crowd a most comical appearance
as they came up to Toby, half hopping, half walking upright, and all
chattering and screaming, like a crowd of children out for a holiday.

Toby stepped toward the noisy crowd, held out his hand gravely to the
old monkey, and said, in tones of heartfelt sorrow:

"I felt awful bad because I thought you had gone off an' left me, when
you went off to find the other fellows. You're awful good, Mr. Stubbs;
an' now, instead of runnin' away, as I was goin' to do, we'll all go
back together."

The old monkey grasped Toby's extended hand with his disengaged paw,
and, clinging firmly to it, the whole crowd followed in unbroken line,
chattering and scolding at the most furious rate, while every now and
then Mr. Stubbs would look back and scream out something, which would
cause the confusion to cease for an instant.

It was really a comical sight, but Toby seemed to think it the most
natural thing in the world that they should follow him in this manner,
and he chattered to the old monkey quite as fast as any of the others
were doing. He told him very gravely all that he knew about the
accident, explained why it was that he conceived the idea of running
away, and really believed that Mr. Stubbs understood every word he was
saying.

Very shortly after Toby had started to run away the proprietor of the
circus drove up to the scene of disaster, and, after seeing that the
wagon was being rapidly fixed up so that it could be hauled to the next
town, he ordered that search should be made for the monkeys. It was very
important that they should be captured at once, and he appeared to think
more of the loss of the animals than of the damage done to the wagon.

While the men were forming a plan for a search for the truants, so that
in case of a capture they could let one another know, the noise made by
Toby and his party was heard, and the men stood still to learn what it
meant.

The entire party burst into shouts of laughter as Toby and his
companions walked into the circle of light formed by the glare of the
lanterns, and the merriment was by no means abated at Toby's serious
demeanor. The wagon was now standing upright, with the door open, and
Toby therefore led his companions directly to it, gravely motioning them
to enter.

The old monkey, instead of obeying, stepped back to Toby's side, and
screamed to the others in such a manner that they all entered the cage,
leaving him on the outside with th