commercial folly to attempt to enter into competition with it; the real
circus would, without a doubt, prove too strong a rival for them to
contend against; and by waiting until after it had come and gone they
might be able to pick up some useful ideas regarding the show they
proposed to give.

This delay would be to their advantage in a great many other ways. The
band would have so much time for practice that he might learn another
tune, or even be able to play with more than one finger; their acrobat
would have so many rehearsals that he could, perhaps, double his present
allowance of hand-springs, and Joe would be able to bring his horses to
a more perfect state of training.

Mr. Douglass, having no use for his horse, was perfectly willing he
should remain under Joe's tuition, providing it was done in Uncle
Daniel's pasture; but matters were not in so good a condition regarding
the pony.

Chandler Merrill was anxious to have his property returned to him, and
not willing to go after it. Besides, Mr. Douglass's horse was in great
danger of being kicked to death so long as the vicious little animal
remained in the same pasture.

Very many were the discussions the boys had on the subject; but nothing
could be suggested which promised any relief, after Bob's brilliant idea
of driving the pony out, and letting him find his way home as best he
might, was tried without success. The pony not only refused to go out,
but he actually drove the boys away by the liberal use he made of his
heels.

Slowly the time passed until the day before the one on which the circus
was to arrive, Toby had almost been counting the hours and Abner, who
was to see the interior of a circus tent for the first time in his life,
was quite as excited as he.

The lamb had been killed as Aunt Olive had promised, and a rare store of
good things in the way of apple-pies, cake, doughnuts, and custards had
been prepared, until the pantry looked like a large-sized baker's shop
just opened for inspection.

Everything was ready for the guests, who were to be invited to dinner
next day; and when Toby went to bed that night, it seemed as if he would
never get to sleep for thinking of all the friends he was to see.

Abner was in quite as sleepless a condition as Toby; Aunt Olive had
invited him to remain overnight, so that he might see everything that
was going on, and as he lay in the soft, geranium-scented bed, his eyes
were kept wide open by his delig