They had been practicing daily, and Toby had
become so skillful that both Mr. Castle and Mr. Lord saw that the
time had come when he could be made to earn some money for them.
XV: TOBY'S FRIENDS PRESENT HIM WITH A COSTUME
During this time Toby's funds had accumulated rather slower than on
the first few days he was in the business, but he had saved eleven
dollars, and Mr. Lord had paid him five dollars of his salary, so
that be had the to him enormous sum of sixteen dollars; and he had
about made up his mind to make one effort for liberty when the news
came that he was to ride in public.
He had, in fact, been ready to run away any time within the past
week; but, as if they had divined his intentions, both Mr. Castle
and Mr. Lord had kept a very strict watch over him, one or the other
keeping him in sight from the time he got through with his labors
at night until they saw him on the cart with Old Ben.
"I was just gettin' ready to run away," said Toby to Ella on the
day Mr. Castle gave his decision as to their taking part in the
performance, and while they were walking out of the tent, "an' I
shouldn't wonder now if I got away tonight."
"Oh, Toby!" exclaimed the girl, as she looked reproachfully at
him, "after all the work we've had to get ready, you won't go off
and leave me before we've had a chance to see what the folks will
say when they see us together?"
It was impossible for Toby to feel any delight at the idea of riding
in public, and he would have been willing to have taken one of Mr.
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