ht with what seemed to him the
magnificence of the room.

It seemed as though each boy in the village considered himself Toby's
particular and intimate friend during the week that preceded the coming
of the circus; and the marbles, balls, and boats that were showered upon
him in the way of gifts would almost have stocked a small shop.

Then, on this day before the circus, all the boys in town were most
anxious to know just where Toby proposed meeting the cavalcade, at what
time he was to start, and other details which showed quite plainly it
was their intention to accompany him if possible.

When Toby went to bed, it was with the express understanding with Uncle
Daniel that he was to be called at daylight, in order that he might
start out to meet the circus when it stopped to prepare for its entrance
into the town. The place where the procession was usually formed was
fully two miles from town, and as Abner could hardly walk that distance,
and certainly could not walk so fast as Toby would want to go, he had
agreed to drive the cows to pasture, after which he was to go to the
tenting-ground, where his friend would introduce him to all the
celebrities.

CHAPTER VI

THE GREAT EVENT

Uncle Daniel seemed quite as anxious as Toby that he should leave the
house in time to meet his circus friends before the entree was made, and
Aunt Olive afterwards said he didn't sleep a wink after two o'clock for
fear he might not waken in time to rouse the anxious boy.

It was fully an hour before sunrise when Uncle Daniel awakened Toby, and
cautioned him to eat as much of the lunch Aunt Olive had set out as
possible, insisting that what he could not eat he should put into his
pocket, as it would be a long while before he would get his dinner.

The two miles Toby was obliged to walk seemed very short ones, and at
nearly every house on the road one or more boys were watching for him
quite as eagerly as for the show itself, so that by the time he arrived
at the place where two or three of the wagons had drawn up by the side
of the road, he had as many as a hundred boys for an escort, all of whom
were urging him to get the manager to take out a few lions and tigers
for their inspection before starting for the village.

Toby could hold out no promise to them; on the contrary, he insisted
that he hardly knew the manager, save by sight, and explained to them
that they were unwise to come with him on any such errand, since none o