Toby Tyler | Page 6

good, you are," continued Toby; "an' I hope I shall see you
real often, for it seems to me now, when there hain't any folks around,
as if you was the only friend I've got in this great big world. It's awful
when a feller feels the way I do, an' when he don't seem to want
anything to eat. Now if you'll stick to me I'll stick to you, an' then it
won't be half so bad when we feel this way."
During this speech Toby had still clung to the little brown paw, which
the monkey now withdrew, and continued to gaze into the boy's face.
"The fellers all say I don't amount to anything," sobbed Toby, "an'
Uncle Dan'l says I don't, an' I s'pose they know; but I tell you I feel just
as bad, now that I'm goin' away from them all, as if I was as good as
any of them."
At this moment Toby saw Mr. Lord enter the tent, and he knew that the
summons to start was about to be given.
"Goodby," he said to the monkey, as he vainly tried to take him by the
hand again. "Remember what I've told you, an' don't forget that Toby
Tyler is feelin' worse tonight than if he was twice as big an' twice as
good."
Mr. Lord had come to summon him away, and he now told Toby that
he would show him with which man he was to ride that night.
Toby looked another goodby at the venerable monkey, who was
watching him closely, and then followed his employer out of the tent,
among the ropes and poles and general confusion attendant upon the
removal of a circus from one place to another.

III: THE NIGHT RIDE

The wagon on which Mr. Lord was to send his new found employee
was, by the most singular chance, the one containing the monkeys, and
Toby accepted this as a good omen. He would be near his venerable
friend all night, and there was some consolation in that. The driver
instructed the boy to watch his movements, and when he saw him
leading his horses around, "to look lively and be on hand, for he never
waited for anyone."
Toby not only promised to do as ordered, but he followed the driver
around so closely that, had he desired, he could not have rid himself of
his little companion.
The scene which presented itself to Toby's view was strange and weird
in the extreme. Shortly after he had attached himself to the man with
whom he was to ride, the performance was over, and the work of
putting the show and its belongings into such a shape as could be
conveyed from one town to another was soon in active operation. Toby
forgot his grief, forgot that he was running away from the only home he
had ever known -- in fact, forgot everything concerning himself -- so
interested was he in that which was going on about him.
As soon as the audience had got out of the tent and almost before the
work of taking down the canvas was begun.
Torches were stuck in the earth at regular intervals, the lights that had
shone so brilliantly in and around the ring had been extinguished, the
canvas sides had been taken off, and the boards that had formed the
seats were being packed into one of the carts with a rattling sound that
seemed as if a regular fusillade of musketry was being indulged in.
Men were shouting; horses were being driven hither and thither,
harnessed to the wagons, or drawing the huge carts away as soon as
they were loaded; and everything seemed in the greatest state of
confusion, while really the work was being done in the most systematic
manner possible.
Toby had not long to wait before the driver informed him that the time
for starting had arrived, and assisted him to climb up to the narrow seat
whereon he was to ride that night.

The scene was so exciting, and his efforts to stick to the narrow seat so
great, that he really had no time to attend to the homesick feeling that
had crept over him during the first part of the evening.
The long procession of carts and wagons drove slowly out of the town,
and when the last familiar house had been passed the driver spoke to
Toby for the first time, since they started.
"Pretty hard work to keep on -- eh, sonny?"
"Yes," replied the boy, as the wagon jolted over a rock, bouncing him
high in air, and he, by strenuous efforts, barely succeeded in alighting
on the seat again, "it is pretty hard work; an' my name's Toby Tyler."
Toby heard a queer