the afternoon's performance, and Toby to try to do such work as Mr. Job
Lord had laid out for him.

Just ten weeks from the time Toby had first joined the circus Mr. Castle
informed him and Ella that they were to appear in public on the
following day. They had been practising daily, and Toby had become so
skilful that both Mr. Castle and Mr. Lord saw that the time had come
when he could be made to earn some money for them.

CHAPTER XV.

TOBY'S FRIENDS PRESENT HIM WITH A COSTUME.

During this time Toby's funds had accumulated rather slower than on the
first few days he was in the business, but he had saved eleven dollars,
and Mr. Lord had paid him five dollars of his salary, so that he had the
to him enormous sum of sixteen dollars; and he had about made up his
mind to make one effort for liberty, when the news came that he was to
ride in public.

He had, in fact, been ready to run away any time within the past week;
but, as if they had divined his intentions, both Mr. Castle and Mr. Lord
had kept a very strict watch over him, one or the other keeping him in
sight from the time he got through with his labors at night until they
saw him on the cart with Old Ben.

"I was just gettin' ready to run away," said Toby to Ella, on the day
Mr. Castle gave his decision as to their taking part in the performance,
and while they were walking out of the tent, "an' I shouldn't wonder now
if I got away to-night."

"Oh, Toby!" exclaimed the girl, as she looked reproachfully at him,
"after all the work we've had to get ready, you won't go off and leave
me before we've had a chance to see what the folks will say when they
see us together?"

It was impossible for Toby to feel any delight at the idea of riding in
public, and he would have been willing to have taken one of Mr. Lord's
most severe whippings if he could have escaped from it; but he and Ella
had become such firm friends, and he had conceived such a boyish
admiration for her, that he felt as if he were willing to bear almost
anything for the sake of giving her pleasure. Therefore he said, after a
few moments' reflection, "Well, I won't go to-night, anyway, even if I
have the best chance that ever was. I'll stay one day more, anyhow, an'
perhaps I'll have to stay a good many."

"That's a nice boy," said Ella, positively, as Toby thus gave his
decision, "and I'll kiss you for it."

Before Toby fully realized what she was about, almost before he had
understood w