efore. They had travelled through the woods without hearing or seeing
anything of the runaway, and had returned in the hope that the others
had been more successful.

Leaving Mr. Stubbs's brother in charge of the partners, who, it was
safe to say, would now take very good care to prevent his escape, Toby
hurried into the house to see Abner.

The sick boy was no better, Aunt Olive said, neither did he appear to be
any worse--he was sleeping then; and, after eating some of his dinner at
the table, and taking the remainder in his hands, Toby went out to the
tent again.

He found his partners indulging in an animated discussion as to when the
performance should be given.

Reddy was in favor of having it within two or three days at furthest;
Bob thought that, as Mr. Stubbs's brother was not to be one of the
performers, there was no reason for delay.

All the others were of the same opinion, but Toby urged them to wait
until Abner could take part in it.

To this Bob had a very reasonable objection: in two weeks more school
would begin, and then, of course, the circus would be out of the
question. If their first exhibition should be a success, as it
undoubtedly would be, they could give a second performance when Abner
should get well enough to attend it; and that would be quite as pleasing
to him as for all the talent to remain idle while waiting for his
recovery.

Toby felt that his partners asked him to do only that which was fair;
the circus scheme had already done Abner more harm than good, and, as he
did not seem to be dangerously sick, it would be unkind to the others to
insist on waiting.

"I'd rather Abner was with us when we had the first show," said Toby;
"but I s'pose it'll be just as well to go ahead with it, an' then give
another after he can come out."

"Then we'll have it Saturday afternoon; an' while Reddy's fixin' up the
tickets, Ben an' I'll get the animals up here, so's to see how they'll
look, an' to let 'em get kinder used to the tent."

Reddy was a boy who did not believe in wasting any time after a matter
was decided upon, and almost as soon as Toby consented to go on with the
show, he went for materials with which to make posters and tickets.

His activity aroused the others, and all started out to bring in the
animals, leaving Toby to guard Mr. Stubbs's brother and the tent. The
canvas would take care of itself, so long as it was unmolested, but the
other portion of Toby's charge was not