to attend to his work.

The other boys crowded quite as close to him as they could get, as if by
this means they allied themselves in some way with the show; and when a
drove of ponies were led past, Joe Robinson said, longingly:

"There, Toby, if we had one or two of them to train, it would be
different work from what it is to make the Douglass boss remember his
way round the ring."

"You wouldn't have to train them any," began Toby; and then he had no
time to say anything more, for Ben, who had been talking with the
manager, called to him.

"Has your Uncle Dan'l got plenty of pasturage?" asked Ben, when the boy
approached him.

"Well, he's got twenty acres up by the stone quarry, an' he keeps three
cows on it, an' Jack Douglass's hoss, that don't count, for he's only
there till we boys have our circus," said Toby, never for a moment
dreaming of the good fortune that was in store for him.

"So you're goin' to have a circus of your own, eh?" asked Ben, with a
smile that alarmed Toby, because he feared it was a signal for one of
those terrible laughing spells.

"We're only goin' to have a little three-cent one," replied Toby,
modestly, noting with satisfaction that Ben's mirth had gone no further
than the smile.

"Two of our ponies are about used up," said the manager, "and we've got
to leave them somewhere. Ben tells me he is going to see your Uncle
Dan'l this noon, so suppose you take one of these boys and ride them up
to the pasture. Ben will make a bargain with your uncle for their
keeping, and you can use them in your circus if you want to."

Joe Robinson actually jumped for joy as he heard this, and Toby's
delight spread itself all over his face, while Bob Atwood and Ben
Gushing went near the fence, where they stood on their heads as a way of
expressing their elation at thus being able to have real live ponies in
their circus.

A black and a red pony were the ones pointed out for Toby to take away,
and they were not more than twice as large as Newfoundland dogs; they
were, in fact, just exactly what was wanted for a little circus such as
the boys were about to start.

Joe was so puffed up with pride at being allowed to ride one of these
ponies through the village that if his mind could have affected his body
he would not have weighed more than a pound, and he held his head so
high that it seemed a matter of impossibility for him to see his feet.

Very much surprised were Uncle Daniel and Aunt Olive