f the fingers in
his paw, and Toby shook hands with him very earnestly,

"I was sorry that I couldn't speak to you when I went in this noon,"
said Toby, as if making an apology; "but, you see, there were so many
around here to see you that I couldn't get the chance. Did you see me
wink at you?"

The monkey made no reply, but he twisted his face into such a funny
little grimace that Toby was quite as well satisfied as if he had
spoken.

"I wonder if you hain't some relation to Steve Stubbs?" Toby continued,
earnestly, "for you look just like him, only he don't have quite so many
whiskers. What I wanted to say was, that I'm awful sorry I run away. I
used to think that Uncle Dan'l was bad enough; but he was just a perfect
good Samarathon to what Mr. Lord an' Mr. Jacobs are; an' when Mr. Lord
looks at me with that crooked eye of his, I feel it 'way down in my
boots. Do you know"--and here Toby put his mouth nearer to the monkey's
head and whispered--"I'd run away from this circus if I could get the
chance; wouldn't you?"

Just at this point, as if in answer to the question, the monkey stood up
on his hind-feet, and reached out his paw to the boy, who seemed to
think this was his way of being more emphatic in saying "Yes."

Toby took the paw in his hand, shook it again earnestly, and said, as he
released it, "I was pretty sure you felt just about the same way I did,
Mr. Stubbs, when I passed you this noon. Look here"--and Toby took the
money from his pocket which had been given him--"I got all that this
afternoon, an' I'll try an' stick it out somehow till I get as much as
ten dollars, an' then we'll run away some night, an' go 'way off as far
as--as--as out West; an' we'll stay there too."

The monkey, probably tired with remaining in one position so long,
started toward the top of the cage, chattering and screaming, joining
the other monkeys, who had gathered in a little group in one of the
swings.

"Now see here, Mr. Stubbs," said Toby, in alarm, "you mustn't go to
telling everybody about it, or Mr. Lord will know, an' then we'll be
dished, sure."

The monkey sat quietly in the swing, as if he felt reproved by what the
boy had said; and Toby, considerably relieved by his silence, said, as
he started toward the door, "That's right--mum's the word; you keep
quiet, an' so will I, an' pretty soon we'll get away from the whole
crowd."

All the monkeys chattered; and Toby, believing that everything which he
had sai