at may all be true, an' I don't dispute it," said Ben; "but you see
you didn't stay with your uncle Daniel when you had the chance, an' you
did come with the circus. You've told Job you wanted to leave, an' he
'll be watchin' you all the time to see that you don't give him the
slip. Now what's the consequence? Why, you can't get away for a while,
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."

"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 peanuts 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.

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 center 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 under