^:*
 
 RNIA 
 
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 Mr. Stubbs's Brother 
 
 A Sequel to 
 
 "Toby Tyler" 
 
 BY JAMES OTIS 
 
 AUTHOR OF 
 "TIM AND TIP" ETC. 
 
 ILLUSTRATED 
 
 NEW YORK AND LONDON 
 HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS 
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE SERIES 
 
 SIXTY-CENT EDITION 
 
 FRAXCOXIA STORIES 
 
 BY JACOB ABBOTT 
 Malleville Stuyvesant 
 
 Mary BeU Agnes . 
 
 Ellen Linn Mary Erskme 
 
 Wallace Rodolphus 
 
 Beechnut Caroline 
 
 Br W. L. ALDEN 
 The Moral Pirates 
 The Cruise of the "Ghost" 
 The Cruise of the Canoe Club 
 The Adventures of Jimmy Brown 
 Jimmy Brown Trying to Find Europe 
 A New Robinson Crusoe 
 
 BY JAMES BARNES 
 The Blockaders 
 
 BY WILLIAM BLACK 
 The Four Macnicols 
 
 BY LEWIS CARROLL 
 Alice's Adven tures in Wonderland 
 Through the Lookine-Glass 
 The Hunting of the Snark 
 
 BY COL. W. F. CODY 
 The Adventures of Buffalo Bill 
 
 Br GEORGE C. EGGLBSTON 
 Strange Stories from History 
 BY JOHN HABBERTON 
 Who Was Paul Grayson? 
 
 BY MRS. W. J. HAYS 
 Prince Lazybones 
 The Princess Idleways 
 
 BY GEORGE A. HENTY 
 In the Hands of the Cave-Dwellers 
 
 BY W. J. HENDERSON 
 Sea Yams for Boys 
 
 BY ERNEST INGERSOLL 
 fhe Ice Queen 
 
 BY DAVID KER 
 The Lost City 
 Into Unknown Seas 
 
 BY LUCY C. LILLIB 
 Mildred's Bargain 
 Nan 
 
 Jo's Opportunity 
 Phil and the Baby 
 False Witness 
 
 Rolf House 
 
 Music and Musicians 
 
 The Colonel's Money 
 
 The Household of Glen Holly 
 
 BY LIVINGSTON B. MORSE 
 The Road to Nowhere 
 
 BY Miss MULOCK 
 The Little Lame Prince 
 The Adventures of a Brownie 
 Little Sunshine's Holiday 
 The Cousin from India 
 Twenty Years Ago 
 Is It True? 
 Miss Moore 
 An Only Sister 
 
 BY KIRK MUNROB 
 Wakulla 
 
 The Flamingo Feather 
 Derrick Sterling 
 Chrystal, Jack & Co.. etc. 
 BY JAMES OTIS 
 Mr. Stubbs's Brother 
 Tim and Tip 
 Toby Tyler, or, Ten Weeks with a 
 
 Circus 
 
 Raising the " Pearl " 
 Sik-nt Pete; or, the Stowaways 
 Left Behind ; or. Ten Days a Newsboy 
 
 BY G. B. PERRY 
 Uncle Peter's Trust 
 
 BY L. C. PYRNELLE 
 Diddie, Dumps, and Tot 
 
 BY MARGARET E. SANGSTER 
 Little Knights and Ladies Poems 
 
 BY W. O. STODDARD 
 Two Arrows 
 The Rerl Mustang 
 The Talking Leaves 
 
 BY SOPHIE SWETT 
 Captain Polly 
 
 STRANGE STORIES FROM 
 
 HISTORY 
 
 Strange Stones of Colonial Days 
 Strange Stories of the Revolution 
 Strange Stories of i8ia 
 Strange Stories of the Civil War 
 
 Illustrated. Price, per roliime, 60 cents 
 
 HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK 
 
 according to Act of Congress, in the year 1882, by 
 
 HARPER k BROTHERS, 
 In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington 
 
 M rigktt rttened.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 OUA.PTER PAGE 
 
 I. THE SCHEME 9 
 
 II. THE BLIND HORSE 24 
 
 III. ABNER BOLTON 45 
 
 IT. THE PONT , 53 
 
 T. OLD BEN 68 
 
 VI. THE GREAT EVENT 81 
 
 VII. ATTRACTIONS FOR THE LITTLE CIRCUS 95 
 
 VIII. THE DINNER PARTY 108 
 
 IX. MR. STUBBS'S BROTHER 126 
 
 X. THE ACCIDENT 141 
 
 XI. CHANGE OF PLANS. 155 
 
 XII. A REHEARSAL , 168 
 
 XIII. THE RESULTS OF LONG TRAINING 182 
 
 XIV. RAISING THE TENT 197 
 
 XV. STEALING DUCKS 211 
 
 XVI. A LOST MONKEY 226 
 
 XVII. DRIVING A MONKEY 239 
 
 XVIII. COLLECTING THE ANIMALS 251 
 
 XIX. THE SHOW BROKE UP. 266 
 
 xx. ABNER'S DEATH 274 
 
 2051216
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 PAQK 
 
 " ' OH, BEN !' WAS ALL TOBY COULD SAY " Frontispiece 
 
 PLANNING THE CIRCUS 15 
 
 BEN PRACTISING IN HIS FATHER'S BARN 25 
 
 TRAINING THE OLD BLIND HORSE 41 
 
 " ' NOW BE ALL READY TO RUN,' HE SAID " 65 
 
 THE MANAGERS OF THE CIRCUS LOOKING AT THE POSTERS OF THEIR 
 
 RIVAL 71 
 
 TOBY'S MEETING WITH OLD BEN 85 
 
 MR. AND MRS. TREAT EXHIBIT PRIVATELY 109 
 
 UNCLE DANIEL RECEIVING HIS GUESTS 117 
 
 MR. STUBBS'S BROTHER 137 
 
 " ' WHAT IS THE MATTER ? HOW DID THIS BOY GET HURT ?' ASKED 
 
 BEN" 149 
 
 " MR. STUBBS'S BROTHER WAS BROUGHT IN " 161 
 
 TOBY AND ABNER ATTENDING THE REHEARSAL 175 
 
 UNROLLING THE SCHOONER'S SAH-S 193 
 
 MR. STUBBS'S BROTHER MISBEHAVES HIMSELF 207 
 
 SEARCHING FOR THE BURGLAR 221 
 
 THE BOYS INQUIRING FOR MR. STUBBS'S BROTHER 235 
 
 MR. STUBBS'S BROTHER AFTER HIS ENCOUNTER WITH THE PORCUPINE.... 249 
 
 BOB AND THE " GRIZZLEE BARE*' 257 
 
 TOBY RESCUES THE CROWING HEN FROM MR. STUBBS'S BROTHER 269 
 
 THE DEATH OF ABNER 281
 
 IR. STUBBS'S BROTHER. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE SCHEME. 
 
 " WHY, we could start a circus jest as easy as a 
 wink, Toby, 'cause you know all about one ; an' 
 all you'd have to do would be to tell us fellers 
 what to do, an' we'd 'tend to the rest." 
 
 " Yes ; but you see we hain't got a tent, or 
 bosses, or wagons, or nothin', an' I don't see how 
 you could get a circus up that way;" and the 
 speaker hugged his knees as he rocked himself to 
 and fro in a musing way on the rather sharp point 
 of a large rock, on which he had seated himself in 
 order to hear what his companion had to say that 
 was so important.
 
 io Mr. Stubbss Brotker. 
 
 " Will you come down with me to Bob At- 
 wood's, an' see what he says about it ?" 
 
 " Yes, I'll do that if you'll come out afterwards 
 for a game of I-spy 'round the meetin'-house." 
 
 "All right; if we can find enough of the other 
 fellers, I will." 
 
 Then the boys slipped down from the rocks, 
 found the cows, and drove them home as the 
 preface to their visit to Bob Atwood's. 
 
 The boy who was so anxious to start a circus 
 was a little fellow with such a wonderful amount 
 of remarkably red hair that he was seldom call- 
 ed anything but Reddy, although his name was 
 known by his parents, at least to be Walter 
 Grant. His companion was Toby Tyler, a boy 
 who, a year before, had thought it would be a 
 very pleasant thing to run away from his Uncle 
 Daniel and the town of Gruilford in order to be 
 with a circus, and who, in ten weeks, was only 
 too glad to run back home as rapidly as possible. 
 
 During the first few months of his return, very
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 1 1 
 
 many brilliant offers had been made Toby by his 
 companions to induce him to aid them in starting 
 an amateur circus; but he had refused to have 
 anything to do with the schemes, and for several 
 reasons. During the ten weeks he had been away, 
 he had seen quite as much of a circus life as he 
 cared to see, without even such a mild dose as 
 would be this amateur show ; and, again, when- 
 ever he thought of the matter, the remembrance 
 of the death of his monkey, Mr. Stubbs, would 
 come upon him so vividly, and cause him so much 
 sorrow, that he resolutely put the matter from his 
 mind. 
 
 Now, however, it had been a year since the 
 monkey was killed ; school had closed during the 
 summer season ; and he was rather more disposed 
 to listen to the requests of his friends. 
 
 On this particular night, Reddy Grant had of- 
 fered to go with him for the cows an act of 
 generosity which Toby accounted for only on the 
 theory that Reddy wanted some of the strawberries
 
 12 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 which grew so plentifully in Uncle Daniel's past- 
 ure. But when they arrived there the strawber- 
 ries were neglected for the circus question, and 
 Toby then showed he was at least willing to talk 
 about it. 
 
 There was no doubt that Bob Atwood knew 
 Reddy was going to try to induce Toby to help 
 start a circus, and Bob knew, also, that Reddy and 
 Toby would visit him, although he appeared very 
 much surprised when he saw them coming up the 
 hill towards his house. He was at home, evi- 
 dently waiting for something, at an hour when 
 all the other boys were out playing; and that, in 
 itself, would have made Toby suspicious if he had 
 paid much attention to the matter. 
 
 Bob was perfectly willing to talk about a cir- 
 cus so willing that, almost before Toby was 
 aware of it, he was laying plans with the others 
 for such a show as could be given with the mate- 
 rial at hand. 
 
 see we'd have to get a tent the first
 
 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 13 
 
 thing," said Toby, as he seated himself on the saw- 
 horse as a sort of place of honor, and proceeded to 
 give his companions the benefit of his experience 
 in the circus line. " I s'pose we could get along 
 without a fat woman, or a skeleton; but we'd 
 have to have the tent anyway, so's folks couldn't 
 look right in an' see the show for nothin'." 
 
 Reddy had decided some time before how that 
 trifling matter could be arranged ; and, as he went 
 industriously to work making shavings out of a 
 portion of a shingle, he said : 
 
 " I've got all that settled, Toby ; an' when you 
 say you're willin' to go ahead an' fix up the show, 
 I'll be on hand with a tent that'll make your eyes 
 stick out over a foot." 
 
 Bob nodded his head to show he was con- 
 vinced Reddy could do just as he had promised ; 
 but Toby was anxious for more particulars, and 
 insisted on knowing where this very necessary 
 portion of a circus was coming from. 
 
 " You see a tent is a big thing," he said serious-
 
 14 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 ly ; " an' it would cost more money than the fel- 
 lers in this town could raise if they should pick 
 all the strawberries in Uncle Dan'l's pasture." 
 
 " Oh, I don't say as the tent Reddy's got his eye 
 on is a reg'lar one like a real circus has," said Bob 
 slowly and candidly, as he began to draw on the 
 side of the wood-shed a picture of what he prob- 
 ably intended should represent a horse; "but 
 he knows how he can rig one up that'll be big 
 enough, an' look stavin'." 
 
 With this information Toby was obliged to be 
 satisfied ; and with the view of learning more of 
 the details, in case his companions had arranged 
 for them, he asked : 
 
 "Where you goin' to get the company the 
 folks that ride, an' turn hand-springs, an' all them 
 things?" 
 
 " Ben Gushing can turn twice as many hand- 
 springs as any feller you ever saw, an' he can walk 
 on his hands twice round the engine-house. I 
 guess you couldn't find many circuses that could

 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 17 
 
 beat him, an' he's been practising in his barn all 
 the chance he could get for more'n a week." 
 
 Without intending to do so, Bob had thus let 
 the secret out that the scheme had already been 
 talked up before Toby was consulted, and then\ 
 there was no longer any reason for concealment. 
 
 " You see we thought we'd kinder get things 
 fixed," said Reddy quickly, anxious to explain 
 away the seeming deception he had been guilty 
 of, " an' we wouldn't say anything to you till we 
 knew whether we could get one up or not." 
 
 " An' we're goin' to ask three cents to come in ; 
 an' lots of the fellers have promised to buy tickets 
 if we'll let 'em do some of the ridin', or else lead 
 the hosses." 
 
 "But how are you goin' to get any hosses?" 
 asked Toby, thoroughly surprised at the way in 
 which the scheme had already been developed. 
 
 " Reddy can get Jack Douglass's blind one, an' 
 we can train him so's he'll go 'round the ring all 
 right ; an' your uncle Dan'l will let you have his
 
 1 8 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 old white one that's lame, if you ask him. I 
 ain't sure but I can get one of Chandler Merrill's 
 ponies," continued Bob, now so excited by his 
 subject that he left his picture while it was yet 
 a three - legged horse, and stood in front of his 
 friends ; " an' if we could sell tickets enough, we 
 could hire one of Rube Howe's bosses for you to 
 ride." 
 
 " An' Bob's goin' to be the clown, an' his moth- 
 er's goin' to make him a suit of clothes out of one 
 of his grandmother's curtains," added Reddy, as 
 he snapped an imaginary whip with so many un- 
 necessary flourishes that he tumbled over the 
 saw - horse, thereby mixing a large quantity of 
 sawdust in his brilliantly colored hair. 
 
 " An' Reddy's goin' to be ring-master," explain- 
 ed Bob, as he assisted his friend to rise, and acted 
 the part of Good Samaritan by trying to get the 
 sawdust from his hair with a curry-comb. " Joe 
 Robinson says he'll sell tickets, an' 'tend the door, 
 an' hold the hoops for you to jump through."
 
 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 19 
 
 "Leander Leighton's goin' to be the band. 
 He 1 s got a pair of clappers ; an' Mrs. Doak's goin' 
 to show him how to play on the accordion with 
 one finger, so's he'll know how to make an awful 
 lot of noise," said Reddy, as he gave up the task 
 of extracting the sawdust, and devoted his entire 
 attention to the scheme. 
 
 " An' we can have some animals," said Bob, 
 with the air of one who adds the crowning glory 
 to some brilliant work. 
 
 Toby had been surprised at the resources of 
 the town for a circus, of which he had not even 
 dreamed; and at Bob's last remark he left his 
 saw-horse seat as if to enable him to hear more 
 distinctly. 
 
 " Yes," continued Bob, " we can get a good 
 many of some kinds. Old Mrs. Simpson has got 
 a three-legged cat with four kittens, an' Ben Gush- 
 ing has got a hen that crows; an' we can take 
 my calf for a grizzly bear, an' Jack Havener's two 
 lambs for white bears. I've caught six mice, an'
 
 2o Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 I'll have more'n a dozen before the show comes 
 off; an' Reddy's goin' to bring his cat that ain't 
 got any tail. Leander Leighton's goin' to bring 
 four of his rabbits an' make believe they're 
 wolves ; an' Joe Robinson's goin' to catch all the 
 squirrels he can we'll have the largest for foxes, 
 an' the smallest for hyenas ; an' Joe'll keep howl- 
 in' while he's tendin' the door, so's to make 'em 
 sound right." 
 
 "Bob's sister's goin' to show him how to sing 
 a couple of songs, an' he's goin' to write 'em out 
 on paper so's to have a book to sell," added 
 Reddy, delighted at the surprise expressed in 
 Toby's face. " Nahum Baker says if we have 
 any kind of a show he'll bring up some lemon- 
 ade an' some pies to sell, an' pass 'em round jest 
 as they do in a reg'lar circus." 
 
 This last information was indeed surprising, 
 for, inasmuch as Nahum Baker was a man who 
 had an apology for a fruit-store near the wharves, 
 it lent an air of realism to the plan, this having
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 2 1 
 
 a grown man connected with them in the enter- 
 prise. 
 
 " But he mustn't get any of the boys to help 
 him, an' then treat them as Job Lord did me," 
 said Toby earnestly, the scheme having grown so 
 in the half- hour that he began to fear it might 
 be too much like the circus with which he had 
 spent ten of the longest and most dreary weeks 
 he had ever known. 
 
 "I'll look out for that," said Bob confidently. 
 "If he tries any of them games we'll make him 
 leave, no matter how good a trade he's doin'." 
 
 " Now, where we goin' to have the show ?" and 
 from the way Toby asked the question it was 
 easily seen that he had decided to accept the po- 
 sition of manager which had been so delicately 
 offered him. 
 
 " That's jest what we ain't fixed about," said 
 Bob, as if he blamed himself severely for not 
 having already attended to this portion of the 
 business. " You see, if your Uncle Dan'l would
 
 22 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 let us have it up by his barn that would be jest 
 the place, an' I almost know he'd say yes if you 
 asked him." 
 
 "Do you s'pose it would be big enough? 
 You know when there's a circus in town every- 
 body comes from all around to see it, an' it 
 wouldn't do to have a place where they couldn't 
 all get in," and Toby spoke as if there could be 
 no doubt as to the crowds that would collect to 
 see this wonderful show of theirs. 
 
 "It'll have to be big enough, if we use the 
 tent I'm goin' to get," said Reddy decidedly; 
 " for you see that won't be so awful large, an' it 
 would make it look kinder small if we put it 
 where the other circuses put theirs." 
 
 " Well, then, I s'pose we'll have to make that 
 do, an' we can have two or three shows if there 
 are too many to come in at one time," said Toby in 
 a satisfied way that matters could be arranged so 
 easily ; and then, with a big sigh, he added, " If 
 only Mr. Stubbs hadn't got killed, what a show
 
 Mr. Stubbfs Brother. 23 
 
 we could have! I never saw him ride; but I 
 know he could have done better than any one 
 else that ever tried it, if he wanted to, an' if we 
 had him we could have a reg'lar circus without 
 anybody else." 
 
 Then the boys bewailed the untimely fate of 
 Mr. Stubbs, until they saw that Toby was fast 
 getting into a mood altogether too sad for the 
 proper transaction of circus business, and Bob 
 proposed that a visit be paid Ben Gushing, for 
 the purpose of having him give them a private 
 exhibition of his skill, in order that Toby might 
 see some of the talent which was to help make 
 their circus a glorious success.
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE BLIND HORSE. 
 
 REDDY had laid his plans so well that all the 
 intending partners were where they could easily 
 be found on this evening when Toby's consent 
 was to be won, and Ben Gushing was no excep- 
 tion. On the hard, uneven floor of his father's 
 barn, with all his clothes discarded save his trou- 
 sers and shirt, he was making such heroic efforts 
 in the way of practice, that while the boys were 
 yet some distance from the building they could 
 hear the thud of Ben's head or heels as he unex- 
 pectedly came in contact with the floor. 
 
 When the three visitors stood at the door and 
 looked in, Ben professed to be unaware of their 
 presence, and began a series of hand-springs that
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 27 
 
 might have been wonderful, if he had not miscal- 
 culated the distance, and struck the side of the 
 barn just as he was getting well into the work. 
 
 Then, having lost his opportunity of dazzling 
 them by showing that even when he was alone 
 he could turn any number of hand-springs sim- 
 ply in the way of exercise, he suddenly became 
 aware of their presence, and greeted his friends 
 with the anxiously asked question as to what 
 Toby had decided to do about entering the cir- 
 cus business. 
 
 Bob and Reddy, instead of answering, waited 
 for Toby to speak; it was a good opportunity 
 to have the important matter settled definitely, 
 and they listened anxiously for his decision. 
 
 " I'm goin' into it," said Toby after a pause, 
 during which it appeared as if he were trying 
 to make up his mind, " 'cause it seems as if you 
 had it almost done now. You know when I got 
 home last summer I didn't ever want to hear of 
 a circus or see one, for I'd had about enough of
 
 28 Mr. Stubbs s Brother. 
 
 them, an' then I'd think of poor Mr. Stubbs, an' 
 that would make me feel awful bad. I didn't 
 think, either, that we could get up such a good 
 show; but now you fellers have got so much 
 done towards it, I think we'd better go ahead 
 though I do wish Mr. Stubbs was alive, an' we 
 had a skeleton an' a fat woman." 
 
 Reddy Grant cheered very loudly as a means 
 of showing how delighted he was at thus having 
 finally enlisted Toby in the scheme, and Bob, as 
 proof of the high esteem in which all the project- 
 ors of the enterprise held this famous circus-rider, 
 said: 
 
 " Now you know all about circuses, Toby, an' 
 you shall be the chief boss of this one, an' we'll 
 do just what you say." 
 
 Toby almost blushed as this great honor was 
 actually thrust upon him, and he hardly knew 
 what reply to make, when Ben ceased his acro- 
 batic exercises, and, with Bobby and Reddy, 
 stood waiting for him to give his orders.
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 29 
 
 "I s'pose the first thing to do," he said at 
 length, " is to see if Jack Douglass is willin' for 
 us to have his hoss, an' then find out what Uncle 
 Dan'l says about it. If we don't get the hoss, it 
 won't be any use to say anything to Uncle 
 Dan'l." 
 
 Reddy was so anxious to have matters settled 
 at once that he offered to go up to Mr. Douglass's 
 house then, if the others would wait there for his 
 return, which proposition was at once accepted. 
 
 Mr. Douglass was an old colored man who 
 lived fully half a mile from the village; but 
 Reddy's eagerness caused quick travelling, and 
 in a surprisingly short time he was back breath- 
 less and happy. The coveted horse was to be 
 theirs for as long a time as they wanted him, 
 provided they fed him well, and did not attempt 
 to harness him into a wagon. 
 
 The owner of the sightless animal had express- 
 ed his doubts as to whether he would ever make 
 much of a circus-horse, owing to his lack of sight
 
 30 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 
 
 and his extreme age ; but he argued that if, as was 
 very probable, the animal fell while being ridden, 
 he would hurt his rider quite as much as him- 
 self, and therefore the experiment would not be 
 tried so often as seriously to injure the steed. 
 
 It only remained to consult Uncle Daniel on 
 the matter, and of course that was to be attend- 
 ed to by Toby. He would have waited until a 
 fitting opportunity presented itself; but his com- 
 panions insisted so strongly, that he went home 
 at once to have the case decided. 
 
 Uncle Daniel was seated by the window as 
 usual, looking out over the distant hills as if he 
 were trying to peer in at the gates of that city 
 where so many loved ones awaited him, and it 
 was some moments before Toby could make him 
 understand what it was he was trying to say. 
 
 "So ye didn't get circusin' enough last sum- 
 mer?" asked the old gentleman, when at last he 
 realized what it was the boy was talking about. 
 
 " Oh yes, I did !" replied Toby, quickly ; " but
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 31 
 
 you see that was a real one, an' this of ours is 
 only a little make-believe for three cents. We 
 want to get you to let us have the lot between 
 the barn an' the road to put our tent on, an' 
 then lend us old Whitey. We're goin' to have 
 Jack Douglass's hoss that's blind, an' we've got a 
 three-legged cat, an' one without any tail, an' lots 
 of things." 
 
 " It's a kind of a cripples' circus, eh ? Well, 
 Toby boy, you can do as you want to, an' you 
 shall have old Whitey ; but it seems to me you'd 
 better tie her lame leg on, or she'll shake it off 
 when you get to makin' her cut up antics." 
 
 Then Uncle Daniel returned to his reverie, and 
 the show was thus decided upon> the projectors 
 going again to view the triangular piece of land 
 so soon to be decorated with their tents and 
 circus belongings. 
 
 Each hour that passed after Toby had decided, 
 with Uncle Daniel's consent, to go into the circus 
 business made him more eager to carry out the
 
 3 2 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 brilliant plan that had been unfolded by Bob 
 Aiwood and Reddy Grant, until his brain was in 
 a perfect whirl when he went to bed that night. 
 
 He was sure he could ride as well as when he 
 was under Mr. Castle's rather severe training, and 
 he thought over and over again how he would 
 surprise every one who knew him; but he did 
 not stop to think that there might be a differ- 
 ence between the horse he had ridden in the cir- 
 cus and the lame one of Uncle Daniel's, or the 
 blind one belonging to Mr. Douglass. He had 
 an idea that it all depended upon himself, with 
 very little reference to the animal, and he was 
 sure he had his lesson perfectly. 
 
 Early as he got up the next morning, his part- 
 ners in the enterprise were waiting for him just 
 around the corner of the barn, where he found 
 them as he went for the cows, and they walked 
 to the pasture with him in order to discuss the 
 matter. 
 
 Ben Gushing was in light-marching and aero-
 
 Air. Stubbss Brother. 33 
 
 batic costume, worn for the occasion in order to 
 give a full exhibition of his skill; and Reddy had 
 been up so long that he had had time to procure 
 Mr. Douglass's wonderful steed, which he had al- 
 ready led to the pasture so that he could be ex- 
 perimented upon. 
 
 " I thought I'd get him up there," he said to 
 Toby, " so's you could try him ; 'cause if we don't 
 get money enough to hire one of Rube Rowe, 
 you'll have to ride the blind one or the lame one, 
 an' you'd better find out which you want. If 
 you try him in the pasture the fellers won't see 
 you ; but if you did it down by your house, every 
 one of 'em would huddle 'round." 
 
 Toby thought the general idea was a good one ; 
 but he was just a trifle uncertain as to how the 
 blind horse would get along on such uneven 
 ground. However, he said nothing, lest his com- 
 panions should think he was afraid to make the 
 attempt ; and when Ben and Bob proceeded to 
 mark out a ring, he advised them as to its size. 
 
 3
 
 34 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 The most level piece of ground that could be 
 found was selected as the place for the trial, but 
 several small mounds prevented it from being all 
 a circus-rider could ask for. 
 
 Bob volunteered to lead the horse around the 
 track several times, hoping he would become so 
 accustomed to it as to be able to go by himself 
 after a while ; and Toby made his preparations 
 by laying his hat on the ground with a stone 
 on it, so that he should be sure to find it when 
 his rehearsal was done. 
 
 It was a warm job Bob had undertaken, this 
 leading the blind animal along the ill-defined line 
 that marked the limits of the ring, for the sun 
 shone brightly, and there were no friendly trees 
 to lend a shelter ; but he paid no attention to his 
 discomfort because of the fact that he was doing 
 something towards the enterprise which was to 
 bring them in both honor and money. 
 
 The poor old horse was the least interested of 
 the party, and he stumbled around the circle in
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 35 
 
 an abused sort of way, as if he considered it a 
 piece of gross injustice to force him on the weary 
 round when the grass was so plentiful and tender 
 just under his feet. 
 
 Ben was busily engaged in lengthening Mr. 
 Douglass's rather weak and aged bridle with a 
 small piece of rope, and from time to time he 
 encouraged the ambitious clown in his labor. 
 
 " Keep it up, if it is hot ! " he shouted ; " an' 
 when we get him so's he can do it alone, he'll 
 be jest as good a circus-hoss as anybody would 
 want, for we can stuff him with hay an' grass till 
 he's fat," and Ben looked at the clearly defined 
 ribs in a critical way, as if trying to decide how 
 much food would be necessary to cover them 
 with flesh. 
 
 " Oh, I can keep on as long as the hoss can," 
 said Bob, as he wiped the perspiration from his 
 face with one hand, and clung firmly to the fore- 
 lock of the animal with the other ; " but we've 
 been round here as many as six times already,
 
 36 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 an' he don't seem to know the way any better 
 than when we started." 
 
 " Oh yes, he does," cried Reddy, who was prac- 
 tising for his duties as ring-master, anxious that 
 his education should advance as fast as the horse's 
 did ; " he's got so he knows enough to turn out 
 for that second knoll, though he does stumble a 
 little over the first one." 
 
 By this time Ben had the bridle adjusted to 
 ^uit him, Toby was ready to make his first at- 
 tempt at riding since he left the circus, and the 
 more serious work was begun. 
 
 Ben bridled the horse after some difficulty, 
 Reddy drew out from its hiding-place a whip 
 made by tying a piece of cod-line to an alder 
 branch, and Toby was about to mount, when Joe 
 Robinson came in sight. 
 
 He had been running at full speed, and was 
 nearly breathless ; but he managed to cry out so 
 that he could be understood after considerable 
 difficulty :
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 37 
 
 " Hold on ! don't go to rid in' till after we get 
 some hoops for you to jump through." 
 
 " I guess I won't try any jumpin' till after I see 
 how he goes," said Toby as he looked rather 
 doubtfully first at the horse's weak legs, and then 
 at his sharp back; "besides, we can't use the 
 hoops till he gets more used to the ring." 
 
 Joe threw himself on the ground as if he felt 
 quite as much aggrieved because he was thus 
 left out of the programme as the horse apparently 
 did because he was in it, and Bob consoled him 
 by explaining that he had no reason to feel 
 slighted, since he, who, as the clown, was to be 
 the life of the entertainment, could take no other 
 part in these preparatory steps than to lead a 
 blind horse around a still blinder ring. 
 
 " Hold him while I get on," said Toby as he 
 clutched the mane and a portion of the promi- 
 nent backbone, drawing himself up at some risk 
 of upsetting the rather shaky steed. 
 
 But there was no necessity of his giving this
 
 38 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 order, for, although four boys sprang to do his 
 bidding, the weary horse remained as motionless 
 as a statue, save for his hard breathing which pro- 
 claimed the fact that the " heaves " had long since 
 singled him out as a victim. 
 
 Toby succeeded in getting on the animal's back 
 after some exertion ; but he found standing there 
 an entirely different matter from standing on 
 the broad saddles that were used in the circus, 
 and the boy and the horse made a shaky-look- 
 ing pair. 
 
 "Shall I start him?" asked Bob, while Keddy 
 stood as near the centre of the ring as he could 
 get, prepared to snap his cod-line whip at the first 
 signal. 
 
 Toby hesitated a moment; he knew that to 
 attempt to stand upon, or on either side of, that 
 prominent backbone, after its owner was in mo- 
 tion, would be simply to invite his own downfall ; 
 and he said, as he seated himself carefully astride 
 the bone:
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 39 
 
 " Let him walk around once till I see how he 
 goes." 
 
 Reddy cracked his whip without producing 
 any effect upon the patient steed, but, after much 
 coaxing, Bob succeeded in starting him again, 
 while Toby bounced up and down much like a 
 kernel of corn on a griddle, such a decided mo- 
 tion did the horse have. 
 
 " He won't ever do for a ridin' hoss," said Toby 
 with much difficulty, when he was half-way 
 around the circle, " 'cause you see his bones is so 
 sharp that he feels as if he was comin' to pieces 
 every time he steps." 
 
 " Jest get him to trottin' once, an' then you can 
 tell what he's good for," suggested Reddy, anx- 
 ious to try the effect of his whip; and, without 
 waiting for the rider's permission, he lashed the 
 unfortunate animal with the cod-line until he suc- 
 ceeded in rousing him thoroughly. 
 
 It was in vain Toby begged him to stop, and 
 Bob shouted that such a course was not the proper
 
 4O Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 one for a ring-master to pursue. Reddy was de- 
 termined the rider should have an opportunity 
 of trying the horse under full speed, and the re- 
 suit was that the animal broke loose from Bob's 
 guiding hand, rushing out of the imaginary ring 
 into the centre of the pasture at a rate of speed 
 that would have surprised and frightened Mr. 
 Douglass had he been there to see it. 
 
 Shaken first up, then down, and from one side 
 to the other, Toby stretched himself out at full 
 length, clasping the horse around the neck as the 
 patched bridle broke, and shouting " Whoa !" at 
 the full strength of his lungs. 
 
 After running fully fifty yards, until it seemed 
 to Toby that his head and his body had been 
 pounded into one, the horse stopped, leaned one 
 heel up against the other, and stood as if dreamily 
 asking whether they wanted any more circus out 
 of him. 
 
 " Couldn't anybody ride him, he jolts so," said 
 Toby to his partners, as they came running up to
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 43 
 
 where he stood trying to find out whether or not 
 his tongue was bleeding, and fearing it was, be- 
 cause his teeth had been pounded down on it so 
 hard two or three times. " You see, in the circus 
 they had big, wide saddles, an' the hosses didn't 
 go anything like him." 
 
 " Well, we can fix a saddle," said Bob, thought- 
 fully; "but I don't know as we could do any- 
 thing to the hoss." 
 
 " Perhaps old Whitey'll go better, 'cause she's 
 lame," suggested Reddy, feeling that considerable 
 credit was due him for having made it possible 
 to test the animal's qualities in so short a time. 
 
 U I wouldn't wonder if this one would be all 
 right when he gets a saddle on an' is trained," 
 said Joe, and then he added, quickly, " I hain't 
 got anything more to do to-day, an' Til stay up 
 here an' train him." 
 
 The partners were only too glad to accept this 
 offer; and while Joe led the horse back to the 
 supposed ring, Ben gave a partial exhibition of
 
 44 'Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 
 
 his acrobatic feats, omitting the most difficult, 
 owing to the uneven surface of the land. 
 
 Then the partners retired to the shade of some 
 
 alder bushes, where they could fight mosquitoes 
 
 and talk over their plans at the same time, while 
 
 . Joe was perspiring in his self-imposed task of 
 
 educating the blind horse.
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 ABNER BOLTON. 
 
 "Now I'll see about makin' the saddle," said 
 Bob, " 'cause I've seen 'em a good many times 
 in a circus, an' I know jest how they're made. 
 While I'm doin' that you fellers must be fixin' 
 'bout who else we'll have in the show. Leander 
 Leighton will come up here to-morrow, so's we 
 can hear how he plays, an' we must have every- 
 thing fixed by then." 
 
 "Why didn't he come to-day?" asked Ben, 
 thinking that all the members of the firm should 
 have been present at this first rehearsal. 
 
 " Well, you see, he had to split some wood, an' 
 he had to take care of the baby. I offered to 
 help him with the wood ; but he said he couldn't 
 get away any quicker if I did, for just as soon as
 
 46 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 the baby saw another feller waitin' 'round, she'd 
 yell so awful hard he'd have to stay in all day." 
 
 This explanation as to the absence of the band 
 appeared to be perfectly satisfactory to those 
 present, and they began to discuss the merits of 
 certain of their companions in order to decide 
 upon the proper ones to enlist as members, since 
 the number of their performers was not so large 
 as they thought it should be in a show where an 
 admission fee of three cents was to be charged. 
 
 Just as they were getting well into their dis- 
 cission, and, of course, speaking of such matters 
 su managers should keep a profound secret from 
 the public, Bob cried out : 
 
 " There comes Abner Bolton ! He's always 
 runnin' 'round where he hain't wanted ; an' I 
 wonder how he come to know we was here? 
 I'll send him off mighty quick now, you see." 
 
 The boy who had disturbed Bob so greatly 
 was so near when he was first discovered that 
 by the time the threat had been uttered he was
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 47 
 
 close upon them. He was a small boy, not more 
 than eight years old, and hardly as large as a 
 boy of six should be ; he walked on crutches be- 
 cause of his deformed legs, which hung withered 
 and useless, barely capable of supporting his slight 
 weight. 
 
 " Now, what do you want ?" asked Bob, in an 
 angry tone. 
 
 "I don't want anything," was the mild reply, 
 as the cripple halted just outside the shade, as 
 if not daring to come any farther until invited. 
 " I heard you was goin' to get up a circus, an' I 
 thought perhaps you'd let me watch you, 'cause I 
 wouldn't bother you any." 
 
 "You would bother us, an' you can't stay 
 'round here, for we hain't goin' to have anybody 
 watchin' us. You may come to the show if you 
 can get three cents." 
 
 " I don't s'pose I could do that," said the boy, 
 looking longingly towards the shade, but still 
 standing in the sun. "I don't have any chance
 
 48 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 to get money, an' I do wish you boys would let 
 me stay where you are, for it's so awful lonesome 
 out to the poor-farm, an' I can't run around as 
 you can." 
 
 "Well, you can't stay here, an' the sooner you 
 go back to the village the better we'll like it, for 
 we don't want anybody to know what we're 
 talkin' about." 
 
 Toby had attempted to speak once 01- twice 
 while Bob was engaged with the cripple from 
 the poor-farm ; but he did not get an opportu- 
 nity until Abner turned to go away, looking thor- 
 oughly sad and disheartened. 
 
 " Don't go, Abner, but come and set down here 
 where it's cool, an' perhaps we can fix it for you." 
 
 The cripple turned as Toby spoke, and the 
 look which came into his face went right to the 
 heart of the boy, who for ten long weeks had 
 known what it was to be almost entirely without 
 a friend. 
 
 "I don't see what you want him 'round here
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 49 
 
 for," said Bob, petulantly, as Abner seated him- 
 self by Toby's side, thoroughly exhausted by his 
 long walk. " He can't do nothin' ; an' if he could, 
 we don't want no fellers from the poor-farm mix- 
 ed up with the show." 
 
 " It don't make any difference if he does live to 
 the poor -farm," said Toby, as he put his little 
 brown hand on Abner's thin fingers. "He has 
 to stay there 'cause his father and mother's dead, 
 an' perhaps I'd been there, 'cept for Uncle Dan'l. 
 If I'd thought before about his bein' lonesome 
 an' not bein' able to play like the rest of us, I'd 
 gone out to see him ; an' now we do know it we'll 
 let him stay with us, an' perhaps he can do some- 
 thing in the circus." 
 
 "The fellers will laugh at us, an' say we're 
 runnin' a poorhouse show," replied Bob, sulkily. 
 
 " Well, let 'em laugh ; we'll feel a good deal 
 better'n they do, 'cause we'll know we're tryin' 
 to let a little feller have some fun what don't 
 get many chances ;" and, in his excitement, Toby 
 
 4
 
 50 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 spoke so loudly that Joe came running up to see 
 what was the matter. 
 
 " Let him stay 'round here to-day, 'cause we've 
 got all through practising an' then tell him to 
 keep away," said Ben, thinking this idea a very 
 generous one. 
 
 "He can belong to the show jest as well as 
 not ; an' if you fellers will let him, I'll give you 
 my part of all the money we make." 
 
 This proposition of Toby's put the matter on a 
 very different basis, and both Ben and Bob now 
 looked favorably inclined towards it. 
 
 " Don't you do that, Toby," said Abner, his eyes 
 filling with tears because of the kindness shown 
 him. " I'll go right away, an' I won't come into 
 the village again to bother you." 
 
 "You shall come into the village every day, 
 Abner, an' you won't bother us at all, for you 
 shall go 'long of me everywhere I do, an' I won't 
 never walk any faster'n you can;" and Toby 
 moved his seat nearer Abner, to show that he 
 took him under his especial care.
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 5 1 
 
 "He might help tend the door," said Joe, 
 kindly, anxious to please Toby, " an' that'll give 
 me a chance to do more howlin' for the hyenas, 
 'cause that'll be 'bout all I oughter do if I have 
 to hold the hoops." 
 
 " Yes, he can do that," and Toby was very 
 eager now, " an' we can get him a stool to sit on, 
 an' he can do jest as much as if he could stand up." 
 
 By this time Bob and Ben had decided that, 
 in consideration of Toby's offer, Abner should be 
 counted as one of the company, and the matters 
 under discussion that had been interrupted by 
 the cripple's coming were again taken up. 
 
 Owing to the possible chance that Joe could 
 not succeed in training the blind horse sufficiently 
 to make him useful in the ring, it was necessary 
 to know just what animals they could procure, 
 and Bob offered to see Chandler Merrill for the 
 purpose of securing the services of his Mexican 
 pony, who had never allowed any one to ride 
 him without first having a severe battle.
 
 52 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 " We can train him down all right," said Bob ; 
 " an' you fellers come down now while I find out 
 *bout the pony, so's we can come back here after 
 dinner." 
 
 As it was very important that this matter 
 should be settled as soon as possible, Bob's ad- 
 vice was acted upon ; and as the boys started to 
 go, Toby said : 
 
 " Come, Abner, you come home with me an' get 
 some dinner, an' then you can come back here 
 when I do." 
 
 Bob was disposed to make sport of this sud- 
 den friendship; but Toby paid no attention to 
 what he said, and if any of them wanted to talk 
 with him, they too were obliged to walk with 
 the boy from the poor-farm. 
 
 By the time they arrived at Uncle Daniel's, 
 Toby had formed many plans for making the life 
 of the homeless boy more cheerful than it ever 
 had been.
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 THE PONY. 
 
 TOBY'S interest in the crippled boy whom he 
 had taken under his charge was considerably 
 greater than in the contemplated circus; and both 
 Bob and Ben felt angry and injured when, in 
 the midst of some brilliant plan for startling 
 those of the good people of Guilford who should 
 come to their circus, Toby would stop to say 
 something to Abner, who was hobbling along as 
 fast as possible in order that he might not oblige 
 the party to wait for him. 
 
 For a number of years Toby had known that 
 there was a crippled orphan at the poor-farm ; 
 but it so happened that he had not met him very 
 often, and even then he had no idea of the lonely 
 life the boy was obliged to lead.
 
 54 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 On the way to the village he had formed sev- 
 eral plans by which he might aid Abner; but 
 none of them could be put into operation until 
 after he had consulted Uncle Daniel and Aunt 
 Olive. 
 
 It was nearly noon, and the understanding was 
 that each one should get his dinner and go to 
 the pasture again, when it would be known 
 whether they were to be able to number Chand- 
 ler Merrill's pony among the attractions of their 
 show, or be wholly dependent upon the disabled 
 horses that as yet made up their collection. 
 
 " You're comin' to get dinner with me, Abner," 
 said Toby, as he stopped in front of Uncle Dan- 
 iel's gate, while the little fellow was continuing 
 on his way to the only place he could call home, 
 there to get his dinner with the other paupers. 
 
 "I'm afraid your aunt won't want me," he 
 said, shyly, while it was plain to be seen that he 
 would be more than well pleased to accept the 
 invitation.
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 55 
 
 "Aunt Olive won't care a bit, an' she'll be 
 glad to have you, I know, 'cause she says it al- 
 ways does her good to see hungry people eat, 
 tfcough if that's so I must have done her an 
 awful sight of good lots of times, for it don't 
 seem to me I ever set down to the table in my 
 life but what I was awful hungry. Come on 
 now, so's we'll have time to get our hands an 1 
 faces washed before the dinner-bell rings." 
 
 Abner followed Toby in a hesitating way, 
 much as if he expected each moment to be or- 
 dered back ; and when they arrived at the door 
 he stood on the threshold, not daring to enter 
 until permission had been given. 
 
 "This is Abner Bolton, Uncle Dan'l," said 
 Toby, as he saw that his newly made friend 
 would not come in without an invitation from 
 some one besides himself. " He lives out to the 
 poor-farm, an' he don't have any such nice home 
 as I've got, so I thought you wouldn't care if 1 
 brought him in to dinner."
 
 56 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 
 
 " You've got a good heart, Toby, boy, and the 
 Lord will reward you for it," said Uncle Daniel, 
 as he stroked the boy's refractory hair ; and then 
 he said to Abner, " Come in, my lad, and share 
 Toby's dinner, nor need you ever hesitate about 
 accepting any such invitation when it leads you 
 here." 
 
 Then Aunt Olive greeted Abner so kindly 
 that the poor boy hardly knew whether it was 
 reality or a dream, so strange was it all to him. 
 
 During the dinner Toby told of the difficulty 
 he had had in getting his partners to consent to 
 Abner's being one of the company, and Aunt 
 Olive, who had shown considerable interest in 
 the circus scheme, said : 
 
 " Why don't you let him keep a stand, and 
 then he can make some money for himself. I 
 will bake him a lot of doughnuts and ginger- 
 snaps, and your Uncle Dan'l will lend him 
 money enough to buy lemons an' sugar. It will 
 be a deal better than to have Nahum Baker
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 57 
 
 there with his pies that are as heavy as lead, an' 
 doughnuts that have soaked up all the fat in the 
 pan." 
 
 Toby was delighted with the plan, and Ab- 
 ner's eyes glistened at the mere idea that it 
 might be possible for him to do, once in his life 
 at least, as did other and more fortunate boys. 
 
 It certainly seemed, when they arrived at the 
 pasture again, as if everything was conspiring in 
 favor of their circus, for Chandler Merrill had 
 willingly consented to let them use his pony; 
 but he had done so with the kindly prophecy 
 that the little animal would "kick their brains 
 out " if they were not careful with him. 
 
 In order to make sure that the consent would 
 not be withdrawn, and at the same time to prove 
 that he told the truth, Bob had brought the pony 
 with him, and, judging from his general appear- 
 ance as he stood gazing suspiciously at the Doug- 
 lass horse, he deserved all that was said of him 
 regarding his vicious qualities. He was about
 
 58 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 half the size of an ordinary horse, and his coat 
 was ragged - looking, owing to its having been 
 rubbed off in spots, thus giving him the air of 
 just such a pony as one would suppose willing 
 to join a party of boys in starting a circus. 
 
 " Now, there's a boss that hain't either lame or 
 blind," said Bob, proudly, as he led the pony 
 once around the ring to show his partners how 
 he stepped. If he was intending to say anything 
 more, he concluded to defer it while he made 
 some very rapid movements in order to escape 
 the blow the " hoss " aimed at him with his hind- 
 feet. 
 
 " Kicks, don't he ?" said Toby, in a tone which 
 plainly told he did not think him very well 
 suited to their purpose. 
 
 " Well, he did then," and Bob fastened the 
 halter more securely by putting one end of the 
 rope through the pony's mouth ; "but you see 
 that's 'cause he hain't been used much, an' he's 
 tickled 'cause he's goin' to belong to a circus."
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 59 
 
 "How long before he'll get over bein' tickled?" 
 asked Joe. " I'm willin' to train Jack Douglass's 
 boss; but I don't know 'bout this one till he 
 gets sorry enough not to kick." 
 
 "Oh, he'll be all right jest as soon as Toby 
 rides him 'round the ring a little while." 
 
 "Do you think I'm goin' to ride him?" asked 
 Toby, beginning to believe his partners expected 
 more of him than ever Mr. Castle did. 
 
 " Of course ; a feller what's been with a circus 
 ought to know how to ride any hoss that ever 
 lived," replied Bob, with considerable emphasis, 
 owing to the fact that the pony kicked and 
 plunged so that his words were jerked out of 
 him, rather than spoken. 
 
 "I s'pose some fellers can; but I wasn't with 
 the circus long enough to find out how to ride 
 such bosses as them," and Toby retired to the 
 shade of the alder bushes, where Abner was sit- 
 ting to wait until Bob and the pony had come 
 to terms.
 
 60 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 It was .quite as much as Bob could do to hold 
 his prize, without trying to make any arrange- 
 ments for having him ridden, and he called 
 Reddy to help him. 
 
 Now, as the ring-master of the contemplated 
 circus, Reddy ought to have known all about 
 horses, and he thought he did until the pony 
 made one plunge, just as he came up smiling 
 with whip in hand. Then he said, as he ran 
 towards Toby : 
 
 "I don't believe I want to be ring-master if 
 we're goin' to have that hoss." 
 
 " Here, Joe, you help me,'' cried Bob, in desper- 
 ation, growing each moment more afraid of the 
 steed. "I want to get him up by the fence, 
 where we can hitch him, till we find out what 
 to do with him." 
 
 Joe was perfectly willing to assist the unfortu- 
 nate clown in his troubles ; but, as he started 
 towards him, the pony wheeled and flung his 
 heels out with a force that showed he would do
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 61 
 
 some damage if he could, and Joe also joined the 
 party among the bushes. 
 
 Bob was thus left alone with his prize, and a 
 most uncomfortable time he appeared to be hav- 
 ing of it, standing there in the hot sun clinging 
 desperately to the halter, and jumping from one 
 side to the other when the pony attempted to 
 bite, or strike him with his fore-feet. 
 
 "Let him go; he hain't any good," shouted 
 Reddy from his secure retreat. 
 
 " If I let go the halter, he'll jump right at me," 
 and there was a certain ring in Bob's voice that 
 told he was afraid. 
 
 " Hitch him to the fence, an' then climb over," 
 suggested Joe. 
 
 " But I can't get him over there, for he won't 
 go a step," and Bob continued to hold fast to the 
 halter, afraid to do so, but still more afraid to 
 let go. 
 
 He had borrowed the pony; but it certainly 
 seemed as if the animal had borrowed him,
 
 62 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 for his fear caused him to cling desperately to 
 the halter as the only possible means of saving 
 his life. 
 
 The boys under the alder bushes were fully 
 alive to the fact that something should be done, 
 although they were undecided as to what that 
 something should be. 
 
 Joe proposed that they all rush out and scare 
 the pony away ; but Bob insisted that he would 
 be the sufferer by such a course. Reddy thought 
 if Bob should show more spirit, and let the vi- 
 cious little animal see that he was not afraid of 
 him, everything would be all right ; but when it 
 was proposed that he try the plan himself, he 
 concluded, perhaps, there might be serious objec- 
 tions to such a. course. 
 
 Ben thought if all of them got hold of the 
 halter, they could pull the pony to the fence, 
 and this plan was looked upon with such favor 
 that it was adopted at once. 
 
 Every one, except Abner, took hold of the
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 63 
 
 halter, after some little delay in getting there, 
 owing to the readiness of the pony to use his 
 heels at the slightest provocation; and, just when 
 they were about to put forth all their strength in 
 pulling, the pony jumped towards them sudden- 
 ly, rendering their efforts useless, and starting all, 
 save Bob, back to the alder bushes in ignomini- 
 ous flight. 
 
 Bob still remained at his post, or, more correct- 
 ly speaking, the halter, and it was very much 
 against his will that he did so. 
 
 " I wish Chandler Merrill would come up here 
 an' get his old hoss, for I don't want him any 
 longer," he said, angrily. " He ought to be pros- 
 ecuted for lettin' us have such a old tiger." 
 
 Bob did not seem to remember that, if he had 
 been refused the loan of the pony, he would have 
 considered Chandler Merrill very selfish ; in fact, 
 he hardly remembered anything save his own de- 
 sire to get rid of the animal, and as quickly aa 
 possible.
 
 64 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 " What shall I do ?" he cried, in desperation. 
 " I can't stand here all day, an' the hoss don't 
 mean to let me get away." 
 
 " We've got to help Bob," said Toby, decided- 
 ly, as he arose to his feet again, and went towards 
 the unfortunate clown. " If you fellers will try 
 to hold him, I'll get on his back, an' then Bob 
 can get away." 
 
 " But he'll throw you off, an' hurt you," ob- 
 jected Abner, trying to prevent his newly made 
 friend from going. 
 
 " I can stop him from doing that, an' it's the 
 only way I know of to help Bob." 
 
 " You get on, Toby, an' then I'll scoot jest as 
 soon as you get hold of the halter," said Bob, 
 happy at this prospect of being relieved. " Then, 
 when you get a chance, you jump off, an' we'll let 
 somebody else take him home." 
 
 It was a hard task, and they all ran consider- 
 able risk of getting kicked ; but at last it was 
 accomplished, so far as mounting was concerned.
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 67 
 
 Toby was on the pony's back with a firm grasp 
 of the rope that was made to serve as bridle. 
 
 " Now, be all ready to run," he said ; and there 
 was no disposition to linger shown by any of his 
 friends. 
 
 " Let go !" he shouted, and at the sound of his 
 voice the boys went one way and the pony an- 
 other at full speed. 
 
 It was not until the would-be circus managers 
 were within the shelter of the clump of bushes 
 that they stopped to look for their partner, and 
 then they saw him at the further end of the pas- 
 ture, the pony running and leaping as if doing his 
 best to dislodge his rider. 
 
 Even the Douglass horse seemed to be excited 
 by the display of spirit, for he capered around 
 in a manner very unbecoming one as old and 
 blind as he. 
 
 Only for a few moments could they watch the 
 contest, and then the distant trees hid Toby Tyler 
 and Chandler Merrill's pony from view.
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 OLD BEN. 
 
 SOME time the boys watched for Toby's return, 
 and just as they were beginning to think they 
 ought to go in search of him, and fearing lest he 
 had been hurt by the vicious pony, they saw him 
 coming from among the trees, alone and on foot. 
 
 " Well," said Bob, with a sigh of relief, " he's 
 got rid of the hoss, an' that was all we wanted." 
 
 Toby's story, when at last, hot and tired, he 
 reached the alder bushes, was not nearly so ex- 
 citing as his partners anticipated. He had clung 
 to the pony until they entered the woods, where 
 he was brushed off by the branches of the trees 
 as easily as if he had been a fly, and with as little 
 damage.
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 69 
 
 How they should get the pony back into its 
 owner's keeping was a question difficult to an- 
 swer, and they were all so completely worn out 
 by their exertions to get rid of him that they did 
 not attempt to come to any conclusion regarding it. 
 
 While they were resting from their labors, and 
 before they had ceased to congratulate each other 
 that they had succeeded in separating themselves 
 from the pony, Leander Leighton, his accordion 
 under his arm and his clappers in his hand, made 
 his appearance. 
 
 His struggle with the baby had evidently 
 come to an end sooner than he had dared hope, 
 and the managers were happy at this speedy 
 prospect of hearing what their band could do in 
 the way of music. 
 
 " Boys !" shouted Leander, excitedly, while he 
 was some distance away, " there's a real circus 
 comin' here next week the same one Toby Tyler 
 run away with an' the men are pastin' up the 
 bills now, down to the village !"
 
 jo Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 The boys looked at each other in surprise ; it 
 had never entered into their calculations that 
 they might have a real circus as a rival, and cer- 
 tainly Toby had never thought he would again 
 see those whom he had first run away with and 
 then run away from. He was rather disturbed 
 by the prospect at first, for it seemed certain that 
 Job Lord and Mr. Castle would try to compel him 
 to go with them ; but a moment's thought con- 
 vinced him that Uncle Daniel would not allow 
 them to carry him away, and he grew as eager 
 for more news as any of the others. 
 
 Leander knew no more than he had already 
 told ; after having been relieved from his care of 
 the baby, he had started for the pasture, and had 
 seen the show-bills as he came along. He was 
 certain it was the same circus Toby had gone 
 with, for the names on the bills were the same, 
 and he had heard some of the townspeople say 
 so as he came along. 
 
 "An' I shall see the skeleton an' the fat woman
 
 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 73 
 
 again," said Toby, delighted at the idea of meet- 
 ing those kind friends from whom he had thought 
 himself parted with forever. 
 
 " Don't you s'pose you could get 'em to leave 
 that show an' come with ours?" asked Bob, 
 thinking perhaps some kind fortune had thrown 
 this opportunity in their way that they might 
 the better succeed in their project. 
 
 Toby was not sure such a plan could be made 
 to work, for the reason that they were only in- 
 tending to give two or three performances, and 
 Mr. and Mrs. Treat might not think it worth their 
 while to leave the circus they were with on the 
 strength of such uncertain prospects. 
 
 " And you shall go to the show, Abner," said 
 Toby, pleased at the opportunity he would have 
 of making the crippled boy happy for one day at 
 least ; " an' I'll take all of you fellers down, an' 
 get the skeleton to talk at you, so's you can see 
 how nice he is. You shall see his wife, an' old 
 Ben, an' Ella, an'"
 
 74 Mr. StubbJs Brother. 
 
 " But won't you be afraid of Job Lord ?" inter- 
 rupted Leander, fearful lest Toby's dread of meet 
 ing his old employer might prevent them from 
 having all this promised enjoyment. 
 
 " Uncle Dan'l wouldn't let him take me away, 
 an' now I'm home here I don't believe old Ben 
 would let him touch me." 
 
 There was evidently no probability that they 
 would transact any more business relative to their 
 own circus that day, so intent were they on talk- 
 ing about the one that was to come, and it was 
 not until nearly time to drive the cows home that 
 they remembered the presence of their band. 
 
 Ben proposed that Leander should show them 
 what he could do in the way of music, so that he 
 need not be at the trouble of bringing his ac- 
 cordion up into the pasture again, and the boys 
 ceased all conversation for the purpose of listen- 
 ing to the so-called melody. 
 
 After considerable preparation in the way of 
 polishing his clappers on the cuff of his jacket,
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 75 
 
 and fingering the keys of his accordion to make 
 sure they were in proper working order, Leander 
 extracted with one finger a few bars of " Yankee 
 Doodle" from the last-named instrument, and gave 
 an imitation of a drum with the clappers, in a man- 
 ner that won for him no small amount of applause. 
 
 " Now, we'll go home," said Toby, "'cause Uncle 
 Dan'l will be waitin' for me an' the cows, an' to- 
 morrow I'll meet you down-town where the circus 
 pictures be." 
 
 Then he helped Abner on to his crutches, and 
 walked beside him all the way, wishing, oh, so 
 much ! that he could save the poor boy from hav- 
 ing to go out to the poor-farm to sleep. 
 
 " You come in just as early as you can in the 
 mornin', Abner, an' you shall eat dinner with me," 
 he said, as he parted with the boy at Uncle Dan- 
 iel's gate, " an' perhaps you'll make so much 
 money at our circus that you won't ever have to 
 go out to the poor-farm again." 
 
 Abner tried to thank his friend for the kind-
 
 76 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 ness he had shown him; but the sobs of grati- 
 tude came into his throat so fast that it was im- 
 possible, and he hobbled away towards his dreary 
 home, while Toby ran into the house to tell the 
 astounding news of the coming of the circus. 
 
 "So all the people who were so kind to you 
 will be here next week, will they ?" said, rather 
 than asked, Aunt Olive. " Well, Toby, we'll kill 
 one of the lambs, an' you shall invite them up 
 here to dinner, which will kind of encourage them 
 to be good to any other little boy who may be 
 as foolish as you were." 
 
 Toby lay awake a long time that night, think- 
 ing of the pleasure he was to have in seeing 
 Mr. and Mrs. Treat, old Ben and little Ella, eat- 
 ing dinner in Uncle Daniel's home, and of how 
 good a boy he ought to be to repay his uncle 
 and aunt for their loving-kindness to him. 
 
 Operations were almost entirely suspended 
 by the would-be circus managers in view of the 
 coming of the real show. It would have been
 
 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 77 
 
 commercial folly to attempt to enter into compe- 
 tition with it ; the real circus would, without a 
 doubt, prove too strong a rival for them to con- 
 tend 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 pro- 
 posed 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 an- 
 other 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 con- 
 dition regarding the pony.
 
 78 Mr. Stutts's Brother. 
 
 Chandler Merrill was anxious to have his prop- 
 erty 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. 
 
 Veiy 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 with- 
 out 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 
 &s he. 
 
 The lamb had been killed as Aunt Olive had 
 promised, and a rare store of good things in the
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 79 
 
 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 hi? 
 delight with what seemed to him the magnificence 
 of the room. 
 
 It seemed as though each boy in the village 
 considered himself Toby's particular and intimate 
 friend during the week that preceded the coming 
 of the circus; and the marbles, balls, and boats 
 that were showered upon him in the way of gifts 
 would almost have stocked a small shop.
 
 8o Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 Then, on this day before the circus, all the boys 
 in town were most anxious to know just where 
 Toby proposed meeting the cavalcade, at what 
 time he was to start, and other details which 
 showed quite plainly it was their intention to 
 accompany him if possible. 
 
 When Toby went to bed, it was with the ex 
 press understanding with Uncle Daniel that he 
 was to be called at daylight, in order that he 
 might start out to meet the circus when it stop- 
 ped to prepare for its entrance into the town. 
 The place where the procession was usually form- 
 ed was fully two miles from town, and as Abner 
 could hardly walk that distance, and certainly 
 could not walk so fast as Toby would want to go, 
 he had agreed to drive the cows to pasture, after 
 which he was to go to the tenting-ground, where 
 his friend would introduce him to all the celebri- 
 ties.
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE GREAT EVENT. 
 
 UNCLE DANIEL seemed quite as anxious as 
 Toby that he should leave the house in time 
 to meet his circus friends before the entree was 
 made, and Aunt Olive afterwards said he didn't 
 sleep a wink after two o'clock for fear he might 
 not waken in time to rouse the anxious boy. 
 
 It was fully an hour before sunrise when Uncle 
 Daniel awakened Toby, and cautioned him to eat 
 as much of the lunch Aunt Olive had set out as 
 possible, insisting that what he could not eat he 
 should put into his pocket, as it would be a long 
 while before he would get his dinner. 
 
 The two miles Toby was obliged to walk seem- 
 ed very short ones, and at nearly every house on 
 
 6
 
 82 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 the road one or more boys were watching for him 
 quite as eagerly as for the show itself, so that by 
 the time he arrived at the place where two or 
 three of the wagons had drawn up by the side 
 of the road, he had as many as a hundred boya 
 for an escort, all of whom were urging him to get 
 the manager to take out a few lions and tigers 
 for their inspection before starting for the vil 
 lage. 
 
 Toby could hold out no promise to them; on 
 the contrary, he insisted that he hardly knew the 
 manager, save by sight, and explained to them 
 that they were unwise to come with him on any 
 such errand, since none of the curiosities could 
 be seen there, and if old Ben were still with the 
 company he should ride back with him. 
 
 But the boys put very little faith in what he 
 said, seeming to have the idea that he simply 
 wanted to get rid of them, and, instead of going 
 away, they surrounded him more closely. 
 
 Toby watched anxiously as each wagon came
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 83 
 
 up, and he failed to recognize any of the drivers. 
 For the first time it occurred to him that perhaps 
 those whom he knew were no longer with this 
 particular company, and his elation gave way to 
 sadness. 
 
 Fully twenty wagons had come, and he had 
 just begun to think his fears had good foundation, 
 when in the distance he saw the well-remembered 
 monkey- wagon, with the burly form of old Ben on 
 the box. 
 
 Toby could not wait for that particular team to 
 come up, even though it was driven at a reason- 
 ably rapid speed; but he started towards it as 
 fast as he could run, and, following him some- 
 thing like the tail of a comet, were all his friends, 
 who, having come so far, were determined not to 
 lose sight of him for a single instant, if it could 
 be prevented by any exertions on their part 
 
 Old Ben was driving in a sleepy sort of way, 
 and paid no attention to the little fellow who was 
 running towards him, until Toby shouted, and
 
 84 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 
 
 then the horses were stopped with a jerk that 
 nearly threw them back on their haunches. 
 
 " Well, Toby, my son ! I declare, I am glad to 
 see you;" and old Ben reached down for the 
 double purpose of shaking hands and helping the 
 boy on to the seat beside him. " Well, well, well, 
 it's been some time since you've been on this 'ere 
 box, hain't it ? I'd kinder forgotten what town it 
 was we took you from ; I knew it was somewhere 
 hereabouts though, an' I've kept my eye peeled 
 for you ever since we've been in this part of 
 the country. So you found your Uncle Dan'l all 
 right, did you ?" 
 
 " Yes, Ben, an' he was awful good to me when 
 I got home ; but Mr. Stubbs got shot." 
 
 "No? you don't tell me! How did that hap- 
 pen ?" 
 
 Then Toby told the story of his pet's death, 
 and, although it had occurred a year before, he 
 could not keep the tears from his eyes as he spoke 
 of it
 
 Mr. Sfudbs's Brother. 87 
 
 "You mustn't feel bad 'bout it, Toby," said 
 Ben, consolingly, u for, you see, monkeys has got to 
 die jeat like folks, an' your Stubbs was sich a old 
 feller that I reckon he'd died anyhow before long. 
 But IVe got one in the wagon here that looks a 
 good deal like yours, an' I'll show him to you." 
 
 As Ben spoke he drew his wagon, now com- 
 pletely surrounded by boys, up by the side of the 
 road near the others, and opened the panel in the 
 top so that Toby could have a view of his pas- 
 sengers. 
 
 Curled up in the corner nearest the roof, where 
 Mr. Stubbs had been in the habit of sitting, Toby 
 saw, as Ben had said, a monkey that looked re- 
 markably like Mr. Stubbs, save that he was 
 younger and not so sedate. 
 
 Toby uttered an exclamation of surprise and 
 joy as he pushed his hand through the bars of 
 the cage, and the monkey shook hands with him 
 as Mr. Stubbs used to do when greeted in the 
 morning.
 
 88 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 " Why, I never knew before that Mr. Stubbs 
 had any relations!" said Toby, looking around 
 with joy imprinted on every feature. " Do you 
 know where the rest of the family is, Ben ?" 
 
 There was no reply from the driver for some 
 time; but instead, Toby heard certain familiar 
 sounds as if the old man were choking, while his 
 face took on the purplish tinge which had so 
 alarmed the boy when he saw it for the first time. 
 
 "No, I don't know where his family is," said 
 Ben, after he had recovered from his spasm of 
 silent laughter, " an' I reckon he don't know nor 
 care. Say, Toby, you don't really think this one 
 is any relation to your monkey, do you ?" 
 
 " Why, it must be his brother," said Toby, 
 earnestly, " 'cause they look so much alike ; but 
 perhaps Mr. Stubbs was only his cousin." 
 
 Old Ben relapsed into another spasm, and Toby 
 talked to the monkey, who chattered back at him, 
 until the boys on the ground were in a perfect 
 ferment of anxiety to know what was going on.
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 89 
 
 It was some time before Toby could be per- 
 suaded to pay attention to anything else, so en- 
 grossed was he with Mr. Stubbs's brother, as he 
 persisted in calling the monkey, and the only 
 way Ben could engage him in conversation was 
 by saying, 
 
 "You don't seem to be very much afraid of 
 Job Lord now." 
 
 " You won't let him take me away if he should 
 try, will you ?" Toby asked, quickly, alarmed at 
 the very mention of his former employer's name, 
 even though he had thought he would not be 
 afraid of him, protected as he now was by Uncle 
 Daniel. 
 
 " No, Toby, I wouldn't let him if he was to try 
 it on, for you are just where every boy ought to 
 be, an' that's at home ; but Job's where he can't 
 whip any more boys for some time to come." 
 
 "Where's that?" 
 
 " He's in jail. About a month after you left 
 be licked his new boy so bad that they arrested
 
 go Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 him, an' he got two years for it, 'cause it pretty 
 nigh made a cripple out of the youngster." 
 
 Toby was about to make some reply ; but Ben 
 continued unfolding his budget of news. 
 
 " Castle stayed with us till the season was over, 
 an' then he went out West. I don't know wheth- 
 er he got his hair cut trying to show the Injuns 
 how to ride, or not ; but he never come back, an' 
 nobody I ever saw has heard anything about 
 him." 
 
 "Are Mr. and Mrs. Treat with the show?" 
 
 " Yes, they're still here ; he's a leetle thinner, 
 I believe, an' she's twenty pound heavier. She 
 says she weighs fifty pounds more'n she did ; but 
 I don't believe that, even if she did strike for five 
 dollars more a week this season on the strength 
 of it, an' get it. They keep right on cookin' up 
 dinners, an' invitin' of folks in, an' the skeleton 
 gets choked about the same as when you was 
 with the show. I don't know how it is that a 
 feller so thin as Treat is can eat so much."
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 91 
 
 a Uncle Dan'l says it's 'cause he works so hard 
 to get full," said Toby, quietly, " an' I shouldn't 
 wonder if I grew as thin as the skeleton one 
 of these days, for I eat jest as awful much as I 
 used to." 
 
 " Well, you look as if you got about all you 
 needed, at any rate," said Ben, as he mentally 
 compared the plump boy at his side with the 
 thin, frightened-looking one who had run away 
 from the circus with his monkey on his shoulder 
 and his bundle under his arm. 
 
 " Is Ella here ?" asked Toby, after a pause, dur- 
 ing which it seemed as if he were thinking of 
 much the same thing that Ben was. 
 
 "Yes, an' she keeps talkin' about what big 
 cards you an' her would have been if you had 
 only stayed with the show. But I'm glad you had 
 pluck enough to run away, Toby, for a life like 
 this hain't no fit one for boys." 
 
 " And I was glad to get back to Uncle Dan'l," 
 said Toby, with a great deal of emphasis. " I
 
 92 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 wouldn't go away without he wanted me to, if I 
 could go with a circus seven times as large as 
 this. Do you suppose young Stubbs would act 
 bad if I was to take him for a walk ?" 
 
 " Who ?" asked Ben, looking down at the crowd 
 of boys with no slight show of perplexity. 
 
 " Mr. Stubbs's brother," and Toby motioned to 
 the door of the cage. " I'd like to take him up 
 in my arms, 'cause it would seem so much like it 
 used to before his brother died." 
 
 Ben was seized with one of the very worst 
 laughing spasms Toby had ever seen, and there 
 was every danger that he would roll off the seat 
 before he could control himself; but he did re- 
 cover after a time, and as the purple hue slowly 
 receded from his face, he said : 
 
 " I'll tell you what we'll do, Toby. You come 
 to the tent when the afternoon performance is 
 over, an' I'll fix it so's you shall see Mr. Stubbs's 
 brother as much as you want to." 
 
 Just then Toby remembered that Ben was to
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 93 
 
 be his guest for a while that day, and, at'ter ex- 
 plaining all Aunt Olive had done in the way of 
 preparing dainties, invited him to dinner. 
 
 " I'll come, Toby, because it's to see you an' 
 them that has been good to you," said Ben, slow- 
 ly, and after quite a long pause : " but there hain't 
 anybody else I know of who could coax me out to 
 dinner ; for, you see, rough fellows like me hain't 
 fit to go around much, except among our own 
 kind. But say, Toby, your Uncle Dan'l hain't 
 right on his speech, is he ?" 
 
 Toby looked so puzzled that Ben saw he had 
 not been understood, and he explained : 
 
 " I mean, he don't get up a dinner for the sake 
 of havin' a chance to make a speech, like the skel- 
 eton, does he, eh ?" 
 
 " Oh no, Uncle Dan'l don't do that. I know 
 you'll like him when you see him." 
 
 " And I believe I shall, Toby," said Ben, speak-* 
 ing very seriously ; " I'd be sure to, because he's 
 such a good uncle to you."
 
 94 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 Just then the conversation was interrupted by 
 the orders to prepare for the parade ; and as the 
 manager drove up to see that everything was 
 done properly, he stopped to speak with and con- 
 gratulate Toby on being at home again, a conde- 
 scension on his part that caused a lively feeling 
 of envy in the breasts of the other boys, because 
 they had not been so honored.
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 ATTRACTIONS FOR THE LITTLE CIRCUS. 
 
 WHILE he stood there, the wagon in which the 
 skeleton and his wife travelled rolled past; but 
 Toby knew they were still sleeping, and would 
 continue to do so until their tent was ready for 
 them to go into. 
 
 The carriage in which the women of the com- 
 pany rode also passed him, and he almost fancied 
 he could see Ella sitting in one of the seats sleep- 
 ing with her head on her mother's shoulder, as 
 she had slept on the stormy night when his head 
 was nearly jerked from his body as he tried to 
 sleep while sitting upright. 
 
 There were but three of the drivers who had 
 been with the circus the year before, and, after
 
 g6 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 speaking with them, he stood by the side of the 
 road, and watched the preparations for the entree 
 with feelings far different from those with which 
 he had observed such preparations in that dreary 
 time when he expected each moment to hear Job 
 Lord order him to attend to his work. 
 
 The other boys crowded quite as close to him 
 as they could get, as if by this means they allied 
 themselves in some way with the show ; and when 
 a drove of ponies were led past, Joe Robinson 
 said, longingly : 
 
 " There, Toby, if we had one or two of them 
 to train, it would be different work from what it 
 is to make the Douglass hoss remember his way 
 round the ring." 
 
 " You wouldn't have to train them any," began 
 Toby ; and then he had no time to say anything 
 more, for Ben, who had been talking with the 
 manager, called to him. 
 
 " Has your Uncle Dan'l got plenty of pastur 
 age ?" asked Ben, when the boy approached him
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 97 
 
 " Well, he's got twenty acres up by the stone 
 quarry, an' he keeps three cows on it, an' Jack 
 Douglass's hoss, that don't count, for he's only 
 there till we boys have our circus," said Toby, 
 never for a moment dreaming of the good fort- 
 une that was in store for him. 
 
 " So you're goin' to have a circus of your own, 
 eh 2" asked Ben, with a smile that alarmed Toby, 
 because he feared it was a signal for one of those 
 terrible laughing spells. 
 
 "We're only goin' to have a little three-cent 
 one," replied Toby, modestly, noting with satis- 
 faction that Ben's mirth had gone no further than 
 the smile. 
 
 "Two of our ponies are about used up," said 
 the manager, " and we've got to leave them some- 
 where. Ben tells me he is going to see your 
 Uncle Dan'l this noon, so suppose you take one 
 of these boys and ride them up to the pasture. 
 Ben will make a bargain with your uncle for 
 their keeping, and you can use them in your 
 
 circus if you want to." 
 
 i
 
 98 Mr* Stubbss Brother. 
 
 Joe Robinson actually jumped for joy as he 
 heard this, and Toby's delight spread itself all 
 over his face, while Bob Atwood and Ben Gush- 
 ing went near the fence, where they stood on 
 their heads as a way of expressing their elation 
 at thus being able to have real live ponies in 
 their circus. 
 
 A black and a red pony were the ones pointed 
 out for Toby to take away, and they were not 
 more than twice as large as Newfoundland dogs ; 
 they were, in fact, just exactly what was wanted 
 for a little circus such as the boys were about to 
 start. 
 
 Joe was so puffed up with pride at being al- 
 lowed to ride one of these ponies through the vil- 
 lage that if his mind could have affected his body 
 he would not have weighed more than a pound, 
 and he held his head so high that it seemed a 
 matter of impossibility for him to see his feet. 
 
 Very much surprised were Uncle Daniel and 
 Aunt Olive at seeing Toby and Joe dash into the
 
 Mr. Stubbs*s Brother. 99 
 
 yard astride of these miniature horses, just as 
 they were sitting down to breakfast; and when 
 the matter had been explained, Abner appeared 
 quite as much pleased that the boys would have 
 this attraction in their circus as if he were the 
 sole proprietor of it. 
 
 It was with the greatest reluctance that either 
 of the boys left his pony in the stable-yard and 
 sat down to breakfast, so eager was Joe to get 
 back to the tenting-ground to see what was go- 
 ing on, and so anxious was Toby to see the skele- 
 ton and his wife as soon as possible. But they 
 ate because Uncle Daniel insisted that they should 
 do so ; and, when breakfast was over, he advised 
 that the ponies be left in the stable until Chandler 
 Merrill's pony could be removed from the pasture. 
 
 When they started down town again, Abner 
 went with them, and it was so late in the morn- 
 ing that Toby was sure the skeleton and his 
 wife would be prepared to receive visitors. 
 
 When Toby, Abner, and Joe reached the tent-
 
 ioo Mr. Stubbss Brother. - 
 
 ing -ground, everything was in that delightful 
 state of bustle and confusion which is attendant 
 upon the exhibition of a circus in a country 
 town, where the company do not expect that the 
 tent will be more than half filled, and where, in 
 consequence, the programme will be considerably 
 shortened. 
 
 It did not require much search on Toby's part 
 to find the tent wherein the skeleton and his wife 
 exhibited their contrasting figures, for the pictures 
 which hung outside were so gaudy, and of such 
 an unusually large size, that they commanded the 
 attention of every visitor. 
 
 " Now I'm goin' in to see 'em," said Toby, first 
 making sure that the exhibition had not begun ; 
 "an' Joe, you take Abner over so's he can see 
 how Nahum Baker keeps a stand, an' then he'll 
 know what to do when we have our circus. I'll 
 come back here for you pretty soon." 
 
 Then Toby ran around to the rear of the tent, 
 where he knew he would find a private entrance,
 
 *. 
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 101 
 
 thus running less risk of receiving a blow on the 
 head from some watchful attendant, and in a few 
 moments he stood before Mr. and Mrs. Treat, who, 
 having just completed their preparations, were 
 about to announce that the exhibition could be 
 opened. 
 
 "Why, Toby Tyler, you dear little thing!" 
 cried the enormous lady, in a joyful tone, after 
 she had looked at the boy intently for a moment, 
 to make sure he was really the one whom she 
 had rescued several times from Job Lord's brutal- 
 ity ; and then she took him in her fat arms, hug- 
 ging him much as if he were a lemon and she 
 an unusually large squeezer. " Where did you 
 come from ? How have you been 2 Did you find 
 your Uncle Daniel ?" 
 
 Her embrace was so vigorous that it was some 
 seconds after she had released him before he 
 could make any reply ; and while he was trying 
 to get his breath the fleshless Mr. Treat took him 
 solemnly by the hand, and cleared his throat as
 
 IO2 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 if he were determined to take advantage of the 
 occasion to make one of his famous speeches. 
 
 " My dear Mr. Tyler," he said, squeezing Toby's 
 hand until it ached, " it is almost impossible for 
 me to express the joy I feel at meeting you once 
 more. We Lilly and I have looked forward 
 to such a moment as this with a great deal of 
 impatience, and even during our most prosperous 
 exhibitions we have found time to speak of you." 
 
 "There, there, Samuel, don't take up so much 
 time with your long-winded talk, but let me see 
 the dear little fellow myself;" and Mrs. Treat lift- 
 ed her slim husband into a chair, where he was 
 out of her way, and again greeted Toby by kiss- 
 ing him on both cheeks with a resounding smack 
 that rivalled anything Reddy Grant had yet been 
 able to do in the way of cracking his whip. 
 
 Then she fairly overwhelmed him with ques- 
 tions, nor would she allow her husband to say a 
 word until Toby had answered them all. He was 
 again obliged to tell the story of Mr. Stubbs's
 
 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 103 
 
 death ; of his return home, and everything con- 
 nected with his running -away from the circus; 
 while all the time the fat lady alternately kissed 
 and hugged him, until it seemed as if he would 
 never be able to finish his story. 
 
 " And, now that you are home again, don't ever 
 think of running away, even though I must ad- 
 mit that you made a wonderful success in the 
 ring;" and Mr. Treat crossed one leg over the 
 other in a triumphant way, pleased that he had 
 at last succeeded in getting a chance to speak. 
 
 Toby was very emphatic in his assurances that 
 he should never run away again, for he had had 
 quite as much experience in that way as he 
 wanted ; and, after he had finished, Mrs. Treat, by 
 way of further showing her joy at meeting him 
 once more, brought out from a large black trunk 
 fully half a dozen doughnuts, each quite as large 
 among their kind as she was among women. 
 
 " Now eat every one of them," she said, as she 
 handed them to Toby, " an' it will do me good to
 
 IO4 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 see you, for you always used to be such a hungry 
 little fellow." 
 
 Toby had already had two breakfasts that 
 morning, but he did not wish to refuse the kindly 
 proffered gift, and he made every effort to do 
 as she had requested, though one of the cakes 
 would have been quite a feast for him at his 
 hungriest moment. 
 
 The food reminded him of the dinner-invita- 
 tion he was to deliver, and, as he forced down 
 the rather heavy cake, he said : 
 
 "Aunt Olive's killed a lamb, an' made an aw- 
 ful lot of things for dinner to-day, an' Uncle 
 Dan'l says he'd be glad to have you come up. 
 Ben's comin', an' I'm goin' to find Ella, so's to 
 have her come, an' we'll have a good time." 
 
 " Lilly an' I will be pleased to see your aunt's 
 lamb, and we shall be delighted to meet your 
 Uncle Daniel," replied the skeleton, before his 
 wife could speak, and then a " far - away " look 
 came into his eyes, as if he could already taste, or
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 105 
 
 at least smell, the feast in which he was certain 
 he should take so much pleasure. 
 
 "That's just the way with Samuel," said Mrs. 
 Treat, as if she would offer some apology for the 
 almost greedy way in which her husband accept- 
 ed the invitation ; " he's always thinking so much 
 about eating that I'm afraid he'll begin to fat up, 
 and then I shall have to support both of us." 
 
 " Now, my dear" and Mr. Treat used a tone of 
 mild reproof " why should you have such ideas, 
 and why express them before our friend, Mr. Ty- 
 ler ? I've eaten considerable, perhaps, at times ; 
 but during ten years you have never seen me 
 grow an ounce the fatter, and surely I have grown 
 some leaner in that time." 
 
 " Yes, yes, Sammy, I know it, and you shall eat 
 all you can get, only try not to show that you 
 think so much about it." Then, turning to Toby, 
 she said, " He's such a trial, Sam is. We'll go to 
 see your uncle, Toby, and we should be very glad 
 to do so even if we wasn't going for dinner."
 
 106 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 
 
 " Ben an' me will come 'round when it's time 
 to go," said Toby, and then, in a hesitating way, 
 he added, " Abner's out here he's a cripple that 
 lives out to the poor-farm an' he never saw a 
 circus or anything. Can't I bring him in here a 
 minute before you open the show ?" 
 
 "Of course you can, Toby, my dear, and you 
 may bring all your friends. We'll give an exhi- 
 bition especially for them. We haven't got a 
 sword -swallower this year, and the albino chil- 
 dren that you used to know have had to leave 
 the business, because albinos got so plenty they 
 couldn't earn their salt; but we've got a new 
 snake - charmer, and a man without legs, and a 
 bearded lady, so " 
 
 "So that our entertainment is quite as morally 
 effective and instructively entertaining as ever," 
 said Mr. Treat, interrupting his wife to speak a 
 good word for the exhibition. 
 
 Toby ran out quickly, that he might not delay 
 the regular business any longer than was abso-
 
 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 107 
 
 lutely necessary; and at the very entrance of the 
 tent, looking at the pictures in wonder that al- 
 most amounted to awe, he found Abner with his 
 partners, and about a dozen other boys. 
 
 "Come right in quick, fellers," said Toby, 
 breathlessly, " an' you can see the whole show 
 before it commences."
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE DINNER PARTY. 
 
 THE invitation was no sooner given than ac- 
 cepted ; and in a twinkling every one of those 
 boys was inside the tent, looking at the skele- 
 ton and the fat woman as though they had been 
 old acquaintances. 
 
 Toby had told Mr. and Mrs. Treat of the little 
 circus they were intending to have, and he intro- 
 duced to them his partners in the enterprise. 
 
 The fleshy Lilly smiled encouragingly upon 
 them, and the skeleton, moving his chair slightly 
 to prevent his wife from interrupting him, said : 
 
 " I am pleased to meet you, gentlemen, princi- 
 pally, and I might almost say wholly, because 
 you are the friends of my old friend, Mr. Tyler.
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 1 1 1 
 
 Whatever business relations you may have with 
 him, whether in the great profession of the circus, 
 or in the humbler walks of life, I am* sure he will 
 honor the connection." 
 
 From appearances Mr. Treat would have con- 
 tinued to talk for some time, but his wife passed 
 around more doughnuts, and the attention of the 
 visitors was so distracted that he was obliged to 
 stop. 
 
 " And this is Abner," said Toby, taking advan- 
 tage of the break in the skeleton's speech to lead 
 forward his crippled friend. 
 
 Abner limped blushingly towards the gigantic 
 lady, and when both she and her thin husband 
 spoke to him kindly, he was so covered with con- 
 fusion at the honor thus showered upon him that 
 he was hardly able to say a word. 
 
 But the time was passing rapidly, and as 
 there were many persons outside, probably, wait- 
 ing for an opportunity to pay their money to 
 see the varied attractions, of the show, Mrs.
 
 1 1 2 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 Treat gave the signal for the snake-charmer to 
 begin the entertainment, which was given as a 
 mark of respect, as the skeleton explained, to 
 their friend Toby Tyler. 
 
 This private exhibition lasted about fifteen 
 minutes, and when, at its close, the doors were 
 thrown open to such of the public as were will- 
 ing to pay to come in, the boys were not at all 
 anxious to leave. 
 
 " Let them stay as long as they want to, Toby," 
 said the skeleton indulgently. 
 
 The boys were only too glad to avail them- 
 selves of this permission, and Toby said to Abner : 
 
 " I want to see if I can find Ella, an' you stay 
 here till I come back." 
 
 " I'll keep him right here by me," said Mrs. 
 Treat, " and he'll be safe enough." 
 
 Remembering how she had served Job Lord, 
 Toby had no fears for the safety of his friend ; he 
 went at once, therefore, to deliver the invitation 
 to the last of Aunt Olive's expected guests.
 
 Mr. StubbJs Brother. 113 
 
 When, after some little time, Toby returned, 
 the boys had satisfied their curiosity so far as the 
 side-show was concerned, and all except Abner 
 had left the tent. 
 
 That he had found Ella was evident, as that 
 young lady herself skipped along by his side in 
 the greatest possible delight at having met her 
 former riding companion ; and that she had ac- 
 cepted his invitation to dinner was shown by the 
 scrupulous care with which she was dressed. 
 
 " It's time to go up to Uncle Dan'Ps," Toby 
 whispered to Mrs. Treat, "an' Ben's harnessin' 
 the hosses into your wagon, so's you won't have 
 to go to the trouble of puttin' on your other 
 clothes." 
 
 " I don't know as we ought to go up there in 
 this rig," said Mrs. Treat doubtfully, as she look- 
 ed down at her " show dress," made to display 
 her arms and neck to the greatest advantage, and 
 then at her husband's costume, which was as scanty 
 as his body. "I wanted to dress up when we
 
 U4 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 went there; but I don't see how I'll get the 
 chance to do it." 
 
 " I wouldn't bother, 'cause Uncle Dan'l will 
 like you jest as well that way, an' it will take 
 you too long," said Toby impatiently. 
 
 The skeleton, on being consulted as to the 
 matter, decided to do as Toby wished, because 
 by adopting that course they would the sooner 
 get the dinner about which he had been think- 
 ing ever since he had received the invitation. 
 
 But while Mrs. Treat was ready to believe that 
 her costume might be reasonably fit to wear to a 
 dinner party, she was certain that something more 
 than tights and a pair of short, red velvet trousers 
 was necessary for her husband. 
 
 Mr. Treat tried to argue with his much larger 
 half, insisting that Uncle Daniel would under- 
 stand the matter ; but his wife insisted so strong- 
 ly, and with such determination to have her 
 own way, that he compromised by adding to his 
 scanty wardrobe a black frock-coat and a tall
 
 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 115 
 
 silk hat, which gave him a rather more comical 
 than distinguished appearance. 
 
 The audience were dismissed as soon as pos- 
 sible; Abner was helped into the wagon, per- 
 fectly delighted at being allowed to ride in a 
 circus van, and the party started for Uncle 
 Daniel's. 
 
 Toby sat on the box with Ben, to show him 
 the way ; and when the gaudily painted cart 
 stopped in front of the farm-house, it was much 
 as if a peacock had suddenly alighted amid a 
 flock of demure hens. 
 
 Uncle Daniel was out in the yard to receive 
 his strangely assorted guests, and the greeting 
 they received from both him and Aunt Olive 
 was as hearty as if they had been old acquaint- 
 ances. 
 
 There was a look of calm satisfaction on the 
 skeleton's face as the odor of roast lamb was 
 mingled with Uncle Daniel's welcome when he 
 descended from the wagon ; and as the company
 
 1 1 6 Mr. Slubbs's Brother. 
 
 were ushered into the " fore-room," the air of 
 which was pungent with the odors of herbs used 
 to keep the moths from carpet and furniture, a 
 restful feeling came over them such as only those 
 whose lives are dreary rounds of travelling can 
 feel. 
 
 Uncle Daniel insisted on taking care of the 
 horses himself, for his idea of the duties of host 
 would not allow that Ben should help him, and 
 almost as soon as he had finished this work din- 
 ner was ready. 
 
 When all the guests were at the table, and 
 Uncle Daniel bowed his head to invoke a bless- 
 ing on those who had befriended the fatherless, 
 the look of general discomfort old Ben had worn 
 from the time he reached the house passed away, 
 and in its place came the peaceful look Toby had 
 seen on Sundays after the old driver had come 
 from church. 
 
 It seemed to Toby that he had never really 
 known Uncle Daniel before, so jolly was he in his
 
 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 119 
 
 efforts to entertain his guests ; and the manner in 
 which he portioned out the food, keeping the 
 plates well filled all the time, was in the highest 
 degree pleasing to Mr. Treat. 
 
 Of course very much was said about the time 
 when Toby was an unwilling member of the cir- 
 cus, and Mrs. Treat and Ben told of the boy's 
 experiences in a way that brought many a blush 
 to his cheeks. Mr. Treat was too busy with Aunt 
 Olive's lamb, as he affectionately spoke of it, to 
 be able to say anything; he was wonderfully 
 fortunate in not choking himself but once, and 
 that was such a trifling matter that it was all 
 over in a moment. 
 
 Old Ben told Toby that night, however, that 
 Treat would not have got on so well, if his wife 
 had not trodden on his toes frequently, as a hint 
 to eat more slowly. 
 
 Although Abner had spent several hours in 
 the side-show, it seemed as if he would never 
 tire of gazing at Mrs. Treat's enormous frame,
 
 1 20 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 and so intently did he look at her that he missed 
 a good chance of getting a second piece of cus- 
 tard pie, though Toby nudged him several times 
 to intimate that he could have more as well 
 as not. 
 
 Ben told a number of stories of circus life; 
 Mrs. Treat related some of her experiences in 
 trying to prevent her husband from eating too 
 fast ; Ella told Aunt Olive of the home she and 
 her mother lived in during winter ; and the hour 
 which had been devoted to this visit passed so 
 pleasantly that every one was sorry when it was 
 ended. 
 
 " You've got a trim little farm here," said Ben 
 to Uncle Daniel, when the two went out to har- 
 ness the horses; "an' I reckon that a man who 
 has got land enough to support him is fixed jest 
 about as well as he can be. I don't know of 
 anything I'd rather be than a farmer, if I could 
 only get away from circus life." 
 
 " Whenever you want to leave that business,"
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 1 2 1 
 
 said Uncle Daniel solemnly and earnestly, " you 
 come right here, and I'll show you the chance to 
 become a farmer." 
 
 " I'd like to," said Ben, with a sigh of regret 
 that the matter seemed so impossible ; " but I've 
 been with & circus now, man an' boy, goin' on 
 forty -one years, an' I s'pose I shall always be 
 with one." 
 
 Then he changed the conversation, making an 
 arrangement with Uncle Daniel for pasturing the 
 ponies that were to be left behind, and by the 
 time the bargain was completed the horses were 
 at the door. 
 
 While Uncle Daniel and old Ben had been 
 at the stables, Mr. Treat had been showing his 
 liberality by giving Aunt Olive tickets for the 
 side-show and circus, and inducing her to prom- 
 ise that she and Uncle Daniel would see both 
 shows. He had also given Toby fully a dozen 
 circus tickets for distribution among his friends; 
 and then, as Uncle Daniel entered, he said :
 
 122 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 "I wish to express thanks both for myself 
 and my wife Lilly for the very kind manner in 
 which you have entertained us to-day." 
 
 Before he could say anything more the others 
 came to say good-bye, and he was disappoint- 
 ed again. Aunt Olive kissed Ella several times, 
 while the parting with the others was almost as 
 between old friends, and the guests started for 
 the tent again, more than satisfied with their 
 visit. 
 
 " Now, Toby, you look me up jest after the 
 show is out this afternoon, an' we'll fix it so's 
 you shall have a chance to talk with Mr. 
 Stubbs's brother," said Ben, as they were driv- 
 ing along. 
 
 As a matter of course Toby promised to be 
 there, and to bring Abner with him. 
 
 " You said that little cripple had to live at 
 fche poor-farm, didn't you T asked Ben, after quite 
 a long pause. 
 
 " Yes, an' it's 'cause he hain't got no father or
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 1 23 
 
 mother, nor no Uncle Dan'l like I've got," said 
 Toby sadly. 
 
 " Hain't he got any relations anywhere?" 
 
 " No ; Uncle Dan'l said he didn't have a soul 
 that he could go to." 
 
 " It must be kinder hard for him to live there 
 alone, an' I don't s'pose he'll ever be able to 
 walk." 
 
 Toby was not at all certain whether or not 
 Abner could ever be cured; but he told the 
 old driver what he knew of the lonely life the 
 boy led. Ben did not appear to hear what was 
 said, for he was in one of his deep studies 
 and seemed unconscious of everything except 
 the fact that his horses were going in the 
 proper direction. 
 
 "I'll tell you what I'll do, Toby," he said, after 
 remaining silent until they were nearly at the 
 tent. "I hain't got a child or a chick in the 
 world, an' I'll take care of that boy."
 
 1 24 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 Toby looked up in surprise, as he repeated, in 
 a puzzled way : 
 
 " You'll take care of him V 
 
 " I don't mean that I'll take hold an' tote him 
 round; but he shall have as much as he needs 
 out of every dollar I get. I'll see your Uncle 
 Dan'l, an' fix it somehow so he'll be taken out 
 of the poorhouse." 
 
 " Why, Ben, how good you are !" and Toby 
 looked up at his friend with sincere admiration 
 imprinted on his face. 
 
 " It hain't 'cause I'm good, my lad ; but if I 
 didn't help that poor fellow in some way, I'd 
 see them big eyes an' that pale face of hisn 
 every night I rode on this box alone ; so you see 
 I only do it for the sake of havin' peace," said 
 Ben, with a forced laugh ; and then he stopped 
 the horses at the rear of Mr. Treat's tent. " Now 
 you jump down, Toby, so's to see the skeleton 
 don't break himself all to pieces gettin' out, for 
 I'm kinder 'fraid he will some day. I'd rather
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 125 
 
 drive a hundred monkeys than one sich slim 
 man as him." 
 
 Then Ben had a fit of internal laughter caused 
 by his own remark, and Uncle Daniel's guests 
 were ready to resume their duties at the circus.
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 MR. STUBBS'S BROTHER. 
 
 IT was so near the time for the circus to begin 
 that Toby was obliged to hurry considerably in 
 order to distribute among his friends the tickets 
 the skeleton had given him, and he advised Ab- 
 ner to remain with Mrs. Treat while he did so, 
 in order to escape the crowd, among which he 
 might get injured. 
 
 Then he gave his tickets to those boys who 
 he knew had no money with which to buy any, 
 and so generous was he that when he had finish- 
 ed he had none for himself and Abner. 
 
 That he might not be able to witness the per- 
 formance did not trouble him very greatly, al- 
 though it would have been a disappointment not
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 127 
 
 to see Ella ride; but he blamed himself very 
 much because he had not saved a ticket for Ab- 
 ner, and he hurried to find Ben that he might 
 arrange matters for him. 
 
 The old driver was easily found, and still more 
 easily persuaded to grant the favor which per- 
 mitted Abner to view the wonderful sights be- 
 neath the almost enchanted canvas. 
 
 From one menagerie wagon to another Toby 
 led his friend as quickly as possible, until they 
 stood in front of the monkeys' cage, where Mr. 
 Stubbs's supposed brother was perched as high 
 as possible, away from the common herd of mon- 
 keys which chatted familiarly with every one who 
 bribed them. 
 
 Toby was in the highest degree excited; it 
 seemed as if his pet that had been killed was 
 again before him, and he crowded his way up to 
 the bars of the cage, dragging Abner with him, 
 until he was where he could have a full view of 
 the noisy prisoners.
 
 128 Mr. Stubbs' s Brother. 
 
 Toby called to the monkey as he had been in 
 the habit of calling to Mr. Stubbs, but now the 
 fellow paid no attention to him whatever; there 
 were so many spectators that he could not spend 
 his time upon one, unless he were to derive some 
 benefit in return. 
 
 Fortunately, so far as his happiness was con- 
 cerned, Toby had the means of inducing the mon- 
 key to visit him, for in his pocket yet remained 
 two of the doughnuts Mrs. Treat had almost 
 forced upon him; and, remembering how fond 
 Mr. Stubbs had been of such sweet food, he held 
 a piece out to the supposed brother. 
 
 Almost instantly that monkey made up his 
 mind that the freckle-faced boy with the doughnut 
 was the one particular person whom he should 
 be acquainted with, and he came down from his 
 perch at a rapid rate. 
 
 So long as Toby was willing to feed him with 
 doughnuts he was willing to remain ; but when 
 his companions gathered around in such numbers
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 129 
 
 that the supply of food was quickly exhausted, 
 he went back to his lofty perch, much to the 
 boy's regret. 
 
 " He looks like Mr. Stubbs, and he acts like 
 him, an' it must be his brother sure," said Toby 
 to himself as Abner hurried him away to look at 
 the other curiosities. When he was at some dis- 
 tance from the cage he turned and said, " Good- 
 bye," as if he were speaking to his old pet. 
 
 During the performance that afternoon Abner 
 was in a delightful whirl of wonder and amaze- 
 ment ; but Toby's attention was divided between 
 what was going on in the ring and the thought 
 of having Mr. Stubbs's brother all to himself as 
 soon as the performance should be over. 
 
 He did, however, watch the boy who sold pea- 
 nuts and lemonade, but this one was much larger 
 than himself, and looked rough enough to endure 
 the hardships of such a life. 
 
 Toby was also attentive when Ella was in the 
 ring, and he was envied by all his acquaintances
 
 1 30 Mr. Stubbss Brother* 
 
 when she smiled as she passed the place where 
 he was sitting. 
 
 Abner would have been glad if the perform- 
 ance had been prolonged until midnight; but 
 Toby, still thinking of Mr. Stubbs's brother, was 
 pleased when it ended. 
 
 He and Abner waited by the animal's cages un- 
 til the crowd had again satisfied their curiosity; 
 and as the last visitor was leaving the tent old 
 Ben came in, followed by Mr. and Mrs. Treat, both 
 in exhibition costume. 
 
 Toby was somewhat surprised at seeing them, 
 for he knew their busiest time was just at the 
 close of the circus, and while he was yet wonder- 
 ing at their coming he saw Ella approaching from 
 the direction of the dressing-tent. 
 
 He had not much time to spend in speculation, 
 however, for Ben said, as he came up : 
 
 " Now, Toby, you shall see Mr. Stubbs's broth- 
 er, and talk to him just as long as you want to." 
 
 The skeleton and his wife and Ella looked at
 
 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 131 
 
 each other and smiled in a queer way as Ben 
 said this ; but Toby was too much excited at the 
 idea of having the monkey in his arms to pay 
 any attention to what was going on around him. 
 
 Ben, unlocking the door of the cage, succeeded, 
 after considerable trouble, in catching the partic- 
 ular inmate he wanted, and, handing him to Toby, 
 said: 
 
 "Now let's see if he knows you as well as 
 Stubbs did." 
 
 Toby took the monkey in his arms with a glad 
 cry of delight, and fondled him as if he really were 
 the pet he had lost. 
 
 Whether it was because the animal knew that 
 the boy was petting him, or because he had been 
 treated harshly, and was willing to make friends 
 with the first one who was kind to him, it is dif- 
 ficult to say ; certain it is that as soon as he found 
 himself in Toby's arms he nestled down with his 
 face by the boy's neck, remaining there as con- 
 tentedly as if the two had been friends for years.
 
 132 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 " There, don't you see he knows me !" cried the 
 boy in delight, and then he sat down upon the 
 ground, caressing the animal, and whispering all 
 sorts of loving words in his ear. 
 
 " He does seem to act as if he had been intro- 
 duced to you," said old Ben, with a chuckle. " It 
 would be kinder nice if you could keep him, 
 wouldn't it?" 
 
 " 'Deed it would," replied Toby, earnestly. "I'd 
 give everything I've got if I could have him, for 
 he does act so much like Mr. Stubbs it seems as 
 if it must be him." 
 
 Then Ella whispered something to the old 
 driver, the skeleton bestowed a very mysterious 
 wink upon him, the fat woman nodded her head 
 till her cheeks shook like two balls of very soft 
 butter, and Abner looked curiously on, wonder- 
 ing what was the matter with Toby's friends. 
 
 He soon found out what it was, however, for 
 Ben, after indulging in one of his laughing spasms, 
 asked:
 
 Mr, Stubbss Brother. 133 
 
 "Whose monkey is that you've got in your 
 arms, Toby ?" 
 
 " Why, it belongs to the circus, don't it ?" And 
 the boy looked up in surprise. 
 
 " No, it don't belong to the circus ; it belongs 
 to you that's who owns it." 
 
 "Me? Mine? Why, Ben " 
 
 Toby was so completely bewildered as to be 
 unable to say a word, and just as he was begin- 
 ning to think it some joke, Ben said : 
 
 "The skeleton an' his wife, an' Ella and I, 
 bought that monkey this forenoon, an' we give 
 him to you so's you'll still be able to have a Mr. 
 Stubbs in the family." 
 
 " Oh, Ben !" was all Toby could say ; with the 
 monkey tightly clasped in his arms, he took the 
 old driver by the hand; but just then the skel- 
 eton stepped forward holding something which 
 glistened. 
 
 " Mr. Tyler," be said, in his usual speech -mak- 
 ing style, " when our friend Ben told us this morn-
 
 134 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 ing about your having discovered Mr. Stubbs's 
 brother, we sent out and got this collar for the 
 monkey, and we take the greatest possible pride 
 in presenting it to you ; although, if it had been 
 something that my Lilly could have made with 
 her own fair fingers, I should have liked it better." 
 As he ceased speaking, he handed Toby a very 
 pretty little dog-collar, on the silver plate of 
 which was inscribed : 
 
 MR. STTJBBS'S BROTHER. 
 
 PRESENTED TO 
 
 TOBY TYLER 
 
 BY 
 
 THE SKELETON, THE FAT WOMAN, 
 
 OLD BEN, LITTLE ELLA. 
 
 Toby took the collar, and as he fastened it on 
 the monkey's neck he said, in a voice that trem- 
 bled considerably with emotion : 
 
 "You've all of you been awful good to me, 
 an' I don't know what to say so's you'll know 
 how much I thank you. It seems as if ever since
 
 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 135 
 
 I started with the circus youVe all tried to see 
 how good you could be; an' now you've given 
 me this monkey that I wanted so much. Some 
 time, when I'm a man, I'll show you how much I 
 think of all you've done for me." 
 
 The tears of gratitude that were gathering in 
 Toby's eyes prevented him from saying anything 
 more, and then Mrs. Treat and Ella both kissed 
 him, while Ben said, in a gruff tone : 
 
 " Now carry the monkey home, an' get your sup- 
 per, for you'll want to come down here this even- 
 ing, an' you won't have time if you don't go now." 
 
 Ella, after making Toby promise that he would 
 see her again that night, went with Mr. and Mrs. 
 Treat, while old Ben, as if afraid he might receive 
 more thanks, walked quickly away towards the 
 dressing-rooms, and there was nothing else for 
 Toby and Abner to do but go home. 
 
 It surely seemed as if every boy in the village 
 knew that Toby Tyler had remained in the tent 
 after the circus was over, and almost all of them
 
 1 36 Mr. Shibbs's Brother. 
 
 were waiting around the entrance when the two 
 boys came out with the monkey. 
 
 If Toby had stayed there until each one of his 
 friends had looked at and handled the monkey 
 as much as he wanted to, he and Abner would 
 have remained until morning, and Mr. Stubbs's 
 brother would have been made very ill-natured. 
 
 He waited until his friends had each looked 
 at the monkey, and then he and Abner started 
 home, escorted by nearly all the boys in town. 
 
 The partners in the amateur circus scheme 
 were nearly as wild with joy as Toby was, for 
 now their enterprise seemed an assured success, 
 since they had two real ponies and a live mon- 
 key to begin with. They seemed to consider it 
 their right to go to Uncle Daniel's with Toby; 
 and when the party reached the corner that 
 marked the centre of the village, they decided 
 that the others of the escort should go no far- 
 ther a decision which relieved Toby of an in- 
 convenient number of friends.
 
 MR. STUBBS S BROTHER.
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 1 39 
 
 As it was, the party was quite large enough 
 to give Aunt Olive some uneasiness lest they 
 should track dirt in upon her clean kitchen floor, 
 and she insisted that both the boys and the 
 monkey should remain in the yard. 
 
 Toby had an idea that Mr. Stubbs's brother 
 would be treated as one of the family ; and, had 
 any one hinted that the monkey would not be al- 
 lowed to share his bed and eat at the same table 
 with him, he would have resented it strongly. 
 
 But Uncle Daniel soon convinced him that 
 the proper place for his pet was in the wood- 
 shed, where he could be chained to keep him 
 out of mischief, and Mr. Stubbs's brother was 
 soon safely secured in as snug a place as a 
 monkey could ask for. 
 
 Not until this was done did the partners re- 
 turn to their homes, or the centre of attraction 
 the tenting-grounds nor did Toby find time to 
 get his supper and go for the cows. 
 
 Not once during the afternoon had Toby said
 
 140 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 anything to Abner of the good fortune that 
 might come to him through old Ben ; but when 
 he got back from the pasture and met Uncle 
 Daniel in the barn, he told him what the old 
 driver had said about Abner. 
 
 " Are you sure you heard him rightly, Toby, 
 boy ?" asked the old gentleman as he pushed 
 his glasses up on his forehead, as he always did 
 when he was surprised or perplexed. 
 
 " I know he said that ; but it seems as if it 
 was too good to be true, don't it ?" 
 
 " The Lord's ways are not our ways, my boy, 
 and if he sees fit to work some good to the poor 
 cripple, he can do it as well through a circus 
 driver as through one of his elect," said Uncle 
 Daniel reverentially, and then he set about milk- 
 ing the cows in such an absent-minded way that 
 he worried old Short-horn until she kicked the 
 pail over when it was nearly half full.
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE ACCIDENT. 
 
 THAT night Toby and Abner went to the cir- 
 cus grounds with Uncle Daniel and Aunt Olive ; 
 and when old Ben approached the party as they 
 were nearing the tent, Toby motioned the crip- 
 ple to come with him, for he thought it might 
 be better that the boy should not hear the con- 
 versation concerning himself. 
 
 It had been decided by Uncle Daniel that the 
 boys should go to the circus grounds that even- 
 ing, and stay there until it was nearly dark, when 
 they were to go home and go to bed ; for he never 
 believed it could do boys any good to be out 
 after dark, while he was certain it was better 
 for their health if they went to bed early.
 
 142 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 Therefore Toby intended to make this visit 
 simply one of farewell, after Abner should see 
 a little more of the bustle and confusion that 
 had so fascinated him in the afternoon. 
 
 To that end the boys walked around the en- 
 closure, listened to the men who were loudly 
 crying the wonderful things they had for sale, 
 and all the while kept a bright lookout in the 
 hope of seeing some of their circus friends. 
 
 It was nearly time for the performance to 
 begin when the boys went into the skeleton's 
 tent, and said good-bye to the thin man and 
 his fat wife. 
 
 Then Toby, anxious to run around* to the 
 dressing-rooms to speak with Ella, and not dar- 
 ing to take Abner with him, said to the boy: 
 
 " Now you wait here for a minute, an' I'll be 
 right back." 
 
 Abner was perfectly contented to wait; it 
 seemed to him that he would have been willing 
 to stay there all night, provided the excitement
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother, 143 
 
 should be continued, and he gazed around him in 
 perfect delight as he leaned against one of the 
 tent ropes. 
 
 Toby found Ella without much difficulty ; but 
 both she and her mother had so much to say to 
 him that it was some time before he could leave 
 them to go in search of Ben. 
 
 The old driver was curled up on his wagon, 
 taking " forty winks," as he called a nap, before 
 starting on the road again. 
 
 When Toby awakened him, he explained that 
 he would not have taken the liberty if it had 
 not been for the purpose of saying good-bye, and 
 Ben replied, good-naturedly : 
 
 " That's all right, Toby ; I should only have 
 been angry with you if you had let me sleep. 
 I've fixed it with your uncle about that little 
 cripple ; and now, when I get pitched off and 
 killed some of these dark nights, there'll be one 
 what'll be sorry I'm gone. Be a good boy, Toby ; 
 don't ever do anything you'd be afraid to tell
 
 144 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 your Uncle Dan'l of, and next year I'll see you 
 again." 
 
 Toby wanted to say something; but the old 
 driver had spoken his farewell, and was evidently 
 determined neither to say nor to hear anything 
 more, for he crawled up on the box of the wagon 
 again, and appeared to fall asleep instantly. 
 
 Toby stood looking at him a moment, as if try- 
 ing to make out whether this sudden sleep was 
 real, or only feigned in order to prevent the part- 
 ing from being a sad one; and then he said, as 
 he started towards the door: 
 
 " Well, I thank you over and over again for 
 Mr. Stubbs's brother, even if you have gone to 
 sleep." Then he went to meet Abner. 
 
 When he reached the place where he had 
 left his friend, to his great surprise he could see 
 nothing of him. There was no possibility that 
 he could have made any mistake as to the local- 
 ity, for he had left him standing just behind the 
 skeleton's tent.
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 145 
 
 Toby ran quickly around the enclosure, asked 
 some of the attendants in the dressing-room if 
 they had seen a boy on crutches, and then he 
 went into Mr. Treat's tent. But he could neither 
 hear nor see anything of Abner, whose complete 
 disappearance was, to say the least, very strange. 
 
 Toby was completely bewildered by this sud- 
 den disappearance, and for some moments he 
 stood looking at the place where he had left his 
 friend, as if he thought that his eyes must have 
 deceived him, and that the boy was still there. 
 
 There were but few persons around the outside 
 of the tent, those who had money enough to pay 
 for their admission having gone in, and those who 
 were penniless having gone home, so that Toby 
 did not find many of whom to make inquiries. 
 The attaches of the circus were busily engaged 
 packing the goods for the night's journey, and 
 a number of them had gathered around one of 
 the wagons a short distance away. But Toby 
 
 thought it useless to ask them for tidings of his 
 
 10
 
 146 Mr. Stubbss Brother* 
 
 missing friend, for he knew by experience how 
 busy every one connected with the circus was 
 at that hour. 
 
 After he had looked at the tent rope against 
 which he had seen Abner leaning, until he re- 
 covered his presence of mind, he went into the 
 tent again for the purpose of getting Uncle 
 Daniel to help him in the search. As he was 
 passing the monkey wagon, however, he saw old 
 Ben whom he had left apparently in a heavy 
 sleep examining his wagon to make sure that 
 everything was right, and to him he told the 
 story of Abner's strange disappearance. 
 
 "I guess he's gone off with some of the other 
 fellows," said Ben, thinking the matter of but 
 little importance, but yet going out of the tent 
 with Toby as he spoke. " Boys are just like eels, 
 an' you never know where to find 'em after you 
 once let 'em slip through your fingers." 
 
 " But Abner promised me he'd stay right 
 here," said Toby.
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 147 
 
 " Well, some other fellows came along, an' he 
 promised to go with them, I s'pose." 
 
 " But I don't believe Abner would ; he'd keep 
 his promise after he made it." 
 
 While they were talking they had gone out 
 of the tent, and Ben started at once towards the 
 crowd around the wagon, for he knew there was 
 no reason why so many men should be there 
 when they had work to do elsewhere. 
 
 " Did you go over there to see what was up ?" 
 asked the old driver. 
 
 " No, I thought they were getting ready to 
 start, an' I could see Abner wasn't there." 
 
 " Something's the matter," muttered the old 
 man, as he quickened his pace, and Toby, alarmed 
 by the look on his friend's face, hurried on, hard- 
 ly daring to breathe. 
 
 One look into the wagon around which the 
 men were gathered was sufficient to show why 
 it was that Abner had not remained by the tent 
 as he had promised ; for he lay in the bottom of
 
 148 Mr. Stubbs's Brother, 
 
 the cart, to all appearances dead, while two of 
 the party were examining him to learn the ex- 
 tent of his injuries. 
 
 " What is the matter ? How did this boy get 
 hurt ?" asked Ben, sternly, as he leaped upon the 
 wagon, and laid his hand over the injured boy's 
 heart. 
 
 " He was standing there close by the guy 
 ropes when we were getting ready to let the 
 canvas down. One of the side poles fell an<? 
 struck him on the head, or shoulder, I don't 
 know which," replied a man. 
 
 " It struck him here pn the back of the neck," 
 said one of those who were examining the boy, 
 as he turned him half over to expose an ugly- 
 looking wound around which the blood was rap- 
 idly settling. " It's a wonder it didn't kill him." 
 
 " He hain't dead, is he ?" asked Toby, piteously, 
 as he climbed up on one of the wheels and looked 
 over in a frightened way at the little deformed 
 body that lay so still and lifeless.
 
 Mr. StubbJs Brother. 1 5 1 
 
 " No, he hain't dead," said Ben, who had de- 
 tected a faint pulsation of the heart ; " but why 
 didn't some of you send for a doctor when it first 
 happened ?" 
 
 " We did," replied one of the men. " Some of 
 the village boys were here, and we started them 
 right off." 
 
 Almost as the man spoke, Dr. Abbott, one of 
 the physicians of the town, drove up and made 
 his way through the crowd. 
 
 Toby, too much alarmed to speak, watched the 
 doctor's every movement as he made an examina- 
 tion of the wounded boy, and listened to the ac- 
 counts the men gave of the way in which the 
 accident had happened. 
 
 " His injuries are not necessarily fatal, but 
 they are very dangerous. He lives at the poor- 
 farm, and should be taken there at once," said 
 the doctor after he had made a slight and almost 
 careless examination. 
 
 Toby was anxious that the poor boy should
 
 152 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 be taken to his home rather than to the comfort- 
 less place the doctor had proposed; but he did 
 not dare make the suggestion before asking Uncle 
 Daniel's consent to it. He was about to ask them 
 not to move Abner until he could find his uncle, 
 when Ben whispered something to the doctor that 
 caused him to look at the old driver in surprise. 
 
 " I'll ask Uncle Dan'l to take him home with 
 us," said Toby as he slipped down from his high 
 perch and started towards the tent. 
 
 " I'll take care of that," said Ben as he went 
 towards the tent with him. " I had just fixed it 
 with your uncle so's he'd take Abner from the 
 poor-farm an' board him, an' now there's all the 
 more reason why he should do it. You go back 
 an' stay with Abner, an' I'll bring your Uncle 
 Dan'l out." 
 
 Then Toby went back to the wagon where the 
 poor little cripple still lay as one dead, while the 
 blood flowed in a tiny stream from one of his 
 arms, where the physician had opened a vein.
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 153 
 
 Not understanding the reason for this blood- 
 letting, and supposing that tbe crimson flow was 
 due to the injuries Abner had received, Toby 
 cried out in his fear ; but one of the men ex- 
 plained the case to him, and then he waited as 
 patiently as possible for the driver's return. 
 
 Both Uncle Daniel and Aunt Olive came out 
 with Ben, and within a very few moments Abner 
 was being carried to the farm-house, in the same 
 wagon that had taken him there before in com- 
 pany with the skeleton and his party, for that 
 famous dinner. 
 
 It frightened Toby still more to see the uncon- 
 scious boy carried into the house by Ben and the 
 doctor as though he were already dead ; and when 
 Aunt Olive led them into the best room, where 
 no one had slept since Uncle Daniel's sister died, 
 it seemed as if every one believed Abner could 
 not live, or they would not have carried him 
 there. 
 
 Toby hardly knew when Ben went away, or
 
 154 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 whether he said anything before he left, or, in 
 fact, anything else, so sad and confused was he. 
 He did not even think about Mr. Stubbs's broth- 
 er, but remained in one corner of the room, al- 
 most hidden by one of the flowing chintz cur- 
 tains, until Uncle Daniel heard him sobbing, and 
 led him away to his room. 
 
 " There is good reason to hope Abner will re- 
 cover," said the old man as he stroked Toby's 
 hair ; " but he is in the keeping of the One who 
 never errs, and whatsoever He does is good." 
 
 Then Uncle Daniel actually kissed the boy, 
 as he told him to go to bed and go to sleep. 
 Toby went to bed as he was commanded, though 
 it seemed impossible he should sleep while it 
 might be that Abner was dying.
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 CHANGE OF PLANS. 
 
 TOBY was thoroughly surprised, when he awoke, 
 to find that it was morning, and that his slum- 
 ber had been as sweet as if nothing had hap- 
 pened. He dressed himself as quickly as pos- 
 sible, and ran down-stairs, and Uncle Daniel told 
 him the doctor had just left, after saying he 
 thought Abner would recover. 
 
 It was a sad visit Toby paid Mr. Stubbs's 
 brother that morning ; and, as he petted him, the 
 tears came into his eyes when he thought of poor 
 Abner, until he was obliged to leave the monkey 
 to himself, after having tied him so that he could 
 take a short run out of doors. 
 
 Then he visited the ponies in the stable, and
 
 156 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 when he returned to the house he found all his 
 partners in the circus enterprise, as well as sev- 
 eral other boys, waiting to hear an account of the 
 accident. 
 
 Dr. Abbott had reported that Abner had been 
 injured ; but, as he had not given any particulars, 
 the villagers were in a state of anxious uncer- 
 tainty regarding it. 
 
 After Toby had told them all he knew about 
 the matter, and had allowed them to see the 
 monkey and the ponies, which some of them 
 seemed to regard as of more importance than the 
 injured boy, Bob asked : 
 
 " Well, now what about our circus ?" 
 
 " Why, we can't do anything on that till Ab- 
 ner gets well," said Toby, as if surprised that the 
 matter should even be spoken about. 
 
 " Why not ? He wasn't goin' to do any of the 
 ridin', an' now's the time for us to go ahead while 
 we can remember what they did at the show 
 yesterday. It don't make any difference 'bout
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 1 5 7 
 
 our circus if he did get hurt," and Bob looked 
 around at the others as if asking whether they 
 agreed with him or not. 
 
 " I think we ought to wait till he gets better," 
 said Joe, " 'cause he was goin' in with us, an' it 
 don't seem jest fair to have the show when he's 
 so sick." 
 
 " That's foolish," said Ben, with a sneer. " If 
 he hadn't come up to the pasture the other day, 
 you wouldn't thought anything 'bout him, an' 
 he'd been out to the poor-farm where he be- 
 longs." 
 
 " If he hadn't come up there," said Toby, " I'd 
 never known how lonesome he was, an' I'd gone 
 right on havin' a good time without ever once 
 thinkin' of him. An' if he hadn't come up there, 
 perhaps he wouldn't got hurt, an' it seems almost 
 as if I'd done it to him, 'cause I took him to the 
 
 circus." 
 
 " Don't make a fool of yourself, Toby Tyler!" 
 and Ben Gushing spoke almost angrily. "You
 
 158 Mr. StubbJs Brother. 
 
 act awful silly 'bout that feller, an' father says 
 he's only a pauper anyway." 
 
 " It wouldn't make any difference if he was, 
 'cause he's a poor lonesome cripple ; but he hain't 
 a pauper, for old Ben's goin' to take care of him, 
 an' he pays Uncle Dan'l for lettin' him stay here." 
 
 This news was indeed surprising to the boys, 
 and as they fully realized that Abner was under 
 the protection of a " circus man," he rose consid- 
 erably in their estimation. 
 
 They were anxious to know all about the mat- 
 ter, and when Toby told them all he could, they 
 looked at the case in such an entirely different 
 light that Ben Gushing even offered to go out in 
 the field, where he could be seen from the win- 
 dows of the room in which Abner lay, and go 
 through his entire acrobatic performance in the 
 hope the sight might do the invalid some good. 
 Leander Leighton also offered to come twice each 
 day and play " Yankee Doodle " with one finger 
 on the accordion, in order to soothe him.
 
 Mr. Stubbs s Brother. 159 
 
 But Toby thought it best to decline both these 
 generous offers ; he was glad they had been made, 
 but would have been much better pleased if they 
 had come while it was still believed Abner's only 
 home was at the poorhouse. 
 
 When the boys went away, Toby pleaded so 
 hard that Aunt Olive consented to his sitting in 
 the chamber where Abner lay, with the agree- 
 ment that he should make no noise ; and there 
 he remained nearly all the day, as still as any 
 mouse, watching the pale face on which death 
 seemed already to have set its imprint. 
 
 Each day for two weeks Toby remained on 
 watch, leaving the room only when it was neces- 
 sary, and he was at last rewarded by hearing 
 Abner call him by name. 
 
 After that, Aunt Olive allowed the two boys to 
 talk a little, and a few days later Mr. Stubbs's 
 brother was brought in to pay his respects to 
 the invalid. 
 
 Many times during Abner's illness had the
 
 160 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 boys been up to learn how he was getting on, 
 and to try to persuade Toby to commence again 
 the preparations for the circus ; but he had stead- 
 ily refused to proceed further in the matter 
 until Abner could at least play the part of spec- 
 tator. 
 
 Uncle Daniel had had several letters from Ben 
 inquiring about Abner's condition; and as each 
 one contained money, some of which had been 
 sent by the skeleton and his wife to "Toby Ty- 
 ler's friend," the sick boy had wanted for noth- 
 ing. Ben had also written that he had gained 
 the consent of the proprietors of the circus to 
 have the ponies driven for Abner's benefit, and 
 had sent a dainty little carriage and harnesses so 
 that he could ride out as soon as he was able. 
 
 Chandler Merrill had grown tired of waiting 
 for his pony, and had taken him from the pasture, 
 while Reddy had long since returned the blind 
 horse to its owner. 
 
 But during all these five weeks the work had
 
 "MR. STUBBS'S BROTHER WAS BROUGHT IN."
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 163 
 
 gone slowly but steadily on circusward. Lean- 
 der had become so expert a musician on the ac- 
 cordion, that he could play "Yankee Doodle" 
 with all his fingers, "Old Hundred" with two; 
 and was fast mastering the intricacies of "Old 
 Dog Tray." 
 
 As to Ben Gushing, it would be hard to say 
 exactly how much progress he had made, the re- 
 ports differed so much. He claimed to be able 
 to turn hand -springs around the largest circus 
 ring that was ever made, and to stand on his 
 head for a week ; but some of the boys who were 
 not partners in the enterprise flatly contradict- 
 ed this, and declared that they could do as many 
 feats in the acrobatic line as he could. 
 
 Joe Robinson had practised howling until 
 Keddy insisted that there was little or no differ- 
 ence between him and the fiercest and strongest- 
 lunged hyena that ever walked. Bob could sing 
 the two songs his sister had taught him, and 
 had written out twelve copies of them in order
 
 1 64 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 to have a good stock to sell from; but Leander 
 predicted that he would not be able to dispose 
 of many, because one was the " Suwanee River, 71 
 and the other "A Poor Wayfaring Man," the 
 words of which any boy could get by consulting 
 an old music- book. 
 
 Reddy had made a remarkably large whip, 
 which he could snap once out of every three at- 
 tempts, and not hit himself on the head more 
 than once out of five. 
 
 Thus the circus project was as promising as 
 ever, and Abner, as well as the other partners, 
 had urged Toby to take hold of it again ; but he 
 had made no promises until the day came when 
 Aboer was able to sit up, and Dr. Abbott said 
 that he could go out for a ride in another week, 
 if he still continued to improve. 
 
 Then it was that Toby told his partners he 
 would meet them on the first day Abner went out 
 for a ride, and tell them when he would take up 
 the circus work again, which made every one
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 165 
 
 more anxious than ever to see the poor-farm boy 
 out of doors. 
 
 From the time when the tiny little carriage 
 and the two sets of harness glistening with silver 
 had come, Toby had been anxious for a drive with 
 the ponies ; but he had resolutely refused to use 
 them until Abner could go with him, although 
 Uncle Daniel had told him he could try them 
 whenever he wished. He had waited for his 
 other pleasures until Abner could join him, and 
 he insisted on waiting for this one. One day, 
 when Aunt Olive spoke to him about it, he said : 
 
 " If I was sick, an' had such a team sent to me, 
 I'd feel kinder bad to have some other boy using 
 it, an' so I'm goin' to let Abner be the first one to 
 go out with the ponies." 
 
 It was hard not even to get into the little 
 carriage that was so carefully covered with a 
 white cloth in the stable ; but Toby resisted the 
 temptation, and when at last the day did come 
 that Aunt Olive and Uncle Daniel helped the
 
 1 66 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 sick boy down-stairs, and lifted him into the pret- 
 tiest little pony carriage ever seen in Guilford, he 
 felt amply rewarded for his denial. 
 
 They drove all over the town, stopping now 
 and then to speak with some of their friends, or 
 to answer questions as to Abner's health; and 
 when it was nearly time to return home Toby 
 turned the ponies' heads towards the pasture, 
 where he knew his partners were waiting for him 
 according to agreement. 
 
 " We'll go on with the circus now," he said to 
 Abner, " for I can take you with me in this team, 
 an' you can stay in it all the time we're practising 
 so's it'll be 'most as good as if you could do some- 
 thing towards it yourself." 
 
 Abner was quietly happy ; the tender, thought- 
 ful care that had been bestowed upon him since 
 his mishap had been such as, in his mind at least, 
 repaid him for all the pain. 
 
 " I hope you will have it," he said, earnestly, 
 " for, even if I can't be with you all the time, 1 
 won't feel as if I was keepin' you from it"
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 167 
 
 Then he put his hand in a loving way on Toby's 
 cheek, and the " boss of the circus" felt fully re- 
 paid for having waited for his pleasure. 
 
 At the pasture all the partners were gathered, 
 for Toby had promised to tell them when he 
 would begin operations; and as he drove the 
 ponies up to the bars, he shouted : 
 
 "Abner an' me will be up here about nine 
 o'clock to - morrow mornin', an' we'll bring Mr. 
 Stubbs's brother with us." 
 
 There was a mighty shout, and Ben Gushing 
 stood on his head, when this announcement was 
 made, and then Toby and Abner drove home as 
 quickly as their ponies could scamper.
 
 CHAPTER XIL 
 
 A REHEARSAL. 
 
 Toby told Uncle Daniel that night of 
 their intention to go on with the work of the 
 long-delayed circus, and that Abner was to ride 
 up to the pasture where he could see everything 
 that was going on, the old gentleman shook his 
 head doubtingly, as if he feared the consequences 
 to the invalid, who appeared very much exhaust- 
 ed even by the short ride he had taken. 
 
 Abner, interpreting Uncle Daniel's shake of 
 the head the same way Toby did, pleaded hard 
 to be allowed to go, insisting that he would be 
 no more tired sitting in the little carriage than 
 he would in a chair at home; and Aunt Olive 
 joined in the boys' entreaty, promising to arrange
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 169 
 
 the pillows in such a manner that Abner could 
 lie down or sit up, as best suited him. 
 
 " We'll see what the doctor has to say about 
 it," replied Uncle Daniel, and, with much anxiety, 
 the boys awaited the physician's coming. 
 
 " Go ? Why, of course he can go, and it will 
 do him good to be out of doors," said the medical 
 gentleman when he made his regular afternoon 
 visit and Uncle Daniel laid the case before him. 
 
 Toby insisted on bringing Mr. Stubbs's brother 
 into the invalid's room as a signal mark of re- 
 joicing at the victory the doctor had won for 
 them, and Abner was so delighted with the funny 
 pranks the monkey played that it would have 
 been difficult to tell by his face that the morn- 
 ing ride had tired him. 
 
 Mr. Stubbs's brother was quite as mischievous 
 as a monkey could be; he capered around the 
 room, picking at this thing and looking into that, 
 until Aunt Olive laughed herself tired, and Uncle 
 Daniel declared that if the other monkey was
 
 1 70 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 
 
 anything like this one, Toby was right when he 
 named him Steve Stubbs, so much did he resemble 
 that gentleman in inquisitiveness. 
 
 The day had been so exciting to the boy who 
 had been confined to one room for several weeks, 
 that he was quite ready to go to bed when Aunt 
 Olive suggested it; and Toby went about his 
 evening's work with a lighter heart than he had 
 had since the night he found his crippled friend 
 lying so still and death-like in the circus wagon. 
 
 The next morning Toby was up some time be- 
 fore the sun peeped in through the crevices of 
 Uncle Daniel's barn to awaken the cows, and he 
 groomed the tiny ponies till their coats shone like 
 satin. The carriage was washed until every por- 
 tion of it reflected one's face like a mirror, and 
 the harnesses with their silver mountings were 
 free from the slightest suspicion of dirt. 
 
 Then after the cows had been driven to the 
 pasture Mr. Stubbs's brother was treated to a 
 bath, and was brushed and combed until, losing
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 171 
 
 all patience at such foolishness, he escaped from 
 his too cleanly-disposed master, taking refuge on 
 the top of the shed, where he chattered and scold- 
 ed at a furious rate as he tried to explain that 
 he had no idea of coming down until the curry- 
 comb and brush had been put away. 
 
 But when the pony team was driven up to the 
 door, and Toby decorated the bridles of the lit- 
 tle horses with some of Aunt Olive's roses, Mr. 
 Stubbs's brother came down from his high perch, 
 and picked some of the flowers for himself, put- 
 ting them over his ears to imitate the ponies; 
 then he gravely seated himself in the carnage, 
 and Toby had no difficulty in fastening the cord 
 to his collar again. 
 
 Aunt Olive nearly filled the little carriage with 
 pillows so soft that a very small boy would al- 
 most have sunk out of sight in them ; and in the 
 midst of these Abner was placed carefully, look- 
 ing for all the world, as Toby said, like a chicken 
 in a nest.
 
 172 Mr. Stubbs s Brother. 
 
 Mr. Stubbs's brother was fastened in the front 
 in such a way that his head came just above the 
 dash-board, over which he looked in the most 
 comical manner possible. 
 
 Then Toby squeezed in on one side, declaring 
 he had plenty of room, although there was not 
 more than three square inches of space left on 
 the seat, and even a portion of that was occu- 
 pied by a fan and some other things Aunt Olive 
 had put in for Abner's use. 
 
 Both the boys were in the highest possible 
 state of happiness, and Abner was tucked in un- 
 til he could hardly have been shaken had he 
 been in a cart instead of a carriage with springs. 
 
 "Be sure to keep Abner in the shade, and 
 come home just as soon as he begins to grow 
 tired," cried Aunt Olive as Toby spoke to the 
 ponies, and they dashed off like a couple of well- 
 trained Newfoundland dogs. 
 
 " I'll take care of him like he was wax," cried 
 Toby as they drove out through the gateway,
 
 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 1 73 
 
 and Mr. Stubbs's brother screamed and chattered 
 with delight, while Abner lay back restful and 
 happy. 
 
 It was just the kind of a morning for a ride, 
 and Abner appeared to enjoy it so much that 
 Toby turned the little steeds in the direction of 
 the village, driving fully a mile before going to 
 the pasture. 
 
 When they did arrive at the place where the 
 first rehearsal was to be held, they found the 
 partners gathered in full force ; and, although it 
 was not even then nine o'clock, they had evident- 
 ly been there some time. 
 
 Joe Robinson ran to let the bars down, while 
 the ponies pranced into the field as if they knew 
 they were the objects of admiration from all that 
 party, and they shook their tiny heads until the 
 petals fell from the roses in a shower upon the 
 grass. 
 
 Mr. Stubbs's brother stood as erect as pos- 
 sible, and was so excited by the cheers of the
 
 j 74 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 boys that he seized the flowers he had tucked 
 over his ears, and flung them at the party in 
 great glee. 
 
 The carriage was driven into the shade cast 
 by the alders ; the ponies were unharnessed, and 
 fastened where they could have a feast of grass ; 
 and Toby was ready for business, or thought he 
 was. But, just as he was about to consult with 
 his partners, a scream from both Abner and the 
 monkey caused him to turn towards the carriage 
 quickly. 
 
 From the moment they had entered the past- 
 ure, Mr. Stubbs's brother had shown the greatest 
 desire to be free; and when he saw his master 
 walking away, while he was still a prisoner, he 
 made such efforts to release himself that he got 
 his body over the dash-board of the carriage, 
 and, when Toby looked, he was hanging there by 
 the neck as if he had just committed suicide. 
 
 Toby ran quickly to the relief of his pet ; and 
 when he had released him from his uncomfort-
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 177 
 
 able position, the other boys pleaded so hard 
 that Toby gave him his freedom, which he cele- 
 brated by scampering across the pasture on all 
 four paws, with his tail curled up over his back 
 like a big letter O. 
 
 It seemed very much as if Mr. Stubbs's brother 
 would break up the rehearsal, for he did look so 
 comical as he scampered around that all the part- 
 ners neglected their business to watch and laugh at 
 him, until Toby reminded them that he could not 
 stay there very long because of Abner's weakness. 
 
 Then Bob and Reddy straightened themselves 
 up in a manner befitting circus proprietors, and 
 began their work. 
 
 " Leander is goin' to commence the show by 
 playin' ' Yankee Doodle,' " said Bob, as he con- 
 sulted a few badly written words he had traced 
 on the back of one of his father's business cards, 
 " an' while he's doin' it Joe'll put in an' howl all 
 he knows how, for that's the way the hyenas did 
 at the last circus." 
 
 12
 
 178 Mr. Stubbs s Brother. 
 
 The entire programme was evidently to be car- 
 ried out that morning, for, as Bob spoke, Leander 
 marched with his accordion and a great deal of 
 dignity to a rock near where a line representing 
 the ring had been cut in the turf. 
 
 " Now you'll see how good he can do it," said 
 Bob, with no small amount of pride ; and Leander, 
 with his head held so high that it was almost im- 
 possible to see his instrument, struck one or two 
 notes as a prelude, while Joe took his station at a 
 point about as far distant from the ring as the 
 door of the tent would probably be. 
 
 Leander started with the first five or six notes 
 all right, and Joe began some of the most won- 
 derful howling ever heard, which appeared to dis- 
 concert the band, for he got entirely off the track 
 of his original tune, and mixed " Yankee Doodle " 
 with " Old Dog Tray " in the most reckless man- 
 ner, Joe howling the louder at every false note. 
 
 Almost every one in that pasture, save possi- 
 bly the performers themselves, was astonished at
 
 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 1 79 
 
 the din made by these two small boys ; and Mr. 
 Stubbs's brother, who had hung himself up on 
 a tree by his tail, dropped to his feet in the great- 
 est alarm, adding his chatter of fear to the gen- 
 eral confusion. 
 
 But the two performers were not to be daunted 
 by anything that could occur ; in fact, Joe felt 
 rather proud that his howling was so savage as to 
 frighten the monkey, and he increased his efforts 
 until his face was as red as a nicely boiled beet. 
 
 For fully five minutes the overture was con- 
 tinued ; then the band stopped and looked around 
 with an air of triumph, while Joe uttered two or 
 three more howls by way of effect, and to show 
 that he could have kept it up longer had it been 
 necessary. 
 
 " There ! what do you think of that ?" asked 
 Reddy, in delight. " You couldn't get much more 
 noise if you had a whole band, could you ?" 
 
 " It's a good deal of noise," said Toby, not feel- 
 ing quite at liberty to express exactly his views
 
 s8o Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 regarding the music ; " but what was it Leander 
 was playin' T 
 
 " I played two tunes," replied Leander, proud- 
 ly. " I can play ' Yankee Doodle ' with the whole 
 of one hand ; but I think it sounds better to play 
 that with iny thumb and two fingers, an' ' Old 
 Dog Tray ' with the other two fingers. You see, 
 I can give 'em both tunes at once that way." 
 
 The monkey went back to the tree as soon as 
 the noise had subsided ; but, from the way he 
 looked over his shoulder now and then, one could 
 fancy he was getting ready to run at the first 
 sign that it was to commence again. 
 
 " Didn't that sound like a whole cageful of 
 hyenas?" asked Joe, as he wiped the perspiration 
 from his face, and came towards his partners. 
 " I can keep that up about as long as Leander 
 can play, only it's awful hard work." 
 
 Toby had no doubt as to the truth of that 
 statement; but before he could make any reply, 
 Bob said:
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 181 
 
 " Now, this is where Ben comes in. He starts 
 the show, an' he ends it, an' I sing right after he 
 gets through turnin' hand-springs this first time. 
 Now, Leander, you start the music jest as soon as 
 Ben comes, an' keep it up till he gets through." 
 
 Ben was prepared for his portion of the work. 
 His trousers were belted tightly around his waist 
 by a very narrow leather belt, with an enormously 
 large buckle, and his shirt-sleeves were rolled up 
 as high as he could get them, in order to give full 
 play to his arms. 
 
 "He's been rubbin' goose-grease all over him 
 for as much as two weeks, an' he can bend almost 
 any way," whispered Reddy to Toby, as Ben stood 
 swinging his arms at the entrance to the ring, as 
 if limbering himself for the work to be done. 
 
 Leander started " Yankee Doodle " in slow and 
 solemn strains ; Ben gathered himself for a mighty 
 effort, and began to go around the ring in a series 
 of hand-springs in true acrobatic style.
 
 CHAPTER XLLL 
 
 THE RESULTS OF LONG TRAINING. 
 
 MR. STUBBS'S brother had been a close observer 
 of all that was going on, probably to guard against 
 another sudden fright such as the overture had 
 given him, and the moment Ben commenced to 
 revolve he leaped from the tree, running with full 
 speed towards the whirling acrobat. 
 
 Toby started to catch him, but the monkey 
 was too quick in his movements : before any one 
 could prevent him he had caught the revolving 
 boy by one leg, and for a few seconds it was dif- 
 ficult to tell which was Ben and which the mon- 
 key. 
 
 Of course such an interruption as that broke 
 up the performance for the time being, and Toby
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 183 
 
 was obliged to exert all his authority to disen- 
 tangle the monkey from the performer. 
 
 "I knew it wouldn't do to let him be loose," 
 said Toby, in a half- apologetic tone. " Now I'll 
 set here an' hold him while you commence over 
 again, Ben." 
 
 " Well, now, be sure you hold him," said Ben, 
 seriously, "for I don't want him to catch me 
 again when I'm goin' 'round so fast, for it hurts, 
 a feller to tumble the way he made me." 
 
 Bob offered to help hold the unruly monkey, 
 and, when he and Toby had taken a firm grip on 
 the collar, the music was started again, and Ben 
 recommenced his performance. 
 
 This time he got through with it in a highly 
 successful and creditable manner; he proved to 
 be a really good acrobat, so far as turning hand- 
 springs and standing on his head were concerned, 
 and Toby felt certain that this portion of the en- 
 tertainment would be pleasing. 
 
 Bob now went into the ring, and began to sing
 
 184 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 the " Suwanee River" in a manner which he in. 
 tended should captivate his audience; but he 
 had neglected to give the band any orders, and 
 the consequence was that, when he commenced 
 to sing, Leander began to play " Old Dog Tray," 
 a proceeding which mixed the musical matters 
 considerably. 
 
 "You mustn't do that, Leander," Bob said, 
 sharply, after he had done his best to sing the 
 band down, and failed in the attempt. " It won't 
 do for you to play one thing while I'm tryin' to 
 sing something else. Now, you be restin' while 
 I'm doin' my part." 
 
 Leander was so deeply interested in the enter- 
 prise that he was perfectly willing to keep on 
 playing without ever thinking of taking a rest ; 
 but in deference to Bob's wishes he ceased his 
 efforts, although he did venture to remark that 
 he noticed particularly, when the real circus was 
 there, that the band always played when the 
 clown sang.
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 185 
 
 Bob got along very well with his portion of 
 the rehearsal after the first mistake had been rec- 
 tified ; and when he finished he bowed gracefully 
 in response to the applause bestowed upon him. 
 
 " Now's the time when you come in, Toby," 
 said Bob ; " an' if you'll see how you can ride the 
 ponies, Joe'll run around the ring with 'em." 
 
 Toby was willing to do his share of the work, 
 and all the more so because he could see that 
 Abner, from his cosy seat under the bushes, was 
 deeply interested in all that was going on. 
 
 Joe got one of the ponies while Toby made his 
 preparations ; and after the little horse had been 
 led around the circle two or three times to show 
 what was expected of him, Toby got on his back. 
 This was Reddy's opportunity to act the part of 
 ring-master, and he seized his long whip, stand- 
 ing in the centre of the ring, in what he believed 
 to be the proper attitude. 
 
 " Run around with him till I tell you to let go," 
 said Toby, as he tied the reins together to form a
 
 1 86 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 bridle, and then stood on the pony's back as Mr 
 Castle had taught him to do. 
 
 There was so great a difference between the 
 motion of this horse and that of the one owned 
 by Mr. Douglass, that Toby began to understand 
 it might be quite as necessary to train the animal 
 as its rider. 
 
 Owing to his lack of practice he was a little 
 clumsy; but after one or two attempts he went 
 around the ring standing on one foot, almost 
 as well as he had done it when with Ella. 
 
 The boys, who had never seen Toby ride be- 
 fore, were thoroughly elated by the brief exhibi- 
 tion he gave them ; and .if he had done as they 
 wanted, he would have tired both himself and the 
 pony completely. 
 
 " I'll practise some, now Abner can come out," 
 said Toby, as he led his steed to a spot where 
 he could get more grass, but neglected to fasten 
 him ; " an' I wouldn't wonder if I could ride two 
 at once, after a little while."
 
 Mr. Studdss Brother. 187 
 
 His partners in the enterprise were more than 
 delighted with their rider, and they already began 
 to believe they should have such a circus as 
 would, in some points, eclipse the real one that 
 had lately visited the town. 
 
 After the excitement caused by Toby's riding 
 had in a measure died away, Ben continued with 
 his feats according to the programme, and then 
 Bob commenced his second song. 
 
 The audience of partners were listening to it 
 intently, the more because it seemed to them that 
 Bob had made a mistake as to the tune, and they 
 were anxious to see what he was going to do 
 about it when the pony Toby had been riding 
 suddenly dashed into the ring, with what looked 
 very like a boy on his back. 
 
 The partners were amazed at this interruption, 
 and Bob continued to sound the note he was 
 wrestling with when he first saw the pony com- 
 ing towards him, until it ended almost in a shriek. 
 
 "Who is it?" cried Joe, as the pony dashed
 
 1 88 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 
 
 across the pasture, urged to full speed by its rider, 
 and in an instant more all saw a long curling tail, 
 which showed unmistakably who the culprit was. 
 
 "It's Mr. Stubbs's brother!" cried Toby, in 
 alarm, " and how shall we catch him ?" 
 
 It was, indeed, the monkey, and during the next 
 ten minutes it seemed to the boys that they ran 
 over every square foot of that pasture, scaring the 
 cows and tiring themselves, until the frightened 
 little horse was penned up in one corner, and his 
 disagreeable rider was taken from him. 
 
 This last act of the rehearsal had occupied so 
 much time, and the monkey was making himself 
 so troublesome, that Toby decided to go home, 
 the others promising to come to Uncle Daniel's 
 barn that afternoon, when Reddy was to explain 
 how the tent was to be procured, a matter which, 
 up to this time, he had kept a profound secret 
 from all but Bob. 
 
 Short as the time spent at the rehearsal seemed 
 to the boys, it was considerably too long for one
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 1 89 
 
 in Abner's weak condition, as was evident from 
 his face when Aunt Olive carne to the door to 
 help him out of the carriage. 
 
 He seemed thoroughly exhausted, and, as soon 
 as he got into the house, asked to be allowed to lie 
 down a confession of weakness that gave Aunt 
 Olive a great deal of uneasiness, because she con- 
 sidered herself in a great measure responsible for 
 the ride and its results, as she had urged Abner 
 to go before the doctor's advice had been heard 
 in the matter. 
 
 Toby's fears regarding the invalid were always 
 reflections of Aunt Olive's ; but when he saw Ab- 
 ner go to sleep so quickly, he thought she was 
 alarmed without cause, and believed his friend 
 would be quite himself as soon as he should 
 awaken. 
 
 Dinner-time came and passed, and Abner was 
 still sleeping sweetly. Therefore Toby could see 
 no reason why he should not join his partners, 
 whom he saw going into the barn before dinner 
 was over.
 
 1 90 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 " The boys have come up to see 'bout the tent," 
 he said to Aunt Olive, "an' I'm goin' out to the 
 barn, where they're waitin' for me. Will you call 
 me when Abner wakes up ?" 
 
 Aunt Olive promised that he should be inform- 
 ed as soon as the sick boy could see him, and 
 Toby joined his partners with never a fear but 
 that Abner would soon be able to participate in 
 all his sports. 
 
 .That the boys had come to Uncle Daniel's barn 
 on very serious business was evident from their 
 faces, and the two large packages they brought. 
 
 Two rolls of what looked to be sail-cloth were 
 lying on the barn floor, and around them Bob, 
 Reddy, Joe, Ben, and Leander were seated with a 
 look on their faces that was very nearly a troub- 
 led one. 
 
 " What's them ?" asked Toby, in surprise, as he 
 pointed to the bundles. 
 
 " The tent," and Reddy gave a big sigh as he 
 spoke.
 
 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 191 
 
 " What, have you got two ?" asked Toby, a look 
 of glad surprise showing itself on his face. 
 
 Reddy shook his head. 
 
 " What's the matter ? If there hain't two tents 
 here, what makes the two bundles ?" And Toby 
 was almost impatient because he could not under- 
 stand the matter. 
 
 " Well, you see, this is just how it is," said 
 Reddy, as he began to untie the fastenings from 
 the rolls of canvas. " When I told you I could 
 get a tent, I'd asked Captain Whetmore to lend 
 me two of the sails what he took off his schooner, 
 an' he told me yes." 
 
 " An' you've got 'em, haven't you ?" and Toby 
 looked meaningly at the canvas. 
 
 "Yes, we've got 'em," replied Joe ; " but now we 
 don't know how to fix 'em, 'cause you see we've 
 got to put 'em up like a roof, an' we hain't got 
 anything for the ends." 
 
 Reddy had planned to use each of the sails as 
 a side to the tent, fastening them along the top to
 
 192 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 a ridge-pole ; and it had never occurred to him, in 
 all the time he had had to think the matter over, 
 that as yet he had nothing with which to form 
 the ends. 
 
 It was a question that puzzled the boys greatly, 
 and caused their faces to grow very long, until 
 Toby said: 
 
 "I'll tell you how we can fix one end. We 
 can put it right up against the barn, where the 
 little door is, an' then we can have the stalls for 
 a dressin'-room." 
 
 The faces of the partners lightened at once, 
 and each wondered why he had not thought of 
 such a plan. 
 
 " An' I'll tell you how we could fix the other 
 end," said Toby quickly, as another happy thought 
 presented itself. " If Mr. Mansfield would lend 
 us his big flag, it would jest do it." 
 
 " That's the very thing, an' I'll go an' ask him 
 now;" and Bob started out of the barn at full 
 speed, while Reddy, now that the important ques-
 
 'Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 195 
 
 tion was settled, displayed great alacrity in unroll- 
 ing his treasures. 
 
 The sails were not in a remarkable state of 
 preservation, or Captain Whetmore would not 
 have taken them from his vessel ; but Reddy ex- 
 plained that the holes could be closed up by 
 pasting paper over them, or by each boy borrow- 
 ing a sheet from his mother and pinning it up 
 underneath. 
 
 One of the sails was considerably larger than 
 the other; but Reddy had also thought of this, 
 and proposed to make them look the same size 
 by " tucking one in " at the end. 
 
 Bob returned before the sails had been thor- 
 oughly inspected, and brought with him the cov- 
 eted flag, thus showing he had been successful in 
 his mission. 
 
 " Now let's put it right up, an' then we can 
 build our ring, an' do our practisin' there instead 
 of goin' up to the pasture," suggested Ben. 
 
 Since there was no reason why this should not
 
 196 Mr. Stubbss BrotJier. 
 
 be done, Bob and Ben started for the woods to 
 cut some young trees with which to make a ridge- 
 pole and posts, while the others carried the can- 
 vas out-of-doors, and made calculations as to where 
 and how it should be put up. 
 
 When they commenced work, they had no idea 
 but that it would be completed before supper- 
 time ; but when the village clock struck the hour 
 of five, they had not finished making the necessary 
 poles and pegs. 
 
 " We can't come anywhere near getting it done 
 to-night," said Toby, surprised at the lateness of 
 the hour, and wondering why Aunt Olive had not 
 called him as she had promised. " Let's put the 
 sails back in the barn, an' to-morrow mornin' we 
 can begin early, an' have it all done by noon." 
 
 There was no hope that they could complete 
 the work that night. Therefore Toby's advice 
 was followed; and when the partners separated, 
 each promised to be ready for work early the 
 next morning.
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 RAISING THE TENT. 
 
 TOBY went into the house, feeling rather un- 
 easy because he had not been called; but when 
 Aunt Olive told him that Abner had aroused 
 from his slumber but twice, and then only for a 
 moment, he had no idea of being worried about 
 his friend, although he did think it a little singu- 
 lar he should sleep so long. 
 
 That evening Dr. Abbot called again, although 
 he had been there once before that day; and 
 when Toby saw how troubled Uncle Daniel 
 and Aunt Olive looked after he had gone, he 
 asked ; 
 
 " You don't think Abner is goin' to be sick, do 
 you?"
 
 198 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 Uncle Daniel made no reply, and Aunt Olive 
 did not speak for some moments ; then she said : 
 
 " I am afraid he stayed out too long this morn- 
 ning; but the doctor hopes he will be better to- 
 
 morrow." 
 
 If Toby had not been so busily engaged plan- 
 ning for Abner to see the work next day, he 
 would have noticed that the sick boy was not 
 left alone for more than a few moments at a 
 time, and that both Uncle Daniel and Aunt Olive 
 seemed to have agreed not to say anything dis- 
 couraging to him regarding his friend's illness. 
 
 When he went to bed that night, he fancied 
 Uncle Daniel's voice trembled, as he said : 
 
 "May the good God guard and spare you to 
 me, Toby, boy ;" but he gave no particular thought 
 to the matter, and the sandman threw dust in his 
 eyes very soon after his head was on the pillow. 
 
 In the morning his first question was regard- 
 ing Abner, and then he was told that his friend 
 was not nearly so well as he had been; Aunt
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 199 
 
 Olive even said that Toby had better not go into 
 the sick-room, for fear of disturbing the invalid. 
 
 " Go on with your play by yourself, Toby, boy, 
 and that will be a great deal better than trying 
 to have Abner join you, until he is much better," 
 said Uncle Daniel, kindly. 
 
 " But hain't he goin' to have a ride this morn- 
 in'?" 
 
 " No, he is not well enough to get up. You 
 go on building your tent, and you will be so near 
 the house that you can be called at any moment, 
 if Abner asks for you." 
 
 Toby was considerably disturbed by the fact 
 that he was not allowed to see his friend, and by 
 the way Uncle Daniel spoke ; but he went out to 
 the barn where his partners were already wait- 
 ing for him, feeling all the more sad now because 
 of his elation the day before. 
 
 He had no heart for the work, and, after tell- 
 ing the boys that Abner was sick again, proposed 
 to postpone operations until he should get bet-
 
 2OO Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 ter ; but they insisted that as they were so near 
 the house, it would be as well to go on with the 
 work as to remain idle, and Toby could offer no 
 argument to the contrary. 
 
 Although he did quite as much towards the 
 putting-up of the tent as the others did, it was 
 plain to be seen that he had lost his interest in 
 anything of the kind, and at least once every half- 
 hour he ran into the house to learn how the sick 
 boy was getting on. 
 
 All of Aunt Olive's replies were the same : Ab- 
 ner slept a good portion of the time, and during 
 the few moments he was awake said nothing, 
 except in answer to questions. He did not com- 
 plain of any pain, nor did he appear to take any 
 notice of what was going on around him. 
 
 " I think it's because he got all tired out yes- 
 terday, an' that he'll be himself again to-morrow," 
 said Aunt Olive, after Toby had come in for at 
 least the sixth time, and she saw how worried he 
 was.
 
 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 201 
 
 r 
 
 This hopeful remark restored Toby to some- 
 thing very near his usual good spirits ; and when 
 he went back to his work after that, his partners 
 were pleased to see him take more interest in 
 what was going on. 
 
 The tent was up firmly enough to resist any 
 moderate amount of wind, but it did not look 
 quite so neat as it would have done had it not 
 been necessary to perform the operation of " tuck- 
 ing in" one end, which made that side hang in 
 folds that were by no means a pleasing addition 
 to the general appearance. 
 
 The small door of the barn, over which the 
 tent was placed, served instead of a curtain to 
 their dressing - room ; and at one side of it, on 
 an upturned barrel, arrangements were made for 
 a band-stand. 
 
 Mr. Mansfield's flag covered the one end com- 
 pletely, and all the boys thought it gave a better 
 appearance to the whole than if they had made 
 it wholly of canvas.
 
 2O2 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 The ring, which Reddy marked out almost be- 
 fore the tent was up, occupied nearly the whole 
 of the interior ; but since they did not intend to 
 have any seats for their audience, it was thought 
 there would be plenty of room for all who would 
 come to see them. The main point was to have 
 the ring, and to have it as nearly like that of a 
 regular circus as possible, while the audience 
 could be trusted to take care of itself. 
 
 The animals to be exhibited were to be placed 
 in small cages at each corner. Reddy had at 
 first insisted that each cage should be on a cart 
 to make it look well ; but he gave up that idea 
 when Bob pointed out to him that six mice or 
 two squirrels would make rather a small show 
 in a wagon, and that they would be obliged to 
 enlarge their tent if they carried out that plan, 
 even provided they could get the necessary 
 number of carts, which was very doubtful. 
 
 In the matter of getting sheets from their 
 toothers they had not been as successful as they
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 203 
 
 had anticipated. No one of the ladies who had 
 been spoken to on the subject was willing to 
 have her bed-linen decorating the interior of a 
 circus -tent, even though the show was to be 
 only a little one for three cents. 
 
 Reddy was quite sure he could mend one or 
 two of the largest holes if he had a darning-needle 
 and some twine ; but after he got both from Aunt 
 Olive, and stuck the needle twice in his own 
 hand, once in Joe Robinson's, and then broke it, 
 he concluded that it would be just as well to 
 paste brown paper over the holes. 
 
 It was a hard job to dig the ground up in 
 order to make as large a ring as the boys had 
 marked out, but by persistent work it was ac- 
 complished, as almost everything can be; and 
 then Ben went to practising, in order that he 
 might, as he expressed it, " get the hang of the 
 thing." 
 
 Of course, the fact that a tent had been put up 
 by the side of Uncle Daniel's barn was soon
 
 204 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 
 
 known to every boy in the village, and the rush 
 of visitors that afternoon was so great that Joe 
 was obliged to begin his duties as door-keeper in 
 advance, in order to keep back the crowd. 
 
 The number of questions asked by each boy 
 who arrived kept Joe so busy answering them 
 that, after every one in town knew exactly what 
 was going on, Reddy hit upon the happy plan of 
 getting a large piece of paper, and painting on it 
 an announcement of their exhibition. 
 
 It was while he was absent in search of the 
 necessary materials with which to carry out this 
 work that the finishing touches were put on the 
 interior ; and the partners were counting the num- 
 ber of hand-springs Ben could turn without stop- 
 ping, when a great shout arose from the visitors 
 outside, and the circus owners heard a pattering 
 and scratching on the canvas above their heads. 
 
 "Mr. Stubbs's brother has got loose, an' he's 
 tearin' round on the tent!" shouted Joe, as he 
 poked his head in through a hole in the flag, and
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 205 
 
 at the same time struggled to keep back a small 
 but bold boy with his foot. 
 
 Toby, followed by the other proprietors, rushed 
 out at this alarming bit of news, and, sure enough, 
 there was the monkey dancing around on the top 
 of the tent like a crazy person, while the rope with 
 which he had been tied dangled from his neck. 
 
 It seemed to Toby that no other monkey could 
 possibly behave half so badly as did Mr. Stubbs's 
 brother on that occasion. He danced back and 
 forth from one end of the tent to the other, as if 
 he had been a tight-rope performer giving a free 
 exhibition ; then he would sit down and try to 
 find out just how large a hole he could tear in 
 the tender canvas, until it seemed as if the tent 
 would certainly be a wreck before they could get 
 him down. 
 
 Toby coaxed and scolded, and scolded and coax- 
 ed, but all to no purpose. The monkey would 
 clamber down over the end of the tent as if he 
 were about to allow himself to be made a prisoner,
 
 206 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 
 
 and then, just as Toby was about to catch the rope, 
 he would spring upon the ridge-pole again, chatter- 
 ing with joy at the disappointment he had caused. 
 
 The visitors fairly roared with delight, and 
 even the proprietors, whose borrowed property 
 was being destroyed, could not help laughing at 
 times, although there was not one of them who 
 would not have enjoyed punishing Mr. Stubbs's 
 brother very severely. 
 
 " He'll break the whole show up if we don't get 
 him off," said Bob, as the monkey tore a larger hole 
 than he had yet made, and the crowd encouraged 
 him in his mischievous work by their wild cheers. 
 
 " I know it ; but how can we get him down V 
 asked Toby, in perplexity, knowing that it would 
 not be safe for any one of them to climb upon 
 the decayed canvas, even if there were a chance 
 that the monkey would wait for them to catch 
 him after they got there. 
 
 " Get a long pole, an' scrape him off," suggest- 
 ed Joe ; but Toby shook his head, for he knew
 
 MR. STUBB8S BROTHER MISBEHAVES HIMSELF.
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 209 
 
 that to " scrape" a monkey from such a place 
 would be an impossibility. 
 
 Bob had an idea that if he had a rope long 
 enough to make a lasso, he could get it around 
 the animal's neck and pull him down ; but just as 
 he set out to find the rope, Mr. Stubbs's brother 
 settled the matter himself. 
 
 He had torn one hole fully five inches long, 
 and commenced on another a short distance from 
 the first, when the thin fabric gave way, the two 
 rents were made one, and down fell Mr. Monkey, 
 only saved from falling to the ground by his chin 
 catching on the edges of the cloth. 
 
 There he hung, his little round head just show- 
 ing above the canvas, with a bewildered, and, at 
 the same time, discouraged look on his face. 
 
 Toby knew that it would be but a moment 
 before the monkey would get his paws out from 
 under the canvas, and thus extricate himself from 
 his uncomfortable position. Running quickly in- 
 side the tent, he seized Mr. Stubbs's brother by 
 
 U
 
 2IO 
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 his long tail, pulling him completely through, and 
 the mischievous pet was again a prisoner. 
 
 It was a great disappointment to the boys on 
 the outside when this portion of the circus was 
 hidden from view; but it was equally as great a 
 relief to the partners that the destruction of their 
 tent was at last averted. 
 
 After the excitement had nearly subsided, and 
 Toby was reading his pet a lesson on the sin of 
 destructiveness, Reddy arrived with the materials 
 for making his circus poster a sheet of brown 
 paper, a bottle of ink, and a brush made by 
 chewing the end of a pine stick. 
 
 He began his work at once. It was a long task, 
 but was at last accomplished, and when the part-, 
 ners went to their respective homes that night, the 
 following placard adorned one side of the tent :
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 STEALING DUCKS. 
 
 AFTER Toby had secured Mr. Stubbs's brother 
 so that he could not liberate himself, he ran into 
 the house to inquire for Abner. 
 
 The news this time was more encouraging, for 
 the sick boy had awakened thoroughly after his 
 long sleep, and had asked how the work on the 
 tent was getting on. Aunt Olive thought Toby 
 could see him, and, after promising that he would 
 not remain very long, or allow Abner to talk 
 much, he went up-stairs. 
 
 The crippled boy was lying in the bed bolster- 
 ed up with pillows, looking out of the window 
 that commanded a view of the tent, and evi- 
 dently puzzled to know whether the large sheet
 
 212 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 of brown paper which he saw on one side 
 there as an ornament, or to serve some useful 
 purpose. 
 
 Toby explained to him that it was the poster 
 Reddy had made, and then told him all that had 
 been done that day towards getting ready for 
 the great exhibition which was to dazzle the 
 good people of Guilford, as well as to bring in g 
 rich reward, in the way of money, to the managers. 
 
 Abner was so interested in the matter, and 
 seemed so bright and cheerful when he was talk- 
 ing about it, that Toby's fears regarding his ill- 
 ness were entirely dispelled ; he came to the con- 
 clusion that Abner had simply been tired, as Aunt 
 Olive had said, and that he would be better than 
 ever by morning. 
 
 This belief was strengthened by the doctor, 
 who came while Toby was still with his friend, 
 and who, in answer to a question, said, cheerily : 
 
 " Of course he'll be all light ; he may not be 
 quite smart enough to go out to-morrow, but be-
 
 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 213 
 
 fore the week is ended I'll guarantee that you'll 
 have hard work to keep him in the house." 
 
 Toby's heart was light again as he attended to 
 his evening's work ; and when he met Joe, on his 
 way to the pasture, he laid plans for the coming 
 exhibition with a greater zest than he had dis- 
 played since the matter was first spoken of. 
 
 Now that the tent was up, and Abner on the 
 sure and rapid road to recovery, Toby thought it 
 quite time that Mr. Stubbs's brother should be 
 taught to take some part in the performance. 
 Joe was of the same opinion, and they decided to 
 commence the education of the monkey that very 
 night, giving him two or three -lessons each day 
 until he should be thoroughly trained. 
 
 The cows were not exactly hurried on the way 
 home that night ; but they were not allowed to 
 loiter by the roadside when they saw particularly 
 tempting tufts of grass, and as soon as they were 
 in the barn Mr. Stubbs's brother was taken to the 
 tent.
 
 2 1 4 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 He was in anything rather than a good con- 
 dition for training, for he evidently remembered 
 his frolic of the afternoon, and was anxious to 
 repeat it. Toby thought he could be made to 
 leap through hoops as a beginning of his circus 
 education, and all the energies of the boys were 
 bent to the accomplishment of this. 
 
 But the monkey was either remarkably stupid 
 just then, or determined to take no part in the 
 show, for although Joe held the hoops until his 
 arms ached, and Toby coaxed and scolded till he 
 was hoarse, Mr. Stubbs's brother could not be 
 persuaded even to attempt to leap. 
 
 " It's no use to try any more to-night," said 
 Toby, impatiently, when it was nearly dark in- 
 side the tent, and his pet was showing signs of 
 anger. " We'll commence the first thing in the 
 mornin', an' I guess he'll do it." 
 
 " I'd whip him if I was you," said Joe, who was 
 thoroughly tired, and angry at the monkey's 
 obstinacy. "If you would give him a good 
 switchin', he'd know he'd got to do it."
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 215 
 
 "I wouldn't whip him if he never did any- 
 thing," said Toby, as he hugged his pet tightly, 
 almost as if he feared Joe might attempt, as one 
 of the partners in the enterprise, to whip the un- 
 willing performer. 
 
 " 'Tain't my monkey, so I hain't got nothin' to 
 say about it," and Joe was impatient now ; " but 
 if he was mine, I'll bet he'd do what I told 
 him to." 
 
 It seemed almost as if Mr. Stubbs's brother 
 knew what had been said about him, for he nes- 
 tled close to Toby, hiding his face on the boy's 
 neck in a way that would have prevented his 
 master from whipping him even if he had been 
 disposed so to do. 
 
 " We'll put him in the shed, an' I guess he'll 
 be good enough to - morrow," said Toby, cheer- 
 fully; and then, after fastening the flag in the 
 front of the tent in such a way that the wind 
 would be kept out, if nothing more, he and Joe 
 walked towards the house, discussing the ques
 
 2 1 6 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 tion of the kind of tickets they should use at the 
 show. 
 
 While they were yet some distance from the 
 wood -shed in which Mr. Stubbs's brother was 
 lodged, Aunt Olive called Toby to come quickly 
 to the house. 
 
 "You put him in the wood -shed, an' fasten 
 him in snug," said Toby, as he handed the mon- 
 key to Joe, and started for the house at full 
 
 speed. 
 * * 
 
 Now Joe knew perfectly well where Mr. 
 Stubbs's brother was kept ; but, as he had never 
 seen him put away for the night, he was uncer- 
 tain whether he should be tied there, or simply 
 shut in. It hardly seemed to him that Toby 
 would leave the monkey tied up by the neck all 
 night, so he set him up comfortably on a bench, 
 and carefully shut the door. 
 
 Toby had been called to go to the druggist's 
 for some medicine, and he came out of the house 
 in such haste, calling to Joe to follow him, that
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 217 
 
 nothing more was thought of the insecurely pris- 
 oned monkey. 
 
 When Toby returned, it was so late that Uncle 
 Daniel advised him to go to bed if he had any 
 desire to be " healthy, wealthy, and wise," and he 
 obeyed at once. 
 
 Positive that Abner was on the road to recov- 
 ery, sure that all his work had been done, and 
 with nothing to trouble him. it was not very long 
 that Toby lay awake after he was once in bed. 
 
 It seemed to him that he had been sleeping a 
 long while, when he was awakened by the sound 
 as of some one hunting around in his room; and, 
 before he had time to call out, the candle was 
 lighted, showing that the intruder was Uncle Dan- 
 iel, only partially dressed and in a high state of 
 excitement. 
 
 " What is it What's the matter ?" asked Toby, 
 in alarm, thinking at once of Abner, and fearing 
 that something had happened to him. 
 
 " Hush !" said Uncle Daniel, warningly ; " don't
 
 2 1 8 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 make a noise, for some one is trying to get into 
 the hen-house, an' I am going to make an exam- 
 ple of him. I suppose it's one of the tramps who 
 went by here to-day, an' I want to find that gun 
 I saw in here yesterday." 
 
 There was such a weapon in Toby's room, or, 
 at least, what had once been a gun was there, for 
 a hired man whom Uncle Daniel had employed 
 left it there. It had been an army musket, and 
 appeared to have been used as a collection of 
 materials to repair other guns with, for the en- 
 tire lock, ramrod, and at least four inches of the 
 stock had been taken away, leaving it a mere 
 wreck of a gun. 
 
 "It's up there in the corner behind the wash- 
 stand," said Toby, corning out of the bed as quick- 
 ly as if he had tumbled out, and alarmed at the 
 thought of burglars. " It hain't no good, Uncle 
 Dan'l, for there's only a little of it left." 
 
 "It will do as well for me as a better one," 
 said Uncle Daniel, grimly. "I don't want to
 
 Mr. Stubbs r s Brother. 219 
 
 shoot anybody, only to give them a severe fright, 
 and perhaps capture them." 
 
 "Then what'll you do with 'em?" asked Toby 
 in a whisper, almost as much alarmed by Uncle 
 Daniel's savage way of speaking as by the thought 
 of the burglars. 
 
 " I don't know, Toby boy I don't know. The 
 tramps do trouble me greatly, an' I'd like to make 
 an example of these ; but I suppose they must be 
 hungry, or else they wouldn't try to get into the 
 hen-house. I guess if we catch one we'll give him 
 a good breakfast, and try to persuade him to go 
 to work like an honest man." 
 
 Uncle Daniel's anger usually had some such 
 peaceful ending, as Toby knew ; but he did Jook 
 bloodthirsty as he stood there in his shirt-sleeves, 
 with one stocking on, and his night-cap covering 
 one ear and but a small portion of his head, while 
 he handled the invalid gun recklessly. 
 
 By the time he was ready to go in search of 
 the supposed chicken -thief, Aunt Olive, looking
 
 220 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 thoroughly frightened, came into the room with his 
 other stocking and his boots in her hand, insisting 
 that he should put them on before he ventured out. 
 
 It must have been a very tame burglar who 
 would have continued at his work after the lights 
 had warned him that the inmates of the house 
 were aroused; but Toby did not think of that. 
 He saw that Aunt Olive had armed herself with 
 the fire-shovel, that Uncle Daniel kept a firm hold 
 of the gun even while he was trying to put his 
 boots on, and he was frightened by the warlike 
 preparations. 
 
 Toby put on his trousers and shoes as quickly 
 as possible, and when Uncle Daniel was ready to 
 start, he stationed himself directly behind Aunt 
 Olive, a position which he thought would afford 
 him a fair view of what was going on, and at the 
 same time be safe. 
 
 " Now be careful of that gun, Dan'l, an' don't 
 go so far that they can hurt you, for there's no 
 telling what they will do if they find out you
 
 SEARCHING FOR THE BURGLAR.
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 223 
 
 mean to catch them," and Aunt Olive looked 
 quite as badly frightened as did Toby. 
 
 "There, there, Olive, don't be alarmed," said 
 Uncle Daniel, soothingly, " they will probably run 
 as soon as they see the gun, and that will end it. 
 I only hope that I can catch one," and Uncle 
 Daniel went down the stairs as determined, and 
 savage looking a man as ever started in search of 
 a supposed chicken-thief. 
 
 Aunt Olive insisted on carrying the candle, 
 though Uncle Daniel urged that it would not be 
 possible for him to surprise the burglars if she 
 held this light as a warning ; but she had no idea 
 of allowing him to go out where there was every 
 probability that he would be in danger, unless 
 she could see what was going on. 
 
 When the party reached the kitchen, the sounds 
 which came from the hen-house told plainly that 
 the party they were in search of had not ceased 
 his work because the household had been alarmed. 
 The snapping of wood could be heard, and if Aunt
 
 224 
 
 Stubbss Brother. 
 
 Olive had not been thoroughly aroused before, she 
 was then, for laths were being broken, and one of 
 her choicest broods of ducks was secured only 
 by such frail barrier against either two or four 
 legged thieves. 
 
 "Stop them quick, or all the ducks will be 
 out," she screamed ; and, thus urged, Uncle Daniel 
 made a bold stand. 
 
 " Get behind me, and hold your hand over the 
 light," he whispered, and then he shouted, as he 
 brought the gun up to his shoulder in a very 
 threatening manner, "Come out here, and give 
 yourselves up at once." 
 
 There was no answer made to this peremptory 
 command, and, strangely enough, the work of de- 
 struction was continued as vigorously as if Uncle 
 Daniel and his broken gun were a thousand miles 
 away, instead of on the spot and ready for action. 
 
 "Come away from there instantly, and save 
 yourself any further trouble," shouted Uncle Dan- 
 iel in a louder voice, stamping his foot, while
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 225 
 
 Aunt Olive brandished the fire -shovel to give 
 emphasis to his words. 
 
 There was silence for a moment, as if the bur- 
 glar had stopped to consider the matter, and then 
 the work was continued with greater energy than 
 before. 
 
 " Well, I declare !" exclaimed Uncle Daniel, as 
 he brought the butt of his gun down on his own 
 foot with such force that he was obliged to give 
 immediate attention to the wounded member. 
 
 Toby had always had a wholesome dread of a 
 gun ; but his fear became greater than ever when 
 he saw how much mischief could be done with 
 one as near a total wreck as that was, for Uncle 
 Daniel had seated himself on the grass, regardless 
 of the dew, and was hugging his foot as if he 
 feared he should lose it. 
 
 15
 
 CHAPTER XVL 
 
 A LOST MONKEY. 
 
 EVEN though her husband was wounded, Aunt 
 Olive could not stop to offer any aid while her 
 precious ducks were in such peril, as the break- 
 ing of the laths proved they were ; and she start- 
 ed forward alone and unarmed, save with the 
 shovel, until a loud quacking indicated that the 
 robber had made at least one prisoner. 
 
 Dropping the shovel, but still clinging to the 
 candle, Aunt Olive seized the gun, and, dragging 
 it along by the muzzle, she cried : 
 
 "I'll shoot you if you don't let them ducks 
 alone, and go right straight away from here !" 
 
 The loud quacking of another duck proved that 
 she had not alarmed the burglar ; and as she was
 
 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 227 
 
 now quite near the bold robber, by holding her 
 candle above her head she could discern in the 
 darkness what looked like a boy, with a duck 
 tightly clutched in each hand. 
 
 "It's only a boy," she cried to Uncle Daniel, 
 who had given over attending to his foot, and 
 was coming up ; and then, as she ran towards the 
 thief, she cried, " Put down them ducks, you little 
 rascal, or I will whip you soundly !" 
 
 The boy did not put the ducks down, nor did 
 he stay for the whipping; but, with both the 
 noisy prizes held in one hand, he began to climb 
 the hen-house in a manner surprising in one so 
 small. 
 
 By this time both Toby and Uncle Daniel were 
 on the spot, and the former saw that the supposed 
 boy was using a long tail in his work of climbing 
 the hen-house. 
 
 "It's Mr.Stubbs's brother; don't shoot him!" 
 he cried, forgetting, in his excitement, that the 
 gun was dangerous only when dropped on one's
 
 228 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 foot; and then he too tried to climb upon the 
 hen-house. 
 
 " The monkey ?" cried Uncle Daniel, as he felt 
 on his forehead for his spectacles to enable him 
 to see better. Aunt Olive made use of almost 
 the same words; but, instead of feeling for her 
 spectacles, she ran towards the building, as if she 
 fancied it to be the easiest thing in the world to 
 catch a mischievous monkey. 
 
 Toby knew, if Aunt Olive did not, that it 
 would be the work of some time to catch Mr. 
 Stubbs's brother, and that no threats would in- 
 duce him to come down. Therefore he put forth 
 all his energies in the vain hope of overtaking 
 him. 
 
 Although the monkey was encumbered by the 
 two ducks he had stolen, he could climb twice as 
 fast as Toby could, and Aunt Olive realized the 
 fact very soon. 
 
 " Scare him till he drops the ducks," she cried 
 to Toby ; and then, to do her portion of the " scar-
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 229 
 
 ing," she brandished the fire -shovel, and cried 
 " shoo !" in a very energetic manner. 
 
 Uncle Daniel waved his arms, and shouted, 
 " Come down ! come down !" as he ran from one 
 side of the building to the other; but the only 
 reply to his shout was the quacking of the half- 
 strangled ducks. 
 
 " Catch him, Toby, catch him, before he kills 
 the ducks," cried Aunt Olive, in an agony of fear 
 lest these particular inmates of her poultry-yard 
 should be killed. 
 
 "That's what I'm tryin' to do," panted Toby, 
 as he chased Mr. Stubbs's brother from one end 
 of the roof to the other without even a chance of 
 catching him. 
 
 The quacking of the ducks was growing fainter 
 every moment, and, knowing that something must 
 be done at once, Uncle Daniel hunted around un 
 til he found a long pole, with which he struck at 
 the monkey. 
 
 This had the desired effect, for Mr. Stubbs's
 
 230 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 brother was so nearly hit two or three times that 
 he dropped the almost dead ducks, curled his tail 
 over his back, and leaped to the ground. He 
 alighted so near Aunt Olive that she uttered a 
 loud shriek, nearly falling backward over the 
 wood-pile; but the monkey was out of sight in 
 an instant, going in the direction of the road. 
 
 As his pet disappeared in the darkness, Toby 
 scrambled down from the roof of the building 
 and started in pursuit; but before he had gone 
 far he heard Uncle Daniel calling to him, while 
 at the same time he realized that pursuit would 
 be useless under the circumstances. 
 
 "He's run away, an' I won't ever find him 
 again," he said, in so mournful a tone that Uncle 
 Daniel knew the tears were very near his eye- 
 lids. 
 
 " He won't go very far, Toby, boy," said Uncle 
 Daniel, consolingly, " and you can soon find him 
 after the sun rises." 
 
 "He'll be more'n seven miles off by that time,"
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 231 
 
 said Toby, as he choked back his sobs, and tried 
 to speak firmly. 
 
 " I don't know much about the nature of mon- 
 keys," replied Uncle Daniel, speaking very slow- 
 ly ; " but I am inclined to the belief that he will 
 remain near here, since he has come to consider 
 this his home. But it will be daylight in less 
 than an hour, and then you can start after him. 
 I will drive the cows to the pasture, so that you 
 will have nothing to delay you." 
 
 Aunt Olive had caught up the ducks as soon 
 as Mr. Stubbs's brother had dropped them, and, 
 believing it was yet possible to save their lives, 
 she had started towards the house for the pur- 
 pose of applying some remedies. 
 
 " It's so near morning that I shaVt go to bed 
 again," she said, " and I'll get you something to 
 eat, and put up a lunch for you, so you can stay 
 out until you find him." 
 
 This offer on Aunt Olive's part seemed doubly 
 kind, since the monkey had done so much mis-
 
 23 2 Mr* Stubbss Brother. 
 
 chief among her pets, and Toby realized that it 
 would be ungrateful in him to complain, more 
 especially as Uncle Daniel and Aunt Olive were 
 willing to do all in their power to enable him to 
 catch the fugitive. 
 
 "I'll mend the duck -pen," he said, resolutely 
 putting from his mind the thought of Mr. Stubbs's 
 brother, who he firmly believed was trudging up 
 the road in the direction taken by the circus 
 when it left town. 
 
 Uncle Daniel thought it would be just as well 
 to remain up also, and he dragged the wreck of 
 the gun into the house, putting it carefully away 
 lest some one should be injured by it, before he 
 commenced to build the fire. 
 
 Mr. Stubbs's brother had labored industrious- 
 ly when he set about reducing the duck-pen to 
 kindling-wood; and although Toby worked as 
 fast as possible, it was nearly time for the sun to 
 rise before he finished the job of repairing it. 
 
 By that time Aunt Olive had a nice breakfast
 
 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 233 
 
 ready for him, and a generous lunch done up 
 neatly in paper. 
 
 Abner had not wakened, therefore Toby was 
 obliged to go away without knowing whether he 
 was better or worse; but Aunt Olive told him 
 that she thought he need have no fear regarding 
 the invalid, for she felt certain he would be much 
 better when he awoke. 
 
 Toby ate his breakfast very hurriedly, and then 
 started down the road in the direction of his 
 partners' homes, for he thought there would be 
 a better chance of capturing the runaway if four 
 or five boys set out in pursuit than if he went 
 out alone. 
 
 Fully two hours were spent in arousing his 
 partners, explaining what had happened, and wait- 
 ing for them to get their breakfast; but at the 
 end of that time every one of the circus managers 
 was ready for the search. 
 
 There was a decided difference of opinion 
 among them as to which direction they should
 
 234 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 take, some believing the monkey had gone one 
 way and some another, and the only plan by 
 which the matter could be settled was to divide 
 the force into two parties. 
 
 Bob, Reddy, and Ben formed one division, and 
 they started into the woods in a nearly straight 
 line from Uncle Daniel's house. Toby, Joe, and 
 Leander, making up the other party, went up the 
 road, Toby insisting on this course because he was 
 sure that Mr. Stubbs's brother would attempt to 
 follow the circus of which he had once been a 
 member, although so many weeks had elapsed 
 since it had passed along there. 
 
 Leander was of the opinion that they ought to 
 have borrowed a dog, with which to track the 
 monkey more easily, and even offered to go back 
 to get one; but Toby thought that would be a 
 waste of valuable time, more especially as it was 
 by no means certain that Leander could procure 
 the dog if he did go back. 
 
 Joe thought each inch of the road should be
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 237 
 
 examined with a view to finding tracks of the 
 monkey; but that plan was given up in a very 
 few moments after it was tried, for the good rea- 
 son that the boys could not distinguish even their 
 own footprints, the road was beaten so hard ; and 
 so they could only walk straight ahead, hoping 
 to come up with the fugitive, or to hear some 
 news of him. 
 
 At each house on the road they stopped to ask 
 if a stray monkey had been seen ; but they could 
 hear nothing encouraging until they had walked 
 nearly three miles, and were just beginning to 
 think it would have been wiser to remain with 
 the party who went into the woods. 
 
 At last, however, a farmer told them that he 
 had seen an animal come up the main road, just 
 about sunrise, and that it had gone up through 
 his field into an oak grove. He had had no idea 
 at the time that it was a monkey, and had intend- 
 ed to take his gun and go in search of it as soon 
 as he could spare the time.
 
 238 . Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 Toby trembled as the man said this, for Mr. 
 Stubbs's death was too vivid in his mind for him 
 to think without a shudder of any one going in 
 search of this monkey with a gun. He started 
 for the grove at full speed, fearing that some one 
 with more time at his disposal had seen his pet, 
 and might even now be in pursuit of him. 
 
 Of course the boys did not know certainly that 
 the animal the farmer had seen was Mr. Stubbs's 
 brother, but all were quite sure it was ; and, be- 
 fore they had been in the oak grove ten minutes, 
 they saw the monkey himself, hanging by his tail 
 and one paw from the branch of a tree.
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 DRIVING A MONKEY. 
 
 TOBY was so delighted at seeing his pet safe 
 and alive that he set up a great shout ; and the 
 monkey, thus warned that boys who would chain 
 him down to the drudgery of a circus ring were 
 on his track, started off at full speed, scolding 
 furiously as he went. 
 
 To catch a monkey in the woods was even a 
 harder task than to "scrape" him from the tent, 
 or to capture him on the roof of the hen-house; 
 but he must be caught, and the three boys start- 
 ed after him, fully aware of the difficult task be- 
 fore them. 
 
 To Mr. Stubbs's brother this flight and pursuit 
 was simply the wildest kind of a frolic, and he
 
 340 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 fairly screamed with delight as he leaped from 
 one tree to another, sometimes allowing them al- 
 most to touch him, and then starting off at full 
 speed until nearly out of sight. 
 
 For an hour this tantalizing work was contin- 
 ued, and the pursuers were nearly exhausted. 
 Half the time they had been running at full 
 speed, and the only chance for rest had been 
 when they were trying to creep upon Mr. Stubbs's 
 brother unawares, which was just about no rest 
 at all. 
 
 Leander, who was naturally a very slow-moving 
 boy, and quite fleshy, was more quickly tired than 
 the others. When, for at least the twentieth 
 time, they thought they had the monkey within 
 their grasp, and he darted to the top of one of 
 the tallest trees, Leander declared he could not 
 take another step, even though the life of the 
 monkey and the success of the circus depended 
 upon it. 
 
 Of course, it was not to be thought of that they
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 24* 
 
 should leave their band there exhausted and alone, 
 so Toby decided they should rest as long as Mr. 
 Stubbs's brother remained in the tree, and it was 
 determined to occupy the time by eating the 
 luncheon Aunt Olive had prepared. 
 
 During the last ten minutes of the chase, Lean- 
 der's face had worn a very gloomy expression; 
 but it lightened wonderfully when the package 
 of food was opened, and Toby helped him to a 
 very generous slice of bread and meat. 
 
 Nor was Leander the only one who looked with 
 favor upon the food. Mr. Stubbs's brother had 
 been a close observer of all that was going on at 
 the foot of the tree in which he had taken refuge, 
 and he showed every disposition to make one of 
 the eating party. 
 
 Seeing his evident hunger, Toby was sure it 
 would be possible to capture the monkey by 
 means of the food, and he walked around the 
 trunk of the tree, holding a piece of ginger-bread 
 temptingly in his fingers. 
 
 16
 
 242 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 
 
 The monkey came down from branch to branch, 
 as if he had decided to allow himself to be made 
 a prisoner for the sake of the food; but, just as 
 Toby was about to seize him, he jumped back 
 with a cry that sounded much as if he were laugh- 
 ing because of the disappointment he had caused. 
 
 Then Joe tried his skill at monkey -catching, 
 coming about as near success as Toby had done ; 
 and Leander was roused to action by the new 
 phase the chase had assumed. He too held out 
 some food in order to give Mr. Stubbs's brother 
 the impression that all he had to do was to come 
 and get it. 
 
 In thus trying the coaxing plan, all three of the 
 boys got on one side of the tree, while the greater 
 part of their provisions was on the opposite side. 
 The monkey descended again, first towards one 
 boy and then towards another, as if it were his 
 purpose to allow all three to catch him, and all 
 were equally certain they were about to succeed, 
 when Mr. Stubbs's brother suddenly ran along
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 243 
 
 the branches towards the food. Before it was 
 possible for any of the boys to intercept him, he 
 had dropped to the ground, seized two of the 
 very largest pieces of cake, and was up in the tree 
 again so quickly that but for the cake he had in 
 his paws it might have been doubted whether or 
 not he had been on the ground at all. 
 
 Now Mr. Stubbs's brother could laugh at his 
 pursuers, if it is possible for a monkey to laugh ; 
 for, without any thanks to them, he had a trifle 
 more than his share of the provisions, and was 
 still at liberty. 
 
 " It hain't any use," said Joe, in despair, as he 
 threw himself on the ground and attacked the 
 luncheon savagely, " I don't believe we shall ever 
 get him ; an' if we don't, it won't be much use for 
 us to have our show, for every real circus has 
 a monkey." 
 
 "We must catch him," replied Toby, mourn- 
 fully, looking up into the tree where his pet sat 
 eating the stolen food with the greatest possible
 
 244 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 enjoyment. "I wouldn't go home an' leave him 
 here if I had to stay all night." 
 
 " One might watch here while the others went 
 back to the village an' got every feller there to 
 come out an' help catch him," suggested Leander, 
 who was famous for having ideas so brilliant that 
 no one could carry them into execution. 
 
 " We're goin' away from home all the time this 
 way," said Toby, after he had studied the matter 
 carefully, without paying any attention to the 
 suggestion made by Leander ; " now let's get a lit- 
 tle ways the other side of the tree, an' when he 
 comes down again he'll have to go towards home. 
 Even if we can't catch him, perhaps we can drive 
 him into the village." 
 
 Even Leander could see the wisdom of this 
 plan, and the party moved their luncheon and 
 themselves to the side of the tree opposite to that 
 on which they had approached it. 
 
 Of course there was nothing to do but wait 
 Mr. Stubbs's brother's pleasure in the matter, and
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 245 
 
 he seemed to be in no haste to make a move. 
 He ate his cake in the most leisurely fashion pos- 
 sible, and then appeared to be wonderfully inter- 
 ested in the leaves, for he would spend several 
 minutes pulling one apart, probably to see how 
 it was made. 
 
 But he was obliged to come down at last, and 
 he chose the time just as Leander had settled 
 himself comfortably for a nap, which did not tend 
 to make the band regard him with additional 
 favor. 
 
 As Toby had thought, the monkey started back 
 in the direction they had come; and, as he was 
 going towards home, they did not make any effort 
 to hurry him. If they could not catch him, they 
 could at least drive him, and they were satisfied 
 to let him go as slowly as he chose a plan which 
 met with hearty approval from Leander. 
 
 For some time Mr. Stubbs's brother moved 
 along as if it were his greatest desire to be back 
 at Uncle Daniel's again, and then Toby saw him
 
 246 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 run along swiftly as if he had found something 
 under a tree which interested him greatly. 
 
 Afraid that the monkey had done this simply 
 to avoid being driven, and that he might dart 
 through the underbrush and get in rear of them 
 again, Toby ran forward quickly ; but before he 
 had taken more than a dozen steps he heard 
 piercing shrieks, which evidently came from the 
 monkey, while the commotion among the bushes 
 indicated that a struggle of some kind was tak- 
 ing place there. 
 
 With but one thought, and that for the safety 
 of his pet, Toby ran ahead regardless of the bush- 
 es that tore his clothing and scratched his face. 
 A struggle was going on, as he saw when he pull- 
 ed the branches of the trees away, and Mr.Stubbs's 
 brother was getting decidedly the worst of it. 
 
 A small, prickly ball curled up at the foot of 
 the tree, and the monkey striking at it savagely 
 with his paws, while porcupine quills were stick- 
 ing in his face and body, told the whole story.
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 247 
 
 The monkey had seen the porcupine, and, much 
 to his discomfort, had tried to make that animal's 
 acquaintance. As every boy knows, when one of 
 these animals is attacked it immediately rolls it- 
 self up into a ball, with the quills or spines stick- 
 ing straight out, and the attacking party general- 
 ly gets plentifully supplied with them in a very 
 short time. 
 
 It was some moments before Toby could per- 
 suade his pet to stop trying to inflict punishment 
 when he was getting the greater part himself; 
 but he pulled him away at last, and the porcu- 
 pine, unrolling himself with a grunt of satisfac- 
 tion, trotted away into the bushes. 
 
 There was no disposition on the part of Mr. 
 Stubbs's brother to run away again. He stood 
 there looking as sad and discouraged as a mon- 
 key ought to look who had commenced his day's 
 work by stealing ducks, and concluded it by fight- 
 ing a porcupine. 
 
 The quills stood out from his face, making him
 
 248 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 look as if sadly in need of shaving, while on 
 almost every inch of his body there was one of 
 these natural weapons, giving him a decidedly 
 comical appearance. 
 
 As he stood there holding out his paws to 
 Toby as if asking him to extract the spines, and 
 squinting down now and then at those in his face, 
 the boys did not try to restrain their laughter, 
 which appeared to make the inquisitive monkey 
 very angry. 
 
 He screamed and scolded in the shrillest tones 
 until Toby set about picking out the quills for 
 him, and Joe took a firm hold of his collar, to 
 make sure he should not escape when he was 
 relieved from the effects of his introduction to 
 the porcupine.
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 COLLECTING THE ANIMALS. 
 
 IT was quite a task to extract the porcupine 
 quills from Mr. Stubbs's brother, because the op- 
 eration was painful, and he danced about in a 
 way that seriously interfered with the work. 
 
 But the last one was out after a time, and the 
 monkey was marched along between Joe and 
 Toby, looking very repentant now that he was in 
 his master's power again. 
 
 " I tell you what it is," said Joe, sagely, after 
 he had walked awhile in silence as if studying 
 some matter, " we'd better get about six big 
 chains an' fasten Mr. Stubbs's brother to the 
 tent; 'cause if we keep on tryin' to train him, 
 he'll keep on gettin' loose, an' before he gets 
 through with it, we sha'n't have any show left."
 
 252 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 "I think that's the best thing we can do," 
 panted Leander; " 'cause if all hands of us has to 
 start out many times like this, some of the boys 
 will come up while we're off, an' pull the tent 
 down." 
 
 " We can tie him in the tent, and have him for 
 a wild man of Borneo," suggested Joe. 
 
 "I guess we won't train him," replied Toby, 
 rather sorry to deprive his pet of the pleasure of 
 being one of the performers, and yet fearing the 
 trouble he would cause if they should try to make 
 anything more than an ordinary, monkey out of 
 him. 
 
 The pursuit had led the boys farther from home 
 than they had imagined, and it was noon when, 
 weary and hungry, they arrived at the tent, where 
 they found the other party, who had given up 
 the search some time before. They had travelled 
 through the woods without hearing or seeing any- 
 thing of the runaway, and had returned in the 
 hope that the others had been more successful.
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 253 
 
 Leaving Mr. Stubbs's brother in charge of the 
 partners, who, it was safe to say, would now take 
 very good care to prevent his escape, Toby hurried 
 into the house to see Abner. 
 
 The sick boy was no better, Aunt Olive said, 
 neither did he appear to be any worse he was 
 sleeping then ; and, after eating some of his din- 
 ner at the table, and taking the remainder in his 
 hands, Toby went out to the tent again. 
 
 He found his partners indulging in an animated 
 discussion as to when the performance should be 
 given. 
 
 Keddy was in favor of having it within two or 
 three days at furthest ; Bob thought that, as Mr. 
 Stubbs's brother was not to be one of the per- 
 formers, there was no reason for delay. 
 
 All the others were of the same opinion, but 
 Toby urged them to wait until Abner could take 
 part in it. 
 
 To this Bob had a very reasonable objection: 
 in two weeks more school would begin, and then,
 
 2 54 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 of course, the circus would be out of the question. 
 If their first exhibition should be a success, as it 
 undoubtedly would be, they could give a second 
 performance when Abner should get well enough 
 to attend it ; and that would be quite as pleasing 
 to him as for all the talent to remain idle while 
 waiting for his recovery. 
 
 Toby felt that his partners asked him to do 
 only that which was fair ; the circus scheme had 
 already done Abner more harm than good, and, 
 as he did not seem to be dangerously sick, it 
 would be unkind to the others to insist on wait- 
 ing. 
 
 "I'd rather Abner was with us when we had 
 the first show," said Toby ; " but I s'pose it'll be 
 just as well to go ahead with it, an' then give 
 another after he can come out." 
 
 "Then we'll have it Saturday afternoon; an' 
 while Reddy's fixin' up the tickets, Ben an' I'll 
 get the animals up here, so's to see how they'll 
 look, an' to let 'em get kinder used to the tent."
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 255 
 
 Reddy was a boy who did not believe in wast- 
 ing any time after a matter was decided upon, 
 and almost as soon as Toby consented to go on 
 with the show, he went for materials with which 
 to make posters and tickets. 
 
 His activity aroused the others, and all started 
 out to bring in the animals, leaving Toby to 
 guard Mr. Stubbs's brother and the tent. The 
 canvas would take care of itself, so long as it was 
 unmolested, but the other portion of Toby's charge 
 was not so easily managed. After much thought, 
 however, he settled the monkey question by tying 
 Mr. Stubbs's brother to the end pole, with a rope 
 long enough to allow him to climb nearly to the 
 top, but short enough to keep him at a safe dis- 
 tance from the canvas. 
 
 By the time this was done, Ben arrived with 
 the first instalment of curiosities. His crowing 
 hen he had under his arm, and Mrs. Simpson's 
 three-legged cat and four kittens he brought in a 
 basket.
 
 256 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 " Joe's got a cage 'most built for the hen, an 1 
 I'll fix one for the cat this afternoon," he said, as 
 he seated himself on the basket, and held the hen 
 in his lap. 
 
 "You can't fix it if you've got to hold her," 
 said Toby, as he brought from the barn a bushel- 
 basket, which was converted into a coop by 
 turning it bottom side up, and putting the hen 
 underneath it. 
 
 Ben was about to make a search of the barn 
 for the purpose of finding some materials with 
 which to build the cat's cage, when a great noise 
 was heard outside, and the two partners left the 
 tent hurriedly. 
 
 " It's Bob an' his calf," said Ben, who had got 
 out first, and then he started towards the new- 
 comers at full speed. 
 
 It was Bob and his calf; but the animal should 
 have been mentioned first, for it seemed very 
 much as if he were bringing his master, instead 
 of being brought by him. In order to carry his
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 259 
 
 cage of mice and lead the calf at the same time, 
 Bob had tied the rope that held this representa- 
 tive of a grizzly bear around his waist, and had 
 taken the cage under his arm. This plan had 
 worked well enough until just as they were en- 
 tering the field that led to the tent, when Bob 
 tripped and fell, scaring the calf so that he start- 
 ed at full speed for the barn, of course dragging 
 the unfortunate Bob with him. 
 
 Sometimes on his face, sometimes on his back, 
 screaming for help whenever his mouth was up- 
 permost, and clinging firmly to the cage of mice, 
 Bob was dragged almost to the door of the tent, 
 where the frightened animal was finally secured. 
 
 " Well, I've got him here, an' I hain't lost a 
 single mouse," said Bob, as he counted his treas- 
 ures before even scraping the dirt from his face. 
 
 Ben and Toby led the calf into the tent after 
 some difficulty, owing to the attempts of Mr. 
 Stubbs's brother to frighten him, and then they did 
 their best to separate the dirt from their partner.
 
 260 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 In this good work they had but partially suc- 
 ceeded, when Reddy arrived with a large package 
 of brown paper, and his cat without a tail. This 
 startling curiosity he carried in a bag slung over 
 his shoulder, and from the expression on his face 
 when he came up it seemed almost certain that 
 the cat's claws had passed through the bag and 
 into her master's flesh. 
 
 " There," he exclaimed, with a sigh of relief, as 
 he threw his live burden at the foot of the post 
 to which Mr. Stubbs's brother was tied, " I've 
 kept shiftin' that cat from one shoulder to the 
 other ever since I started, an' I tellyou she can 
 scratch as well as if she had a tail as long as the 
 monkey's." 
 
 It surely seemed as if the work of building 
 the cages had been too long neglected, for here 
 were a number of curiosities without anything in 
 which they could be exhibited, and the audience 
 might be dissatisfied if asked to pay to see a cat 
 in a -bag, or a hen under a bushel-basket.
 
 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 261 
 
 Toby spoke of this, and Bob assured him that 
 it could easily be arranged as soon as all the 
 partners should arrive. 
 
 " You see, we've got to carry Mrs. Simpson's 
 cat an' kittens home every night, 'cause she says 
 the rats are so thick she can spare her only day- 
 times, an' we don't need a cage for her till the 
 show comes off," said Bob, as he bustled around 
 again to find materials. 
 
 Mr. Stubbs's brother demanded his master's at- 
 tention about this time, owing to his attempts to 
 make friends with the calf. From the time that 
 this peaceful animal, who was to be transformed 
 into a grizzly bear, had been brought into the 
 tent, the monkey had tried in every possible way 
 to get at him, and the calf had shown unmistak- 
 able signs of a desire to butt the monkey ; but the 
 ropes which held them both had prevented the 
 meeting. Now, however, Bob detected Mr. Stubbs's 
 brother in trying to bite his rope in two, and it 
 was considered necessary to set a guard over him.
 
 262 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 
 
 Reddy was already busily engaged in painting 
 the posters, despite the confusion that reigned, 
 and, as his work would keep him inside the tent, 
 he was chosen to have general rare of the ani- 
 mals, a task which he, without a thought of pos- 
 sible consequences, accepted cheerfully. 
 
 Leander and Joe came together, the first bring- 
 ing his accordion, and four rabbits in a cage, and 
 the last carrying five striped squirrels in a paste- 
 board box. 
 
 Leander was the only one who had been 
 thoughtful enough to have his animals ready for 
 exhibition, and the cage in which the long-eared 
 pets were confined bore the inscription, done in 
 a very fanciful way with blue and red crayons, 
 "Wolves. Keep off!" 
 
 This cage was placed in the corner near the 
 band-stand, where the musician could attend to 
 his musical work and have a watchful eye on his 
 pets at the same time. 
 
 Reddy had been busily engaged in painting a
 
 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 263 
 
 notice to be hung up over the calf; and, as he 
 fastened it to the barn just over the spot where 
 the animal was to be kept, Bob read, with no small 
 degree of pride in the thought that he was the 
 fortunate possessor of such a prize, 
 
 Then the artist went back to his task of 
 painting posters, while the others set to work, 
 full of determination to build the necessary num- 
 ber of cages if there was wood enough in Uncle 
 Daniel's barn. 
 
 They found timber enough and to spare ; but, 
 as it was not exactly the kind they wanted, Toby 
 proposed that they should all go over to the 
 house, explain the matter to Aunt Olive, and ask 
 her to give them as many empty boxes as she 
 could afford to part with. 
 
 As has been said before, Aunt Olive looked 
 upon the circus scheme with favor, and when she
 
 264 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 was called upon to aid in the way of furnishing 
 cages for wild animals, she gave the boys full 
 permission to take all the boxes they could find 
 in the shed. They found so many that they 
 were able to select those best suited to the dif- 
 ferent species of animals, and yet have quite a 
 stock to fall back upon in case they should make 
 additions to their menagerie. 
 
 Now that the boys had found cages ready 
 made, and needing only some bars or slats across 
 the front, they did not think it necessary to hurry. 
 They stayed for some time to talk of Abner, and 
 to test some doughnuts Aunt Olive was frying. 
 It is very likely that they would have remained 
 even longer than they did, if the doughnut-frying 
 had not been completed, and the tempting dain- 
 ties placed upon a high shelf beyond their reach, 
 as a gentle intimation that they had had about 
 as many as they would get that afternoon. 
 
 After leaving the house, they walked leisurely 
 towards the barn, little dreaming what a state
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 265 
 
 of confusion their property was in until Reddy 
 rushed out of the tent, his jacket torn, his face 
 bleeding, and his general appearance that of a 
 boy who had been having rather a hard time 
 of it,
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 THE SHOW BROKE UP. 
 
 "WHY, what's the matter? Why don't you 
 stay an' watch the animals ?" asked Bob, in a tone 
 intended to convey reproach and surprise that 
 one of the projectors of the enterprise should 
 desert his post of duty. 
 
 " Watch the animals ?" screamed Reddy, in a 
 rage; "you go an' watch 'em awhile instead of 
 eatin' doughnuts, an' see how you like it. Mr. 
 Stubbs's brother picked a hole in the bag so my 
 cat got out, an' she jumped on the calf, an' he 
 tore 'round awful till he let the hen an' Mrs. 
 Simpson's cat loose, an' I got knocked down an' 
 scratched, an' the whole show's broke up." 
 
 Reddy sat down on the ground, and wiped the
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 267 
 
 blood from his face after he had imparted the 
 painful news ; and all the party started for the 
 tent as rapidly as possible. 
 
 It was a scene of ruin which they looked in 
 upon after they had pulled aside Mr. Mansfield's 
 flag, and one well calculated to discourage ama- 
 teur circus proprietors. 
 
 Mr. Stubbs's brother was seated amid Reddy's 
 paper and paint, holding the crowing hen by the 
 head while he picked her wing-feathers out one 
 by one. Mrs. Simpson's cat and kittens each had 
 one of Bob's mice in its mouth, while Reddy's 
 cat was chasing one of the squirrels with a mur- 
 derous purpose. The calf was no longer an in- 
 mate of the tent ; but a large rent in the canvas 
 showed that he had opened a door for himself 
 when the cat scratched him ; and afar in the dis- 
 tance he could be seen, head down and tail up, 
 as if fleeing from everything that looked like a 
 circus. 
 
 The destruction was as complete as it could
 
 268 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 well have been made in so short a time, and the 
 partners were, quite naturally, discouraged. Toby 
 retained sufficient presence of mind, amid the trou- 
 ble, to rescue the crowing hen from the murderous 
 clutches of Mr. Stubbs's brother, and the mon- 
 key scampered up the tent-pole, brandishing two 
 or three of poor biddy's best and longest wing- 
 feathers, while he screamed with satisfaction that 
 he had accomplished at least a portion of the 
 work of stripping the fowl. 
 
 " The show's broke up, an' that's all there's to 
 it," said Bob, sorrowfully, as he gazed alternately 
 at the hole in the canvas and his rapidly van- 
 ishing calf. 
 
 " Are the squirrels all gone ?" asked Joe, driv- 
 ing the cat from her intended prey long enough 
 to allow Master Bushy-tail to gain a refuge under 
 the barn. 
 
 " Every one," replied K-eddy. " The calf kicked 
 the box over when he come towards me, an' it 
 looked as if there was as many as a hundred come
 
 TOBY RESCUES THE CROWING HEN FROM MR. STUBBS's BROTHER.
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 271 
 
 out jest as soon as the cover was off. I could 
 have caught one or two; but somehow Mrs. 
 Simpson's cat got out of the basket jest then, an' 
 she flew right on to my face." 
 
 The marks on Reddy's cheeks and nose told 
 most eloquently with what force the cat " flew," 
 and search was at once made for that pet of the 
 Simpson family. She, with her kittens, had taken 
 refuge under the barn as soon as the boys enter- 
 ed, and thus another trouble was added to the 
 load the circus managers had to bear, for that cat 
 must be returned to her mistress by night, or 
 trouble might come of it. 
 
 The mice were entirely consumed, two tails 
 alone remaining of what would have been shown 
 to the good people of Guilford as strange animals 
 from some far-off country. 
 
 The squirrels were gone, the calf had fled, the 
 hen was in a thoroughly battered condition, and 
 aothing remained of all that vast and wonderful 
 collection of animals except Mr. Stubbs's brother,
 
 272 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 and the rabbits, protected by the cage which 
 their master's thoughtfulness had provided. 
 
 " I guess I'll take the rabbits home," said Le- 
 ander, as he lifted the box to his shoulder. " It 
 wouldn't do to have only them for animals, an' it 
 hain't very certain how long they'll stay alive 
 while that monkey's 'round." 
 
 "He's broke up the whole show, that's what 
 he's done," and Ben shook his fist at Mr. Stubbs's 
 brother, while he tried to soothe his half-plucked 
 hen. 
 
 " What a/re we goin' to do ?" asked Toby, al- 
 most in despair. 
 
 " I know what I'm goin' to do," said Ben, as he 
 again placed the hen under the basket ; " I'm goin' 
 to crawl under the barn an' try to catch that cat, 
 an' then I'm goin' home with my hen." 
 
 It seemed to be the desire of all the partners to 
 get home with what remained of their pets, and 
 as Ben went under the barn on his hands and 
 knees, Leander started off with his rabbits, Bob
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 273 
 
 went to look for his calf, Reddy gathered up his 
 bundle of paper, and Joe seized his pasteboard 
 box, all going away where they could think over 
 the ruin in solitude. 
 
 But high up on the post the cause of all this 
 trouble chattered and scolded, while his master 
 sat on the ground, looking at him as if he won- 
 dered whether or not it would ever be possible 
 to reform such a monkey.
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 ABNER'S DEATH. 
 
 AFTER Toby was left alone in the tent, he re- 
 mained for some time looking at the triumphant 
 monkey, and listening to Ben's attempts to crawl 
 around under the barn as fast as the cat could, 
 when suddenly, as if such a thought had not oc- 
 curred to him before, he cried out : 
 
 "Don't you want me to come an' help you, 
 Ben?" 
 
 " You keep that monkey back, that's all the 
 helpin' I want," Ben replied, almost sharply, and 
 then the sounds indicated that the cat had sud- 
 denly changed her position to one farther under 
 the barn, while the boy was trying to frighten 
 her out.
 
 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 275 
 
 " Give it up, Ben," shouted Toby, after waiting 
 some time longer, and not seeing any sign of suc- 
 cess on the part of his friend. " If you come up 
 here about dark you'll have a chance to catch her, 
 for she'll have to come out for something to eat." 
 
 " You take the monkey into the house, an' I'll 
 get along all right," was the almost savage reply. 
 "She smells him, an' jest as long as he's there 
 she'll stay under here." 
 
 It seemed to Toby almost cruel to desert his 
 friend and partner just at a time when he needed 
 assistance ; but he could do no less than go away, 
 since he had been urged so peremptorily to do so, 
 and, catching his pet without much difficulty, he 
 earned Mr. Stubbs's brother away from the scene 
 of the ruin he had caused. 
 
 Ben's remark, that the monkey had "broke 
 the show all up," seemed to be very near the 
 truth ; for the boys would not think of going on 
 with so small a number of animals ; and, even if 
 they decided to do without the menagerie, Bob's
 
 276 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 
 
 calf had wrecked one side of the tent so com- 
 pletely that that particular piece of canvas was 
 past mending. 
 
 "I don't know what we'll do," said Toby, 
 mournfully, after he had finished telling the story 
 to Aunt Olive. "The boys act as if they blamed 
 me, because Mr. Stubbs's brother is so bad, and 
 Joe's squirrels an' Bob's mice are all gone. Ben's 
 hen don't look as if she'd ever 'mount to much, 
 an' it don't seem to me that he can get Mrs. 
 Simpson's cat an' every one of the kittens out 
 from under the barn." 
 
 " Now don't go to worry in' about that, Toby," 
 said Aunt Olive, as she patted him on the head, 
 and gave him a large piece of cake at the same 
 time. " You can get a dozen cats for Mrs. Simp- 
 son if she wants 'em ; and as for mice, you tell Bob 
 to set his trap out in the granary two or three 
 times, an' he'll have as many as he can take care 
 of. I'm glad the squirrels did get away, for it 
 seems such a sin to shut them up in a cage when 
 they're so happy in the woods."
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 277 
 
 Toby was cheered by the very, philosophical 
 view that Aunt Olive took of the affair, and 
 came to the conclusion that matters were not 
 more than half so bad as they might have been. 
 
 "You be careful that your monkey don't get 
 out again, an' go to cuttin' up as he did last night, 
 for I shall get provoked with him if he hurts my 
 ducks any more," and, with this bit of advice, 
 Aunt Olive went up-stairs to see Abner. 
 
 Toby went out to the shed to assure himself 
 that Mr. Stubbs's brother was tied so that he 
 could not escape, and while he was there Uncle 
 Daniel came in with an armful of strips of 
 board. 
 
 " There, Toby boy," he said, as he laid them on 
 the floor, and looked around for the hammer and 
 nails, " I'm going to build a pen for your monkey 
 right up here in one corner, so that we sha'n't be 
 called up again in the night by a false alarm of 
 burglars. Besides, it's almost time for school to 
 begin again, an' I'm 'most too old to commence
 
 278 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 
 
 chasing monkeys around the country in case he 
 gets out while you're away." 
 
 Had it been suggested the day before that Mr. 
 Stubbs's brother was to be shut up in a cage, 
 Toby would have thought it a very great hard- 
 ship for his pet to endure ; but the experience he 
 had had in the last twenty-four hours convinced 
 him that the imprisonment was for the best. 
 
 He helped Uncle Daniel in his labor to such 
 purpose that, when it was time for him to go to 
 the pasture, the cage was built, and Mr. Stubbs's 
 brother was in it, looking as if he considered him- 
 self a thoroughly abused monkey, because he was 
 not allowed to play just such pranks as had 
 roused the household as well as broken up the 
 circus scheme. 
 
 On his way to the pasture, Toby met Joe, and 
 the two had a long talk about the disaster of the 
 afternoon. Joe believed that the enterprise must 
 be abandoned for that summer at least as it 
 would take them some time to repair the damage
 
 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 279 
 
 done, and his short experience in the business 
 caused him to believe that they could hardly hope 
 to compete with real circuses until they had more 
 material with which to work. 
 
 Joe promised to see the other partners that 
 evening or the next morning ; and, if they were of 
 the same opinion, the tent should be taken down 
 and returned to its owner. 
 
 " Perhaps we can fix it all right next year, an' 
 then Abner will be 'round to help," said Toby, 
 as he parted with Joe that night ; and thus was 
 the circus project ended very sensibly, for the 
 chances were that it would have been a failure 
 if they had attempted to give their exhibition. 
 
 During that afternoon Toby had worried less 
 about Abner than on any day since he had been 
 sick; he had felt that his friend's recovery was 
 certain, and a load was lifted from his shoulders 
 when he and Joe had decided regarding the cir- 
 cus ; for, that out of the way, he could devote all 
 his attention to his sick friend. Surely, with the
 
 280 Mr. Stubbs's Brother. 
 
 ponies and the monkey they could have a great 
 deal of sport during the two weeks that yet re- 
 mained before school would begin, and Toby felt 
 thoroughly happy. 
 
 But his happiness was changed to alarm very 
 soon after he entered the house, for the doctor 
 was there again, and, from the look on the faces 
 of Uncle Daniel and Aunt Olive, he knew Abner 
 must be worse. 
 
 " What is it, Uncle Dan'l? is Abner any sicker?" 
 he asked, with quivering lip, as he looked up at 
 the wrinkled face that ever wore a kindly look 
 for him. 
 
 Uncle Daniel laid his hand affectionately on the 
 head of the boy, whom he had cared for with the 
 tenderness of a father since the day he repented 
 and asked forgiveness for having run away, and 
 his voice trembled as he said : 
 
 " It is very likely that the good God will take 
 the crippled boy to Himself to-night, Toby, and 
 there in the heavenly mansions will he find relief
 
 Mr. Stubbss Brother. 283 
 
 from all his pain and infirmities. Then the poor- 
 farm boy will no longer be an orphan or deform- 
 ed, but, with his Almighty Father, will enter into 
 such joys as we can have no conception of." 
 
 "Oh, Uncle Dan'l! must Abner really die?" 
 cried Toby, while the great tears chased each 
 other down his cheeks, and he hid his face on 
 Uncle Daniel's knee. 
 
 " He will die here, Toby boy, but it is simply 
 an awakening into a perfect, glorious life, to which 
 I pray that both you and I may be prepared to 
 go when our Father calls us." 
 
 For some time there was silence in the room, 
 broken only by Toby's sobs; and, while Uncle 
 Daniel stroked the weeping boy's head, the great 
 white-winged messenger of God came into the 
 chamber above, bearing away with him the spirit 
 of the poor-farm boy. 
 
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