for a day or two before you take the train or
steamboat. You're too big a prize for Job or Castle to let you go
without a word, an' they'll try their level best to find you. Be
careful, now, for if they should catch you, good-bye any more chances to
get away. There"--and here Ben suddenly lifted him high from the ground
and kissed him--"now get away as fast as you can."

Toby pressed the old man's hand affectionately, and then, without
trusting himself to speak, walked swiftly out toward the entrance.

He resolved to take Ben's advice and go into the woods for a short time,
and therefore he must buy some provisions before he started.

As he passed the monkeys' cage he saw his pet sitting near the bars, and
he stopped long enough to whisper, "I'll be back in ten minutes, Mr.
Stubbs, an' you be all ready then."

Then he went on, and just as he got near the entrance one of the men
told him that Mrs. Treat wished to see him.

Toby could hardly afford to spare the time just then, but he would
probably have obeyed the summons, if he had known that by so doing he
would be caught, and he ran as fast as his little legs would carry him
toward the skeleton's tent.

The exhibition was open, and both the skeleton and his wife were on the
platform when Toby entered; but he crept around at the back and up
behind Mrs. Treat's chair, telling her as he did so that he had just
received her message, and that he must hurry right back, for every
moment was important then to him.

"I put up a nice lunch for you," she said as she kissed him, "and you'll
find it on the top of the biggest trunk. Now go; and if my wishes are of
any good to you, you will get to your uncle Daniel's house without any
trouble. Good-bye again, little one."

Toby did not dare to trust himself any longer where every one was so
kind to him. He slipped down from the platform as quickly as possible,
found the bundle--and a good-sized one it was too--without any
difficulty, and went back to the monkeys' cage.

As orders had been given by the proprietor of the circus that the boy
should do as he had a mind to with the monkey, he called Mr. Stubbs; and
as he was in the custom of taking him with him at night, no one thought
that it was anything strange that he should take him from the cage now.

[Illustration: THE RUNAWAYS.]

Mr. Lord or Mr. Castle might possibly have thought it queer had either
of them seen the two bundles which Toby carried, but, fortunately for