kick."

"Oh, he'll be all right jest as soon as Toby rides him 'round the ring a
little while."

"Do you think I'm goin' to ride him?" asked Toby, beginning to believe
his partners expected more of him than ever Mr. Castle did.

"Of course; a feller what's been with a circus ought to know how to ride
any hoss that ever lived," replied Bob, with considerable emphasis,
owing to the fact that the pony kicked and plunged so that his words
were jerked out of him, rather than spoken.

"I s'pose some fellers can; but I wasn't with the circus long enough to
find out how to ride such hosses as them," and Toby retired to the shade
of the alder bushes, where Abner was sitting to wait until Bob and the
pony had come to terms.

It was quite as much as Bob could do to hold his prize, without trying
to make any arrangements for having him ridden, and he called Reddy to
help him.

Now, as the ring-master of the contemplated circus, Reddy ought to have
known all about horses, and he thought he did until the pony made one
plunge, just as he came up smiling with whip in hand. Then he said, as
he ran towards Toby:

"I don't believe I want to be ring-master if we're goin' to have that
hoss."

"Here, Joe, you help me," cried Bob, in desperation, growing each moment
more afraid of the steed. "I want to get him up by the fence, where we
can hitch him, till we find out what to do with him."

Joe was perfectly willing to assist the unfortunate clown in his
troubles; but, as he started towards him, the pony wheeled and flung his
heels out with a force that showed he would do some damage if he could,
and Joe also joined the party among the bushes.

Bob was thus left alone with his prize, and a most uncomfortable time he
appeared to be having of it, standing there in the hot sun clinging
desperately to the halter, and jumping from one side to the other when
the pony attempted to bite, or strike him with his fore-feet.

"Let him go; he hain't any good," shouted Reddy from his secure retreat.

"If I let go the halter, he'll jump right at me," and there was a
certain ring in Bob's voice that told he was afraid.

"Hitch him to the fence, an' then climb over," suggested Joe.

"But I can't get him over there, for he won't go a step," and Bob
continued to hold fast to the halter, afraid to do so, but still more
afraid to let go.

He had borrowed the pony; but it certainly seemed as if the animal had
borrowed him, for his fear caused hi