hile,
anyhow, an' you'd better try to amount to something while you are here.
Perhaps after you've got so you can ride you may want to stay; an' I'll
see to it that you get all of your wages, except enough to pay Castle
for learnin' of you."

[Illustration: TOBY AND THE LITTLE BOY CUSTOMERS.]

"I sha'n't want to stay," said Toby. "I wouldn't stay if I could ride
all the horses at once, an' was gettin' a hundred dollars a day."

"But you can't ride one horse, an' you hain't gettin' but a dollar a
week, an' still I don't see any chance of your gettin' away yet awhile,"
said Ben, in a matter-of-fact tone, as he devoted his attention again to
his horses, leaving Toby to his own sad reflections, and the positive
conviction that boys who run away from home do not have a good time,
except in stories.

The next forenoon, while Toby was deep in the excitement of selling to a
boy no larger than himself, and with just as red hair, three cents'
worth of pea-nuts and two sticks of candy, and while the boy was trying
to induce him to "throw in" a piece of gum, because of the quantity
purchased, Job Lord called him aside, and Toby knew that his troubles
had begun.

"I want you to go in an' see Mr. Castle; he's goin' to show you how to
ride," said Mr. Lord, in as kindly a tone as if he were conferring some
favor on the boy.

If Toby had dared to, he would have rebelled then and there and refused
to go; but, as he hadn't the courage for such proceeding, he walked
meekly into the tent and toward the ring.

CHAPTER XIV.

MR. CASTLE TEACHES TOBY TO RIDE.

When Toby got within sight of the ring he was astonished at what he saw.
A horse, with a broad wooden saddle, was being led slowly around the
ring; Mr. Castle was standing on one side, with a long whip in his hand;
and on the tent-pole, which stood in the centre of the ring, was a long
arm, from which dangled a leathern belt attached to a long rope that was
carried through the end of the arm and run down to the base of the pole.

Toby knew well enough why the horse, the whip, and the man were there,
but the wooden projection from the tent-pole, which looked so much like
a gallows, he could not understand at all.

"Come, now," said Mr. Castle, cracking his whip ominously as Toby came
in sight, "why weren't you here before?"

"Mr. Lord just sent me in," said Toby, not expecting that his excuse
would be received, for they never had been since he had arrived at the
hei