for the evidences which the skeleton and his wife had given of
their regard for him were very gratifying. He determined that he would
do his very best to please so long as he was with the circus, and then,
when he got a chance to run away, he would do so, but not until he had
said good-bye to Mr. and Mrs. Treat, and thanked them again for their
interest in him.

When he had finished his work in the tent that night Mr. Lord said to
him, as he patted him on the back in the most fatherly fashion, and as
if he had never spoken a harsh word to him, "You can't come in here to
sell candy now that you are one of the performers, my boy; an' if I can
find another boy to-morrow you won't have to work in the booth any
longer, an' your salary of a dollar a week will go on just the same,
even if you don't have anything to do but to ride."

This was a bit of news that was as welcome to Toby as it was unexpected,
and he felt more happy then than he had for the ten weeks that he had
been travelling under Mr. Lord's cruel mastership.

But there was one thing that night that rather damped his joy, and that
was that he noticed that Mr. Lord was unusually careful to watch him,
not even allowing him to go outside the tent without following. He saw
at once that, if he was to have a more easy time, his chances for
running away were greatly diminished, and no number of beautiful
costumes would have made him content to stay with the circus one moment
longer than was absolutely necessary.

That night he told Old Ben of the events of the day, and expressed the
hope that he might acquit himself creditably when he made his first
appearance on the following day.

Ben sat thoughtfully for some time, and then, making all the
preparations which Toby knew so well signified a long bit of advice, he
said, "Toby, my boy, I've been with a circus, man an' boy, nigh to forty
years, an' I've seen lots of youngsters start in just as you're goin' to
start in to-morrow; but the most of them petered out, because they got
to knowin' more'n them that learned 'em did. Now, you remember what I
say, an' you'll find it good advice: whatever business you get into,
don't think you know all about it before you've begun. Remember that you
can always learn somethin', no matter how old you are, an' keep your
eyes an' ears open, an' your tongue between your teeth, an' you'll
amount to somethin', or my name hain't Ben."

CHAPTER XVI.

TOBY'S FIRST APPEARANCE IN THE