"
Toby understood the meaning of their conversation only too well,
and he knew that his lot, which before seemed harder than he could
bear, was about to be intensified through this Mr. Castle, of whom
he had frequently heard, and who was said to be a rival of Mr.
Lord's so far as brutality went. The two men now walked toward the
large tent, and Toby was left alone with his thoughts and two or
three little boy customers, who looked at him wonderingly and envied
him because he belonged to the circus.
During the ride that night he told Old Ben what he had heard,
confidently expecting that that friend at least would console him;
but Ben was not the champion which he had expected. The old man,
who had been with a circus, "man and boy, nigh to forty years,"
did not seem to think it any calamity that he was to be taught to
ride.
"That Mr. Castle is a little rough on boys," Old Ben said, thoughtfully;
"but it'll be a good thing for you, Toby. Just so long as you stay
with Job you won't be nothin' more 'n a candy boy; but after you
know how to ride it 'll be another thing, an' you can earn a good
deal of money an' be your own boss."
"But I don't want to stay with the circus," whined Toby; "I don't
want to learn to ride, an' I do want to get back to Uncle Dan'l."
"That may all be true, an' I don't dispute it," said Ben; "but you
see you didn't stay with your uncle Daniel when you had the chance,
an' you did come with the circus.
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