll commence the first thing in the mornin', an' I guess he'll do +it." + +"I'd whip him if I was you," said Joe, who was thoroughly tired, and +angry at the monkey's obstinacy. "If you would give him a good +switchin', he'd know he's got to do it." + +"I wouldn't whip him if he never did anything," said Toby, as he hugged +his pet tightly, almost as if he feared Joe might attempt, as one of the +partners in the enterprise, to whip the unwilling performer. + +"'Tain't my monkey, so I hain't got nothin' to say about it," and Joe +was impatient now; "but if he was mine, I'll bet he'd do what I told him +to." + +It seemed almost as if Mr. Stubbs's brother knew what had been said +about him, for he nestled close to Toby, hiding his face on the boy's +neck in a way that would have prevented his master from whipping him +even if he had been disposed so to do. + +"We'll put him in the shed, an' I guess he'll be good enough to-morrow," +said Toby, cheerfully; and then, after fastening the flag in the front +of the tent in such a way that the wind would be kept out, if nothing +more, he and Joe walked towards the house, discussing the question of +the kind of tickets they should use at the show. + +While they were yet some distance from the wood-shed in which Mr. +Stubbs's brother was lodged, Aunt Olive called Toby to come quickly to +the house. + +"You put him in the wood-shed, an' fasten him in snug," said Toby, as he +handed the monkey to Joe, and started for the house at full speed. + +Now Joe knew perfectly well where Mr. Stubbs's brother was kept; but, as +he had never seen him put away for the night, he was uncertain whether +he should be tied there, or simply shut in. It hardly seemed to him that +Toby would leave the monkey tied up by the neck all night, so he set him +up comfortably on a bench, and carefully shut the door. + +Toby had been called to go to the druggist's for some medicine, and he +came out of the house in such haste, calling to Joe to follow him, that +nothing more was thought of the insecurely prisoned monkey. + +When Toby returned, it was so late that Uncle Daniel advised him to go +to bed if he had any desire to be "healthy, wealthy, and wise," and he +obeyed at once. + +Positive that Abner was on the road to recovery, sure that all his work +had been done, and with nothing to trouble him, it was not very long +that Toby lay awake after he was once in bed. + +It seemed to him that he had been sleeping a long while, when he was +awakened by the sound as of some one hunting around in his room; and, +before he had time to call out, the candle was lighted, showing that the +intruder was Uncle Daniel, only partially dressed and in a high state of +excitement. + +"What is it? What's the matter?" asked Toby, in alarm, thinking at once +of Abner, and fearing that something had happened to him. + +"Hush!" said Uncle Daniel, warningly; "don't make a noise, for some one +is trying to get into the hen-house, an' I am going to make an example +of him. I suppose it's one of the tramps who went by here to-day, an' I +want to find that gun I saw in here yesterday." + +There was such a weapon in Toby's room, or, at least, what had once been +a gun was there, for a hired man whom Uncle Daniel had employed left it +there. It had been an army musket, and appeared to have been used as a +collection of materials to repair others guns with, for the entire lock, +ramrod, and at least four inches of the stock had been taken away, +leaving it a mere wreck of a gun. + +"It's up there in the corner behind the wash-stand," said Toby, coming +out of the bed as quickly as if he had tumbled out, and alarmed at the +thought of burglars. "It hain't no good, Uncle Dan'l, for there's only +a little of it left." + +"It will do as well for me as a better one," said Uncle Daniel, grimly. +"I don't want to shoot anybody, only to give them a severe fright, and +perhaps capture them." + +"Then what'll you do with 'em?" asked Toby in a whisper, almost as much +alarmed by Uncle Daniel's savage way of speaking as by the thought of +the burglars. + +"I don't know, Toby, boy--I don't know. The tramps do trouble me +greatly, an' I'd like to make an example of these; but I suppose they +must be hungry, or else they wouldn't try to get into the hen-house, I +guess if we catch one we'll give him a good breakfast, and try to +persuade him to go to work like an honest man." + +Uncle Daniel's anger usually had some such peaceful ending, as Toby +knew; but he did look bloodthirsty as he stood there in his +shirt-sleeves, with one stocking on, and his night-cap covering one ear +and but a small portion of his head, while he handled the invalid gun +recklessly. + +By the time he was ready to go in search of the supposed chicken-thief, +Aunt Olive, looking thoroughly frightened, came into the room with his +other stocking and his boots in her hand, insisting that he should put +them on before he ventured out. + +It must have been a very tame burglar who would have continued at his +work after the lights had warned him that the inmates of the house were +aroused; but Toby did not think of that. He saw that Aunt Olive had +armed herself with the fire-shovel, that Uncle Daniel kept a firm hold +of the gun even while he was trying to put his boots on, and he was +frightened by the warlike preparations. + +Toby put on his trousers and shoes as quickly as possible, and when +Uncle Daniel was ready to start, he stationed himself directly behind +Aunt Olive, a position which he thought would afford him a fair view of +what was going on, and at the same time be safe. + +"Now be careful of that gun, Dan'l, an' don't go so far that they can +hurt you, for there's no telling what they will do if they find out you +mean to catch them," and Aunt Olive looked quite as badly frightened as +did Toby. + +"There, there, Olive, don't be alarmed," said Uncle Daniel, soothingly, +"they will probably run as soon as they see the gun, and that will end +it. I only hope that I can catch one," and Uncle Daniel went down the +stairs as determined and savage looking a man as ever started in search +of a supposed chicken-thief. + +Aunt Olive insisted on carrying the candle, though Uncle Daniel urged +that it would not be possible for him to surprise the burglars if she +held this light as a warning; but she had no idea of allowing him to go +out where there was every probability that he would be in danger, +unless she could see what was going on. + +When the party reached the kitchen, the sounds which came from the +hen-house told plainly that the party they were in search of had not +ceased his work because the household had been alarmed. The snapping of +wood could be heard, and if Aunt Olive had not been thoroughly aroused +before, she was then, for laths were being broken, and one of her +choicest broods of ducks was secured only by such frail barriers against +either two or four-legged thieves. + +"Stop them quick, or all the ducks will be out," she screamed; and, thus +urged, Uncle Daniel made a bold stand. + +"Get behind me, and hold your hand over the light," he whispered, and +then he shouted, as he brought the gun up to his shoulder in a very +threatening manner, "Come out here, and give yourselves up at once." + +There was no answer made to this peremptory command, and, strangely +enough, the work of destruction was continued as vigorously as if Uncle +Daniel and his broken gun were a thousand miles away, instead of on the +spot and ready for action. + +"Come away from there instantly, and save yourself any further trouble," +shouted Uncle Daniel in a louder voice, stamping his foot, while Aunt +Olive brandished the fire-shovel to give emphasis to his words. + +There was silence for a moment, as if the burglar had stopped to +consider the matter, and then the work was continued with greater energy +than before. + +"Well, I declare!" exclaimed Uncle Daniel, as he brought the butt of his +gun down on his own foot with such force that he was obliged to give +immediate attention to the wounded member. + +Toby had always had a wholesome dread of a gun; but his fear became +greater than ever when he saw how much mischief could be done with one +as near a total wreck as that was, for Uncle Daniel had seated himself +on the grass, regardless of the dew, and was hugging his foot as if he +feared he should lose it. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI + +A LOST MONKEY + + +Even though her husband was wounded, Aunt Olive could not stop to offer +any aid while her precious ducks were in such peril, as the breaking of +the laths proved they were; and she started forward alone and unarmed, +save with the shovel, until a loud quacking indicated that the robber +had made at least one prisoner. + +Dropping the shovel, but still clinging to the candle, Aunt Olive seized +the gun, and, dragging it along by the muzzle, she cried: + +"I'll shoot you if you don't let them ducks alone, and go right straight +away from here!" + +The loud quacking of another duck proved that she had not alarmed the +burglar; and as she was now quite near the bold robber, by holding her +candle above her head she could discern in the darkness what looked like +a boy, with a duck tightly clutched in each hand. + +"It's only a boy," she cried to Uncle Daniel, who had given over +attending to his foot, and was coming up; and then, as she ran towards +the thief, she cried, "Put down them ducks, you little rascal, or I will +whip you soundly!" + +The boy did not put the ducks down, nor did he stay for the whipping; +but, with both the noisy prizes held in one hand, he began to climb the +hen-house in a manner surprising in one so small. + +By this time both Toby and Uncle Daniel were on the spot, and the former +saw that the supposed boy was using a long tail in his work of climbing +the hen-house. + +"It's Mr. Stubbs's brother; don't shoot him!" he cried, forgetting, in +his excitement, that the gun was dangerous only when dropped on one's +foot; and then he too tried to climb upon the hen-house. + +"The monkey?" cried Uncle Daniel, as he felt on his forehead for his +spectacles to enable him to see better. Aunt Olive made use of almost +the same words; but, instead of feeling for her spectacles, she ran +towards the building, as if she fancied it to be the easiest thing in +the world to catch a mischievous monkey. + +Toby knew, if Aunt Olive did not, that it would be the work of some time +to catch Mr. Stubbs's brother, and that no threats would induce him to +come down. Therefore he put forth all his energies in the vain hope of +overtaking him. + +Although the monkey was encumbered by the two ducks he had stolen, he +could climb twice as fast as Toby could, and Aunt Olive realized the +fact very soon. + +"Scare him till he drops the ducks," she cried to Toby; and then, to do +her portion of the "scaring," she brandished the fire-shovel, and cried +"shoo!" in a very energetic manner. + +Uncle Daniel waved his arms, and shouted, "Come down! come down!" as he +ran from one side of the building to the other; but the only reply to +his shout was the quacking of the half-strangled ducks. + +"Catch him, Toby, catch him, before he kills the ducks," cried Aunt +Olive, in an agony of fear lest these particular inmates of her +poultry-yard should be killed. + +"That's what I'm tryin' to do," panted Toby, as he chased Mr. Stubbs's +brother from one end of the roof to the other without even a chance of +catching him. + +The quacking of the ducks was growing fainter every moment, and, knowing +that something must be done at once, Uncle Daniel hunted around until he +found a long pole, with which he struck at the monkey. + +This had the desired effect, for Mr. Stubbs's brother was so nearly hit +two or three times that he dropped the almost dead ducks, curled his +tail over his back, and leaped to the ground. He alighted so near Aunt +Olive that she uttered a loud shriek, nearly falling backward over the +wood-pile; but the monkey was out of sight in an instant, going in the +direction of the road. + +As his pet disappeared in the darkness, Toby scrambled down from the +roof of the building and started in pursuit; but before he had gone far +he heard Uncle Daniel calling to him, while at the same time he realized +that pursuit would be useless under the circumstances. + +"He's run away, an' I won't ever find him again," he said, in so +mournful a tone that Uncle Daniel knew the tears were very near his +eyelids. + +"He won't go very far, Toby, boy," said Uncle Daniel, consolingly, "and +you can soon find him after the sun rises." + +"He'll be more'n seven miles off by that time," said Toby, as he choked +back his sobs, and tried to speak firmly. + +"I don't know much about the nature of monkeys," replied Uncle Daniel, +speaking very slowly; "but I am inclined to the belief that he will +remain near here, since he has come to consider this his home. But it +will be daylight in less than an hour, and then you can start after him. +I will drive the cows to the pasture, so that you will have nothing to +delay you." + +Aunt Olive had caught up the ducks as soon as Mr. Stubbs's brother had +dropped them, and, believing it was yet possible to save their lives, +she had started towards the house for the purpose of applying some +remedies. + +"It's so near morning that I sha'n't go to bed again," she said, "and +I'll get you something to eat, and put up a lunch for you, so you can +stay out until you find him." + +This offer on Aunt Olive's part seemed doubly kind, since the monkey +had done so much mischief among her pets, and Toby realized that it +would be ungrateful in him to complain, more especially as Uncle Daniel +and Aunt Olive were willing to do all in their power to enable him to +catch the fugitive. + +"I'll mend the duck-pen," he said, resolutely putting from his mind the +thought of Mr. Stubbs's brother, who he firmly believed was trudging up +the road in the direction taken by the circus when it left town. + +Uncle Daniel thought it would be just as well to remain up also, and he +dragged the wreck of the gun into the house, putting it carefully away +lest some one should be injured by it, before he commenced to build the +fire. + +Mr. Stubbs's brother had labored industriously when he set about +reducing the duck-pen to kindling-wood; and although Toby worked as fast +as possible, it was nearly time for the sun to rise before he finished +the job of repairing it. + +By that time Aunt Olive had a nice breakfast ready for him, and a +generous lunch done up neatly in paper. + +Abner had not wakened, therefore Toby was obliged to go away without +knowing whether he was better or worse; but Aunt Olive told him that she +thought he need have no fear regarding the invalid, for she felt certain +he would be much better when he awoke. + +Toby ate his breakfast very hurriedly, and then started down the road in +the direction of his partners' homes, for he thought there would be a +better chance of capturing the runaway if four or five boys set out in +pursuit than if he went out alone. + +Fully two hours were spent in arousing his partners, explaining what had +happened, and waiting for them to get their breakfast; but at the end of +that time every one of the circus managers was ready for the search. + +There was a decided difference of opinion among them as to which +direction they should take, some believing the monkey had gone one way +and some another, and the only plan by which the matter could be settled +was to divide the force into two parties. + +Bob, Reddy, and Ben formed one division, and they started into the woods +in a nearly straight line from Uncle Daniel's house. Toby, Joe, and +Leander, making up the other party, went up the road, Toby insisting on +this course because he was sure that Mr. Stubbs's brother would attempt +to follow the circus of which he had once been a member, although so +many weeks had elapsed since it had passed along there. + +Leander was of the opinion that they ought to have borrowed a dog, with +which to track the monkey more easily, and even offered to go back to +get one; but Toby thought that would be a waste of valuable time, more +especially as it was by no means certain that Leander could procure the +dog if he did go back. + +Joe thought each inch of the road should be examined with a view to +finding tracks of the monkey; but that plan was given up in a very few +moments after it was tried, for the good reason that the boys could not +distinguish even their own footprints, the road was beaten so hard; and +so they could only walk straight ahead, hoping to come up with the +fugitive, or to hear some news of him. + +At each house on the road they stopped to ask if a stray monkey had been +seen; but they could hear nothing encouraging until they had walked +nearly three miles, and were just beginning to think it would have been +wiser to remain with the party who went into the woods. + +At last, however, a farmer told them that he had seen an animal come up +the main road, just about sunrise, and that it had gone up through his +field into an oak grove. He had had no idea at the time that it was a +monkey, and had intended to take his gun and go in search of it as soon +as he could spare the time. + +Toby trembled as the man said this, for Mr. Stubbs's death was too vivid +in his mind for him to think without a shudder of any one going in +search of this monkey with a gun. He started for the grove at full +speed, fearing that some one with more time at his disposal had seen his +pet, and might even now be in pursuit of him. + +Of course the boys did not know certainly that the animal the farmer had +seen was Mr. Stubbs's brother, but all were quite sure it was; and, +before they had been in the oak grove ten minutes they saw the monkey +himself, hanging by his tail and one paw from the branch of a tree. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII + +DRIVING A MONKEY + + +Toby was so delighted at seeing his pet safe and alive that he set up a +great shout; and the monkey, thus warned that boys who would chain him +down to the drudgery of a circus ring were on his track, started off at +full speed, scolding furiously as he went. + +To catch a monkey in the woods was even a harder task than to "scrape" +him from the tent, or to capture him on the roof of the hen-house; but +he must be caught, and the three boys started after him, fully aware of +the difficult task before them. + +To Mr. Stubbs's brother this flight and pursuit was simply the wildest +kind of a frolic, and he fairly screamed with delight as he leaped from +one tree to another, sometimes allowing them almost to touch him, and +then starting off at full speed until nearly out of sight. + +For an hour this tantalizing work was continued, and the pursuers were +nearly exhausted. Half the time they had been running at full speed, and +the only chance for rest had been when they were trying to creep upon +Mr. Stubbs's brother unawares, which was just about no rest at all. + +Leander, who was naturally a very slow-moving boy, and quite fleshy, was +more quickly tired than the others. When, for at least the twentieth +time, they thought they had the monkey within their grasp, and he darted +to the top of one of the tallest trees, Leander declared he could not +take another step, even though the life of the monkey and the success of +the circus depended upon it. + +Of course, it was not to be thought of that they should leave their band +there exhausted and alone, so Toby decided they should rest as long as +Mr. Stubbs's brother remained in the tree, and it was determined to +occupy the time by eating the luncheon Aunt Olive had prepared. + +During the last ten minutes of the chase, Leander's face had worn a very +gloomy expression; but it lighted wonderfully when the package of food +was opened, and Toby helped him to a very generous slice of bread and +meat. + +Nor was Leander the only one who looked with favor upon the food. Mr. +Stubbs's brother had been a close observer of all that was going on at +the foot of the tree in which he had taken refuge, and he showed every +disposition to make one of the eating party. + +Seeing his evident hunger, Toby was sure it would be possible to capture +the monkey by means of the food, and he walked around the trunk of the +tree, holding a piece of ginger-bread temptingly in his fingers. + +The monkey came down from branch to branch, as if he had decided to +allow himself to be made a prisoner for the sake of the food; but, just +as Toby was about to seize him, he jumped back with a cry that sounded +much as if he were laughing because of the disappointment he had caused. + +Then Joe tried his skill at monkey-catching, coming about as near +success as Toby had done; and Leander was roused to action by the new +phase the chase had assumed. He too held out some food in order to give +Mr. Stubbs's brother the impression that all he had to do was to come +and get it. + +In thus trying the coaxing plan, all three of the boys got on one side +of the tree, while the greater part of their provisions was on the +opposite side. + +The monkey descended again, first towards one boy and then towards +another, as if it were his purpose to allow all three to catch him, and +all were equally certain they were about to succeed, when Mr. Stubbs's +brother suddenly ran along the branches towards the food. Before it was +possible for any of the boys to intercept him, he had dropped to the +ground, seized two of the very largest pieces of cake, and was up in the +tree again so quickly that but for the cake he had in his paws it might +have been doubted whether or not he had been on the ground at all. + +Now Mr. Stubbs's brother could laugh at his pursuers, if it is possible +for a monkey to laugh; for, without any thanks to them, he had a trifle +more than his share of the provisions, and was still at liberty. + +"It hain't any use," said Joe, in despair, as he threw himself on the +ground and attacked the luncheon savagely, "I don't believe we shall +ever get him; an' if we don't, it won't be much use for us to have our +show, for every real circus has a monkey." + +"We _must_ catch him," replied Toby, mournfully, looking up into the +tree where his pet sat eating the stolen food with the greatest +possible enjoyment. "I wouldn't go home an' leave him here if I had to +stay all night." + +"One might watch here while the others went back to the village an' got +every feller there to come out an' help catch him," suggested Leander, +who was famous for having ideas so brilliant that no one could carry +them into execution. + +"We're goin' away from home all the time this way," said Toby, after he +had studied the matter carefully, without paying any attention to the +suggestion made by Leander; "now let's get a little ways the other side +of the tree, an' when he comes down again he'll have to go towards home. +Even if we can't catch him, perhaps we can drive him into the village." + +Even Leander could see the wisdom of this plan, and the party moved +their luncheon and themselves to the side of the tree opposite to that +on which they had approached it. + +Of course there was nothing to do but await Mr. Stubbs's brother's +pleasure in the matter, and he seemed to be in no haste to make a move. +He ate his cake in the most leisurely fashion possible, and then +appeared to be wonderfully interested in the leaves, for he would spend +several minutes pulling one apart, probably to see how it was made. + +But he was obliged to come down at last, and he chose the time just as +Leander had settled himself comfortably for a nap, which did not tend to +make the band regard him with additional favor. + +As Toby had thought, the monkey started back in the direction they had +come; and, as he was going towards home, they did not make any effort to +hurry him. If they could not catch him, they could at least drive him, +and they were satisfied to let him go as slowly as he chose--a plan +which met with hearty approval from Leander. + +For some time Mr. Stubbs's brother moved along as if it were his +greatest desire to be back at Uncle Daniel's again, and then Toby saw +him run along swiftly as if he had found something under a tree which +interested him greatly. + +Afraid that the monkey had done this simply to avoid being driven, and +that he might dart through the underbrush and get in rear of them again, +Toby ran forward quickly; but before he had taken more than a dozen +steps he heard piercing shrieks, which evidently came from the monkey, +while the commotion among the bushes indicated that a struggle of some +kind was taking place there. + +With but one thought, and that for the safety of his pet, Toby ran ahead +regardless of the bushes that tore his clothing and scratched his face. +A struggle was going on, as he saw when he pulled the branches of the +trees away, and Mr. Stubbs's brother was getting decidedly the worst of +it. + +A small, prickly ball curled up at the foot of the tree, and the monkey +striking at it savagely with his paws, while porcupine quills were +sticking in his face and body, told the whole story. + +The monkey had seen the porcupine, and, much to his discomfort, had +tried to make that animal's acquaintance. As every boy knows, when one +of these animals is attacked it immediately rolls itself up into a ball, +with the quills or spines sticking straight out, and the attacking party +generally gets plentifully supplied with them in a very short time. + +It was some moments before Toby could persuade his pet to stop trying to +inflict punishment when he was getting the greater part himself; but he +pulled him away at last, and the porcupine, unrolling himself with a +grunt of satisfaction, trotted away into the bushes. + +There was no disposition on the part of Mr. Stubbs's brother to run away +again. He stood there looking as sad and discouraged as a monkey ought +to look who had commenced his day's work by stealing ducks, and +concluded it by fighting a porcupine. + +The quills stood out from his face, making him look as if sadly in need +of shaving, while on almost every inch of his body there was one of +these natural weapons, giving him a decidedly comical appearance. + +As he stood there holding out his paws to Toby as if asking him to +extract the spines, and squinting down now and then at those in his +face, the boys did not try to restrain their laughter, which appeared to +make the inquisitive monkey very angry. + +He screamed and scolded in the shrillest tones until Toby set about +picking out the quills for him, and Joe took a firm hold of his collar, +to make sure he should not escape when he was relieved from the effects +of his introduction to the porcupine. + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII + +COLLECTING THE ANIMALS + + +It was quite a task to extract the porcupine quills from Mr. Stubbs's +brother, because the operation was painful, and he danced about in a way +that seriously interfered with the work. + +But the last one was out after a time, and the monkey was marched along +between Joe and Toby, looking very repentant now that he was in his +master's power again. + +"I tell you what it is," said Joe, sagely, after he had walked awhile in +silence as if studying some matter, "we'd better get about six big +chains an' fasten Mr. Stubbs's brother to the tent; 'cause if we keep on +tryin' to train him, he'll keep on gettin' loose, an' before he gets +through with it, we sha'n't have any show left." + +"I think that's the best thing we can do," panted Leander; "'cause if +all hands of us has to start out many times like this, some of the boys +will come up while we're off, an' pull the tent down." + +"We can tie him in the tent, and have him for a wild man of Borneo," +suggested Joe. + +"I guess we won't train him," replied Toby, rather sorry to deprive his +pet of the pleasure of being one of the performers, and yet fearing the +trouble he would cause if they should try to make anything more than an +ordinary monkey out of him. + +The pursuit had led the boys farther from home than they had imagined, +and it was noon when, weary and hungry, they arrived at the tent, where +they found the other party, who had given up the search some time +before. They had travelled through the woods without hearing or seeing +anything of the runaway, and had returned in the hope that the others +had been more successful. + +Leaving Mr. Stubbs's brother in charge of the partners, who, it was +safe to say, would now take very good care to prevent his escape, Toby +hurried into the house to see Abner. + +The sick boy was no better, Aunt Olive said, neither did he appear to be +any worse--he was sleeping then; and, after eating some of his dinner at +the table, and taking the remainder in his hands, Toby went out to the +tent again. + +He found his partners indulging in an animated discussion as to when the +performance should be given. + +Reddy was in favor of having it within two or three days at furthest; +Bob thought that, as Mr. Stubbs's brother was not to be one of the +performers, there was no reason for delay. + +All the others were of the same opinion, but Toby urged them to wait +until Abner could take part in it. + +To this Bob had a very reasonable objection: in two weeks more school +would begin, and then, of course, the circus would be out of the +question. If their first exhibition should be a success, as it +undoubtedly would be, they could give a second performance when Abner +should get well enough to attend it; and that would be quite as pleasing +to him as for all the talent to remain idle while waiting for his +recovery. + +Toby felt that his partners asked him to do only that which was fair; +the circus scheme had already done Abner more harm than good, and, as he +did not seem to be dangerously sick, it would be unkind to the others to +insist on waiting. + +"I'd rather Abner was with us when we had the first show," said Toby; +"but I s'pose it'll be just as well to go ahead with it, an' then give +another after he can come out." + +"Then we'll have it Saturday afternoon; an' while Reddy's fixin' up the +tickets, Ben an' I'll get the animals up here, so's to see how they'll +look, an' to let 'em get kinder used to the tent." + +Reddy was a boy who did not believe in wasting any time after a matter +was decided upon, and almost as soon as Toby consented to go on with the +show, he went for materials with which to make posters and tickets. + +His activity aroused the others, and all started out to bring in the +animals, leaving Toby to guard Mr. Stubbs's brother and the tent. The +canvas would take care of itself, so long as it was unmolested, but the +other portion of Toby's charge was not so easily managed. After much +thought, however, he settled the monkey question by tying Mr. Stubbs's +brother to the end pole, with a rope long enough to allow him to climb +nearly to the top, but short enough to keep him at a safe distance from +the canvas. + +By the time this was done, Ben arrived with the first instalment of +curiosities. His crowing hen he had under his arm, and Mrs. Simpson's +three-legged cat and four kittens he brought in a basket. + +"Joe's got a cage 'most built for the hen, an' I'll fix one for the cat +this afternoon," he said, as he seated himself on the basket, and held +the hen in his lap. + +"You can't fix it if you've got to hold her," said Toby, as he brought +from the barn a bushel-basket, which was converted into a coop by +turning it bottom side up, and putting the hen underneath it. + +Ben was about to make a search of the barn for the purpose of finding +some materials with which to build the cat's cage, when a great noise +was heard outside, and the two partners left the tent hurriedly. + +"It's Bob an' his calf," said Ben, who had got out first, and then he +started towards the newcomers at full speed. + +It was Bob and his calf; but the animal should have been mentioned +first, for it seemed very much as if he were bringing his master, +instead of being brought by him. In order to carry his cage of mice and +lead the calf at the same time, Bob had tied the rope that held this +representative of a grizzly bear around his waist, and had taken the +cage under his arm. This plan had worked well enough until just as they +were entering the field that led to the tent, when Bob tripped and fell, +scaring the calf so that he started at full speed for the barn, of +course dragging the unfortunate Bob with him. + +Sometimes on his face, sometimes on his back, screaming for help +whenever his mouth was uppermost, and clinging firmly to the cage of +mice, Bob was dragged almost to the door of the tent, where the +frightened animal was finally secured. + +"Well, I've got him here, an' I hain't lost a single mouse," said Bob, +as he counted his treasures before even scraping the dirt from his face. + +Ben and Toby led the calf into the tent after some difficulty, owing to +the attempts of Mr. Stubbs's brother to frighten him, and then they did +their best to separate the dirt from their partner. + +In this good work they had but partially succeeded, when Reddy arrived +with a large package of brown paper, and his cat without a tail. This +startling curiosity he carried in a bag slung over his shoulder, and +from the expression on his face when he came up it seemed almost certain +that the cat's claws had passed through the bag and into her master's +flesh. + +"There," he exclaimed, with a sigh of relief, as he threw his live +burden at the foot of the post to which Mr. Stubbs's brother was tied, +"I've kept shiftin' that cat from one shoulder to the other ever since I +started, an' I tell you she can scratch as well as if she had a tail as +long as the monkey's." + +It surely seemed as if the work of building the cages had been too long +neglected, for here were a number of curiosities without anything in +which they could be exhibited, and the audience might be dissatisfied +if asked to pay to see a cat in a bag, or a hen under a bushel-basket. + +Toby spoke of this, and Bob assured him that it could easily be arranged +as soon as all the partners should arrive. + +"You see, we've got to carry Mrs. Simpson's cat an' kittens home every +night, 'cause she says the rats are so thick she can spare her only +day-times, an' we don't need a cage for her till the show comes off," +said Bob, as he bustled around again to find materials. + +Mr. Stubbs's brother demanded his master's attention about this time, +owing to his attempts to make friends with the calf. From the time that +this peaceful animal, who was to be transformed into a grizzly bear, had +been brought into the tent, the monkey had tried in every possible way +to get at him, and the calf had shown unmistakable signs of a desire to +butt the monkey; but the ropes which held them both had prevented the +meeting. Now, however, Bob detected Mr. Stubbs's brother in trying to +bite his rope in two, and it was considered necessary to set a guard +over him. + +Reddy was already busily engaged in painting the posters, despite the +confusion that reigned, and, as his work would keep him inside the tent, +he was chosen to have general care of the animals, a task which he, +without a thought of possible consequences, accepted cheerfully. + +Leander and Joe came together, the first bringing his accordion, and +four rabbits in a cage, and the last carrying five striped squirrels in +a paste-board box. + +Leander was the only one who had been thoughtful enough to have his +animals ready for exhibition, and the cage in which the long-eared pets +were confined bore the inscription, done in a very fanciful way with +blue and red crayons, "Wolves. Keep off!" + +This cage was placed in the corner near the band-stand, where the +musician could attend to his musical work and have a watchful eye on his +pets at the same time. + +Reddy had been busily engaged in painting a notice to be hung up over +the calf; and, as he fastened it to the barn just over the spot where +the animal was to be kept, Bob read, with no small degree of pride in +the thought that he was the fortunate possessor of such a prize, + + + GRIzsLee BARE + FROM THE ROCKY MOunTAINS + + +Then the artist went back to his task of painting posters, while the +others set to work, full of determination to build the necessary number +of cages if there was wood enough in Uncle Daniel's barn. + +They found timber enough and to spare; but, as it was not exactly the +kind they wanted, Toby proposed that they should all go over to the +house, explain the matter to Aunt Olive, and ask her to give them as +many empty boxes as she could afford to part with. + +As has been said before, Aunt Olive looked upon the circus scheme with +favor, and when she was called upon to aid in the way of furnishing +cages for wild animals, she gave the boys full permission to take all +the boxes they could find in the shed. They found so many that they were +able to select those best suited to the different species of animals, +and yet have quite a stock to fall back upon in case they should make +additions to their menagerie. + +Now that the boys had found cages ready made, and needing only some bars +or slats across the front, they did not think it necessary to hurry. +They stayed for some time to talk of Abner, and to test some doughnuts +Aunt Olive was frying. It is very likely that they would have remained +even longer than they did, if the doughnut-frying had not been +completed, and the tempting dainties placed upon a high shelf beyond +their reach, as a gentle intimation that they had had about as many as +they would get that afternoon. + +After leaving the house, they walked leisurely towards the barn, little +dreaming what a state of confusion their property was in--until Reddy +rushed out of the tent, his jacket torn, his face bleeding, and his +general appearance that of a boy who had been having rather a hard time +of it. + + + + +CHAPTER XIX + +THE SHOW BROKE UP + + +"Why, what's the matter? Why don't you stay an' watch the animals?" +asked Bob, in a tone intended to convey reproach and surprise that one +of the projectors of the enterprise should desert his post of duty. + +"Watch the animals?" screamed Reddy, in a rage; "you go an' watch 'em +awhile instead of eatin' doughnuts, an' see how you like it. Mr. +Stubbs's brother picked a hole in the bag so my cat got out, an' she +jumped on the calf, an' he tore 'round awful till he let the hen an' +Mrs. Simpson's cat loose, an' I got knocked down an' scratched, an' the +whole show's broke up." + +Reddy sat down on the ground, and wiped the blood from his face after he +had imparted the painful news; and all the party started for the tent +as rapidly as possible. + +It was a scene of ruin which they looked in upon after they had pulled +aside Mr. Mansfield's flag, and one well calculated to discourage +amateur circus proprietors. + +Mr. Stubbs's brother was seated amid Reddy's paper and paint, holding +the crowing hen by the head while he picked her wing-feathers out one by +one. Mrs. Simpson's cat and kittens each had one of Bob's mice in its +mouth, while Reddy's cat was chasing one of the squirrels with a +murderous purpose. The calf was no longer an inmate of the tent; but a +large rent in the canvas showed that he had opened a door for himself +when the cat scratched him; and afar in the distance he could be seen, +head down and tail up, as if fleeing from everything that looked like a +circus. + +The destruction was as complete as it could well have been made in so +short a time, and the partners were, quite naturally, discouraged. Toby +retained sufficient presence of mind, amid the trouble, to rescue the +crowing hen from the murderous clutches of Mr. Stubbs's brother, and the +monkey scampered up the tent-pole, brandishing two or three of poor +biddy's best and longest wing-feathers, while he screamed with +satisfaction that he had accomplished at least a portion of the work of +stripping the fowl. + +"The show's broke up, an' that's all there's to it," said Bob, +sorrowfully, as he gazed alternately at the hole in the canvas and his +rapidly vanishing calf. + +"Are the squirrels all gone?" asked Joe, driving the cat from her +intended prey long enough to allow Master Bushy-tail to gain a refuge +under the barn. + +"Every one," replied Reddy. "The calf kicked the box over when he come +towards me, an' it looked as if there was as many as a hundred come out +jest as soon as the cover was off. I could have caught one or two; but +somehow Mrs. Simpson's cat got out of the basket jest then, an' she flew +right on to my face." + +The marks on Reddy's cheeks and nose told most eloquently with what +force the cat "flew," and search was at once made for that pet of the +Simpson family. She, with her kittens, had taken refuge under the barn +as soon as the boys entered, and thus another trouble was added to the +load the circus managers had to bear, for that cat must be returned to +her mistress by night, or trouble might come of it. + +The mice were entirely consumed, two tails alone remaining of what would +have been shown to the good people of Guilford as strange animals from +some far-off country. + +The squirrels were gone, the calf had fled, the hen was in a thoroughly +battered condition, and nothing remained of all that vast and wonderful +collection of animals except Mr. Stubbs's brother, and the rabbits, +protected by the cage which their master's thoughtfulness had provided. + +[Illustration: TOBY RESCUES THE CROWING HEN FROM MR. STUBBS'S BROTHER] + +"I guess I'll take the rabbits home," said Leander, as he lifted the box +to his shoulder. "It wouldn't do to have only them for animals, an' it +hain't very certain how long they'll stay alive while that monkey's +'round." + +"He's broke up the whole show, that's what he's done," and Ben shook his +fist at Mr. Stubbs's brother, while he tried to soothe his half-plucked +hen. + +"What _are_ we goin' to do?" asked Toby, almost in despair. + +"I know what I'm goin' to do," said Ben, as he again placed the hen +under the basket; "I'm goin' to crawl under the barn an' try to catch +that cat, an' then I'm goin' home with my hen." + +It seemed to be the desire of all the partners to get home with what +remained of their pets, and as Ben went under the barn on his hands and +knees, Leander started off with his rabbits, Bob went to look for his +calf, Reddy gathered up his bundle of paper, and Joe seized his +pasteboard box, all going away where they could think over the ruin in +solitude. + +But high up on the post the cause of all this trouble chattered and +scolded, while his master sat on the ground, looking at him as if he +wondered whether or not it would ever be possible to reform such a +monkey. + + + + +CHAPTER XX + +ABNER'S DEATH + + +After Toby was left alone in the tent, he remained for some time looking +at the triumphant monkey, and listening to Ben's attempts to crawl +around under the barn as fast as the cat could, when suddenly, as if +such a thought had not occurred to him before, he cried out: + +"Don't you want me to come an' help you, Ben?" + +"You keep that monkey back, that's all the helpin' I want," Ben replied, +almost sharply, and then the sounds indicated that the cat had suddenly +changed her position to one farther under the barn, while the boy was +trying to frighten her out. + +"Give it up, Ben," shouted Toby, after waiting some time longer, and not +seeing any sign of success on the part of his friend. "If you come up +here about dark you'll have a chance to catch her, for she'll have to +come out for something to eat." + +"You take the monkey into the house, an' I'll get along all right," was +the almost savage reply. "She smells him, an' jest as long as he's there +she'll stay under here." + +It seemed to Toby almost cruel to desert his friend and partner just at +a time when he needed assistance; but he could do no less than go away, +since he had been urged so peremptorily to do so, and, catching his pet +without much difficulty, he carried Mr. Stubbs's brother away from the +scene of the ruin he had caused. + +Ben's remark, that the monkey had "broke the show all up," seemed to be +very near the truth; for the boys would not think of going on with so +small a number of animals; and, even if they decided to do without the +menagerie, Bob's calf had wrecked one side of the tent so completely +that that particular piece of canvas was past mending. + +"I don't know what we'll do," said Toby, mournfully, after he had +finished telling the story to Aunt Olive. "The boys act as if they +blamed me, because Mr. Stubbs's brother is so bad, and Joe's squirrels +an' Bob's mice are all gone. Ben's hen don't look as if she'd ever +'mount to much, an' it don't seem to me that he can get Mrs. Simpson's +cat an' every one of the kittens out from under the barn." + +"Now don't go to worryin' about that, Toby," said Aunt Olive, as she +patted him on the head, and gave him a large piece of cake at the same +time. "You can get a dozen cats for Mrs. Simpson if she wants 'em; and +as for mice, you tell Bob to set his trap out in the granary two or +three times, an' he'll have as many as he can take care of. I'm glad the +squirrels did get away, for it seems such a sin to shut them up in a +cage when they're so happy in the woods." + +Toby was cheered by the very philosophical view that Aunt Olive took of +the affair, and came to the conclusion that matters were not more than +half so bad as they might have been. + +"You be careful that your monkey don't get out again, an' go to cuttin' +up as he did last night, for I shall get provoked with him if he hurts +my ducks any more," and, with this bit of advice, Aunt Olive went +up-stairs to see Abner. + +Toby went out to the shed to assure himself that Mr. Stubbs's brother +was tied so that he could not escape, and while he was there Uncle +Daniel came in with an armful of strips of board. + +"There, Toby, boy," he said, as he laid them on the floor, and looked +around for the hammer and nails, "I'm going to build a pen for your +monkey right up here in one corner, so that we sha'n't be called up +again in the night by a false alarm of burglars. Besides, it's almost +time for school to begin again, an' I'm 'most too old to commence +chasing monkeys around the country in case he gets out while you're +away." + +Had it been suggested the day before that Mr. Stubbs's brother was to be +shut up in a cage, Toby would have thought it a very great hardship for +his pet to endure; but the experience he had had in the last twenty-four +hours convinced him that the imprisonment was for the best. + +He helped Uncle Daniel in his labor to such purpose that, when it was +time for him to go to the pasture, the cage was built, and Mr. Stubbs's +brother was in it, looking as if he considered himself a thoroughly +abused monkey, because he was not allowed to play just such pranks as +had roused the household as well as broken up the circus scheme. + +On his way to the pasture, Toby met Joe, and the two had a long talk +about the disaster of the afternoon. Joe believed that the enterprise +must be abandoned--for that summer at least--as it would take them some +time to repair the damage done, and his short experience in the business +caused him to believe that they could hardly hope to compete with real +circuses until they had more material with which to work. + +Joe promised to see the other partners that evening or the next morning; +and, if they were of the same opinion, the tent should be taken down and +returned to its owner. + +"Perhaps we can fix it all right next year, an' then Abner will be +'round to help," said Toby, as he parted with Joe that night; and thus +was the circus project ended very sensibly, for the chances were that it +would have been a failure if they had attempted to give their +exhibition. + +During that afternoon Toby had worried less about Abner than on any day +since he had been sick; he had felt that his friend's recovery was +certain, and a load was lifted from his shoulders when he and Joe had +decided regarding the circus; for, that out of the way, he could devote +all his attention to his sick friend. Surely, with the ponies and the +monkey they could have a great deal of sport during the two weeks that +yet remained before school would begin, and Toby felt thoroughly happy. + +But his happiness was changed to alarm very soon after he entered the +house, for the doctor was there again, and, from the look on the faces +of Uncle Daniel and Aunt Olive, he knew Abner must be worse. + +"What is it, Uncle Dan'l? is Abner any sicker?" he asked, with quivering +lip, as he looked up at the wrinkled face that ever wore a kindly look +for him. + +Uncle Daniel laid his hand affectionately on the head of the boy, whom +he had cared for with the tenderness of a father since the day he +repented and asked forgiveness for having run away, and his voice +trembled as he said: + +"It is very likely that the good God will take the crippled boy to +Himself to-night, Toby, and there in the heavenly mansions will he find +relief from all his pain and infirmities. Then the poor-farm boy will no +longer be an orphan or deformed, but, with his Almighty Father, will +enter into such joys as we can have no conception of." + +"Oh, Uncle Dan'l! must Abner really die?" cried Toby, while the great +tears chased each other down his cheeks, and he hid his face on Uncle +Daniel's knee. + +"He will die here, Toby, boy, but it is simply an awakening into a +perfect, glorious life, to which I pray that both you and I may be +prepared to go when our Father calls us." + +For some time there was silence in the room, broken only by Toby's sobs; +and, while Uncle Daniel stroked the weeping boy's head, the great +white-winged messenger of God came into the chamber above, bearing away +with him the spirit of the poor-farm boy. + + +THE END + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Mr. Stubbs's Brother, by James Otis + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MR. 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