tily:

"That's _so!_" adding, more quietly, "What are you going to do now? Go
back to Smithers and the old work?"

"Not likely, after the way he treated you, Sonny. I've had it out with
him, and he wont want to see _me_ again in a hurry," answered Mr. Brown,
with a sudden kindling of the eye that reminded Bab of Ben's face when
he shook her after losing Sancho.

"There's more circuses than his in the world; but I'll have to limber
out ever so much before I'm good for much in that line," said the boy,
stretching his stout arms and legs with a curious mixture of
satisfaction and regret.

"You've been living in clover and got fat, you rascal," and his father
gave him a poke here and there, as Mr. Squeers did the plump Wackford,
when displaying him as a specimen of the fine diet at Do-the-boys Hall.
"Don't believe I could put you up now if I tried, for I haven't got my
strength back yet, and we are both out of practice. It's just as well,
for I've about made up my mind to quit the business and settle down
somewhere for a spell, if I can get anything to do," continued the
rider, folding his arms and gazing thoughtfully into the fire.

"I shouldn't wonder a mite if you could right here, for Mr. Towne has a
great boarding-stable over yonder, and he's always wanting men," said
Mrs. Moss, eagerly, for she dreaded to have Ben go, and no one could
forbid it if his father chose to take him away.

"That sounds likely. Thanky, ma'am. I'll look up the concern and try my
chance. Would you call it too great a come-down to have father an
'ostler after being first rider in the 'Great Golden Menagerie, Circus,
and Colosseum,' hey Ben?" asked Mr. Brown, quoting the well-remembered
show-bill with a laugh.

"No, I shouldn't; it's real jolly up there when the big barn is full and
eighty horses have to be taken care of. I love to go and see 'em. Mr.
Towne asked me to come and be stable-boy when I rode the kicking gray
the rest were afraid of. I hankered to go, but Miss Celia had just got
my new books, and I knew she'd feel bad if I gave up going to school.
Now I'm glad I didn't, for I get on first rate and like it."

"You done right, boy, and I'm pleased with you. Don't you ever be
ungrateful to them that befriended you, if you want to prosper. I'll
tackle the stable business a Monday and see what's to be done. Now I
ought to be walking, but I'll be round in the morning, ma'am, if you can
spare Ben for a spell to-morrow. We'd like to h