points, eclipse the real one that had lately visited
the town.

After the excitement caused by Toby's riding had in a measure died away,
Ben continued with his feats according to the programme, and then Bob
commenced his second song.

The audience of partners were listening to it intently, the more because
it seemed to them that Bob had made a mistake as to the tune, and they
were anxious to see what he was going to do about it--when the pony
Toby had been riding suddenly dashed into the ring, with what looked
very like a boy on his back.

The partners were amazed at this interruption, and Bob continued to
sound the note he was wrestling with when he first saw the pony coming
towards him, until it ended almost in a shriek.

"Who is it?" cried Joe, as the pony dashed across the pasture, urged to
full speed by its rider, and in an instant more all saw a long curling
tail, which showed unmistakably who the culprit was.

"It's Mr. Stubbs's brother!" cried Toby, in alarm, "and how shall we
catch him?"

It was, indeed, the monkey, and during the next ten minutes it seemed to
the boys that they ran over every square foot of that pasture, scaring
the cows and tiring themselves, until the frightened little horse was
penned up in one corner, and his disagreeable rider was taken from him.

This last act of the rehearsal had occupied so much time, and the
monkey was making himself so troublesome, that Toby decided to go home,
the others promising to come to Uncle Daniel's barn that afternoon, when
Reddy was to explain how the tent was to be procured, a matter which, up
to this time, he had kept a profound secret from all but Bob.

Short as the time spent at the rehearsal seemed to the boys, it was
considerably too long for one in Abner's weak condition, as was evident
from his face when Aunt Olive came to the door to help him out of the
carriage.

He seemed thoroughly exhausted, and, as soon as he got into the house,
asked to be allowed to lie down--a confession of weakness that gave Aunt
Olive a great deal of uneasiness, because she considered herself in a
great measure responsible for the ride and its results, as she had urged
Abner to go before the doctor's advice had been heard in the matter.

Toby's fears regarding the invalid were always reflections of Aunt
Olive's; but when he saw Abner go to sleep so quickly, he thought she
was alarmed without cause, and believed his friend would be quite
himself so soon as he