R. STUBBS.]

"Hello! has the skeleton an' his lily of a wife been givin' a blow-out
to you too?"

"They invited me in there to dinner," said Toby, modestly.

"Of course they did--of course they did," replied Ben, with a chuckle;
"they carries a cookin'-stove along with 'em, so's they can give these
little spreads whenever we stay over a day in a place. Oh, I've been
there!"

"And did they ask you to make a speech?"

"Of course. Did they try it on you?"

"Yes," said Toby, mournfully, "an' I tumbled off the platform when I got
through."

"I didn't do exactly that," replied Ben, thoughtfully; "but I s'pose you
got too much steam on, seein' 's how it was likely your first speech.
Now you'd better go into the tent an' try to get a little sleep, 'cause
we've got a long ride to-night over a rough road, an' you won't get
more'n a cat-nap all night."

"But where are you going?" asked Toby, as he shifted Mr. Stubbs over to
his other shoulder, preparatory to following his friend's advice.

"I'm goin' to church," said Ben, and then Toby noticed for the first
time that the old driver had made some attempt at dressing-up. "I've
been with the circus, man an' boy, for nigh to forty years, an' I allus
go to meetin' once on Sunday. It's somethin' I promised my old mother I
would do, an' I hain't broke my promise yet."

"Why don't you take me with you?" asked Toby, wistfully, as he thought
of the little church on the hill at home, and wished--oh, so
earnestly!--that he was there then, even at the risk of being thumped on
the head with Uncle Daniel's book.

"If I'd seen you this mornin' I would," said Ben; "but now you must try
to bottle up some sleep agin to-night, an' next Sunday I'll take you."

With these words Old Ben started off, and Toby proceeded to carry out
his wishes, although he rather doubted the possibility of "bottling up"
any sleep that afternoon.

He lay down on the top of the wagon, after having put Mr. Stubbs inside,
with the others of his tribe, and in a very few moments the boy was
sound asleep, dreaming of a dinner-party at which Mr. Stubbs made a
speech, and he himself scampered up and down the tent-pole.

CHAPTER XI.

A STORMY NIGHT.

When Toby awoke it was nearly dark, and the bustle around him told very
plainly that the time for departure was near at hand. He rubbed his eyes
just enough to make sure that he was thoroughly awake, and then jumped
down from his rather lofty bed, and ran a