the afternoon, and he could not expect
to reach home until two or three o'clock in the afternoon of the next
day; but he was in a tremor of excitement as he thought that he should
walk through the streets of Guilford once more, see all the boys, and go
home to Uncle Daniel.

And yet, whenever he thought of that home, of meeting those boys, of
going once more to all those old familiar places, the memory of all that
he had planned when he should take the monkey with him would come into
his mind and damp even his joy, great as it was.

That night he had considerable difficulty in falling asleep, but did
finally succeed in doing so; and when he awoke the steamer was going up
the river, whose waters seemed like an old friend, because they had
flowed right down past Guilford on their way to the sea.

At each town where a landing was made Toby looked eagerly out on the
pier, thinking that by chance some one from his home might be there and
he would see a familiar face again. But all this time he heeded the
advice given him and remained in his room, where he could see and not
be seen; and it was well for him that he did so, for at one of the
landings he saw both Mr. Lord and Mr. Castle come on board the boat.

Toby's heart beat fast and furious, and he expected every moment to hear
them at the door demanding admittance, for it seemed to him that they
must know exactly where he was secreted.

But no such misfortune occurred. The men had evidently only boarded the
boat to search for the boy, for they landed again before the steamer
started, and Toby had the satisfaction of seeing their backs as they
walked away from the pier. It was some time before he recovered from the
fright which the sight of them gave him; but when he did his thoughts
and hopes far outstripped the steamer which, it seemed, was going so
slowly, and he longed to see Guilford with an impatience that could
hardly be restrained.

At last he could see the spire of the little church on the hill, and
when the steamer rounded the point, affording a full view of the town,
and sounded her whistle as a signal for those on the shore to come to
the pier, Toby could hardly restrain himself from jumping up and down
and shouting in his delight.

He was at the gang-plank ready to land fully five minutes before the
steamer was anywhere near the wharf, and when he recognized the first
face on the pier what a happy boy he was!

He was at home! The dream of the past ten