As orders had been given by the proprietor of the circus that
the boy should do as he had a mind to with the monkey, he called
Mr. Stubbs; and as he was in the custom of taking him with him at
night, no one thought that it was anything strange that he should
take him from the cage now.
Mr. Lord or Mr. Castle might possibly have thought it queer had either
of them seen the two bundles which Toby carried, but, fortunately
for the boy's scheme, they both believed that he was in the dressing
tent, and consequently thought that he was perfectly safe.
Toby's hand shook so that he could hardly undo the fastening of
the cage, and when he attempted to call the monkey to him his voice
sounded so strange and husky that it startled him.
The old monkey seemed to prefer sleeping with Toby rather than
with those of his kind in the cage; and as the boy took him with
him almost every night, he came on this particular occasion as soon
as Toby called, regardless of the strange sound of his master's
voice.
With his bundles under his arm and the monkey on his shoulder,
with both paws tightly clasped around his neck, Toby made his way
out of the tent with beating heart and bated breath.
Neither Mr. Lord, Castle, nor Jacobs were in sight, and everything
seemed favorable for his flight. During the afternoon he had
carefully noted the direction of the woods, and he started swiftly
toward them now, stopping only long enough, as he was well clear
of the tents, to say, in a whisper:
"Goodby, Mr.
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