them
games we'll make him leave, no matter how good a trade he's doin'."

"Now, where we goin' to have the show?" and from the way Toby asked the
question it was easily seen that he had decided to accept the position
of manager which had been so delicately offered him.

"That's jest what we ain't fixed about," said Bob, as if he blamed
himself severely for not having already attended to this portion of the
business. "You see, if your Uncle Dan'l would let us have it up by his
barn that would be jest the place, an' I almost know he'd say yes if you
asked him."

"Do you s'pose it would be big enough? You know when there's a circus in
town everybody comes from all around to see it, an' it wouldn't do to
have a place where they couldn't all get in," and Toby spoke as if there
could be no doubt as to the crowds that would collect to see this
wonderful show of theirs.

"It'll have to be big enough, if we use the tent I'm goin' to get," said
Reddy decidedly; "for you see that won't be so awful large, an' it would
make it look kinder small if we put it where the other circuses put
theirs."

"Well, then, I s'pose we'll have to make that do, an' we can have two
or three shows if there are too many to come in at one time," said Toby
in a satisfied way that matters could be arranged so easily; and then,
with a big sigh, he added, "If only Mr. Stubbs hadn't got killed, what a
show we could have! I never saw him ride; but I know he could have done
better than any one else that ever tried it, if he wanted to, an' if we
had him we could have a reg'lar circus without anybody else."

Then the boys bewailed the untimely fate of Mr. Stubbs, until they saw
that Toby was fast getting into a mood altogether too sad for the proper
transaction of circus business, and Bob proposed that a visit be paid
Ben Cushing, for the purpose of having him give them a private
exhibition of his skill, in order that Toby might see some of the talent
which was to help make their circus a glorious success.

CHAPTER II

THE BLIND HORSE

Reddy had laid his plans so well that all the intending partners were
where they could easily be found on this evening when Toby's consent was
to be won, and Ben Cushing was no exception. On the hard, uneven floor
of his father's barn, with all his clothes discarded save his trousers
and shirt, he was making such heroic efforts in the way of practice,
that while the boys were yet some distance from the building