Tyler I had almost forgotten to introduce
him to you. This, ladies and gentlemen" -- and here he touched Toby
on the shoulder, as if he were some living curiosity whose habits
and mode of capture he was about to explain to a party of spectators
-- "is Mr. Toby Tyler, of whom you heard on the night when the
monkey cage was smashed, and who now carries with him the identical
monkey which was presented to him by the manager of this great
show as a token of esteem for his skill and bravery in capturing
the entire lot of monkeys without a single blow."
By the time that Mr. Treat got through with his long speech Toby felt
very much as if he were some wonderful creature whom the skeleton
was exhibiting; but he managed to rise to his feet and duck his
little red head in his best imitation of a bow. Then he sat down
and hugged Mr. Stubbs to cover his confusion.
One of the Albino Children now came forward, and, while stroking
Mr. Stubbs's hair, looked so intently at Toby that for the life of
him he couldn't say which she regarded as the curiosity, himself
or the monkey; therefore he hastened to say, modestly:
"I didn't do much toward catchin' the monkeys; Mr. Stubbs here did
almost all of it, an' I only led 'em in.
"There, there, my boy," said the skeleton, in a fatherly tone, "I've
heard the whole story from Old Ben, an' I sha'n't let you get out
of it like that.
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