d Leander, excitedly, while he was some distance away,
"there's a real circus comin' here next week--the same one Toby Tyler
run away with--an' the men are pastin' up the bills now, down to the
village!"

The boys looked at each other in surprise; it had never entered into
their calculations that they might have a real circus as a rival, and
certainly Toby had never thought he would again see those whom he had
first run away with and then run away from. He was rather disturbed by
the prospect at first, for it seemed certain that Job Lord and Mr.
Castle would try to compel him to go with them; but a moment's thought
convinced him that Uncle Daniel would not allow them to carry him away,
and he grew as eager for more news as any of the others.

Leander knew no more than he had already told; after having been
relieved from his care of the baby, he had started for the pasture, and
had seen the show-bills as he came along. He was certain it was the same
circus Toby had gone with, for the names on the bills were the same, and
he had heard some of the townspeople say so as he came along.

"An' I shall see the skeleton an' the fat woman again," said Toby,
delighted at the idea of meeting those kind friends from whom he had
thought himself parted with forever.

"Don't you s'pose you could get 'em to leave that show an' come with
ours?" asked Bob, thinking perhaps some kind fortune had thrown this
opportunity in their way that they might the better succeed in their
project.

Toby was not sure such a plan could be made to work, for the reason that
they were only intending to give two or three performances, and Mr. and
Mrs. Treat might not think it worth their while to leave the circus they
were with on the strength of such uncertain prospects.

"And you shall go to the show, Abner," said Toby, pleased at the
opportunity he would have of making the crippled boy happy for one day
at least; "an' I'll take all of you fellers down, an' get the skeleton
to talk at you, so's you can see how nice he is. You shall see his wife,
an' old Ben, an' Ella, an'--"

"But won't you be afraid of Job Lord?" interrupted Leander, fearful lest
Toby's dread of meeting his old employer might prevent them from having
all this promised enjoyment.

"Uncle Dan'l wouldn't let him take me away, an' now I'm home here I
don't believe old Ben would let him touch me."

There was evidently no probability that they would transact any more
business relative