Now you mind your eye in the future."
It is impossible to say how much longer Mr. Lord might have continued
this tirade had not a member of the company -- one of the principal
riders -- called him to one side to speak with him.
Poor Toby was so much confused by the angry words which had followed
his very natural and certainly very reasonable suggestion that he
paid no attention to anything around him until he heard his own name
mentioned; and then, fearing lest some new misfortune was about to
befall him, he listened intently.
"I'm afraid you couldn't do much of anything with him," he heard
Mr. Lord say. "He's had enough of this kind of life already, so he
says, an' I expect the next thing he does will be to try and run
away."
"I'll risk his getting away from you, Job," he heard the other say;
"but of course I've got to take my chances. I'll take him in hand
from eleven to twelve each day -- just your slack time of trade
-- and I'll not only give you half of what he can earn in the next
two years, but I'll pay you for his time, if he gives you the slip
before the season is out."
Toby knew that they were speaking of him, but what it all meant he
could not imagine.
"What are you going to do with him first?" Job asked.
"Just put him right in the ring and teach him what riding is.
I tell you, Job, the boy's smart enough, and before the season's
over I'll have him so that he can do some of the bareback acts, and
perhaps we'll get some money out of him before we go into winter
quarters.
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