n down, and he had only time to thank Mrs. Treat
and to press the fleshless hand of her shadowy husband as they entered
their wagon to drive away.

He was disappointed, for he had hoped to be able to speak with his new
made friends a few moments before the weary night's ride commenced; but,
failing in that, he went hastily back to the monkeys' cage. Old Ben was
there, getting things ready for a start; but the wooden sides of the
cage had not been put up, and Toby had no difficulty in calling the aged
monkey up to the bars. He held one of the Fat Woman's doughnuts in his
hand, and said, as he passed it through to the animal:

"I thought perhaps you might be hungry, Mr. Stubbs, and this is some of
what the skeleton's wife gave me. I hain't got very much time to talk
with you now; but the first chance I can get away tomorrow, an' when
there hain't anybody round, I want to tell you something."

The monkey had taken the doughnut in his handlike paws, and was tearing
it to pieces, eating small portions of it very rapidly.

"Don't hurry yourself," said Toby, warningly, "for Uncle Dan'l always
told me the worst thing a feller could do was to eat fast. If you want
any more, after we start, just put your hand through the little hole up
there near the seat, an' I'll give you all you want."

From the look on his face Toby confidently believed the monkey was about
to make some reply; but just then Ben shut up the sides, separating Toby
and Mr. Stubbs, and the order was given to start.

Toby clambered up on to the high seat, Ben followed him, and in another
instant the team was moving along slowly down the dusty road, preceded
and followed by the many wagons, with their tiny swinging lights.

"Well," said Ben, when he had got his team well under way and felt
that he could indulge in a little conversation, "how did you get along
today?"

Toby related all of his movements, and gave the driver a faithful
account of all that had happened to him, concluding his story by saying,
"That was one of Mrs. Treat's doughnuts that I just gave to Mr. Stubbs."

"To whom?" asked Ben, in surprise.

"To Mr. Stubbs--the old fellow here in the cart, you know, that's been
so good to me."

Toby heard a sort of gurgling sound, saw the driver's body sway back and
forth in a trembling way, and was just becoming thoroughly alarmed,
when he thought of the previous night, and understood that Ben was only
laughing in his own peculiar way.

"How did