OFF FOR HOME!
During this walk Toby learned many things that were of importance to
him, so far as his plan for running away was concerned. In the first
place, he gleaned from the railroad posters that were stuck up in the
hotel to which they went that he could buy a ticket for Guilford for
seven dollars, and also that, by going back to the town from which they
had just come, he could go to Guilford by steamer for five dollars.
By returning to this last town--and Toby calculated that the fare on the
stage back there could not be more than a dollar--he would have ten
dollars left, and that surely ought to be sufficient to buy food enough
for two days for the most hungry boy that ever lived.
When they returned to the circus grounds the performance was over, and
Mr. Lord in the midst of the brisk trade which he usually had after the
afternoon performance, and yet, so far from scolding Toby for going
away, he actually smiled and bowed at him as he saw him go by with Ben.
"See there, Toby," said the old driver to the boy, as he gave him a
vigorous poke in the ribs and then went off into one of his dreadful
laughing spells--"see what it is to be a performer, an' not workin' for
such an old fossil as Job is! He'll be so sweet to you now that sugar
won't melt in his mouth, an' there's no chance of his ever attemptin' to
whip you again."
Toby made no reply, for he was too busily engaged thinking of something
which had just come into his mind to know that his friend had spoken.
But as Old Ben hardly knew whether the boy had answered him or not,
owing to his being obliged to struggle with his breath lest he should
lose it in the second laughing spell that attacked him, the boy's
thoughtfulness was not particularly noticed.
Toby walked around the show-grounds for a little while with his old
friend, and then the two went to supper, where Toby performed quite as
great wonders in the way of eating as he had in the afternoon by riding.
As soon as the supper was over he quietly slipped away from Old Ben, and
at once paid a visit to Mr. and Mrs. Treat, whom he found cosily engaged
with their supper behind the screen.
They welcomed Toby most cordially, and, despite his assertions that he
had just finished a very hearty meal, the fat lady made him sit down to
the box which served as table, and insisted on his trying some of her
doughnuts.
Under all these pressing attentions it was some time before Toby found a
chance to say that which he had come to say, and when he did he was
almost at a loss how to proceed; but at last he commenced by starting
abruptly on his subject with the words, "I've made up my mind to leave
to-night."
"Leave to-night?" repeated the skeleton, inquiringly, not for a moment
believing that Toby could think of running away after the brilliant
success he had just made. "What do you mean, Toby?"
"Why, you know that I've been wantin' to get away from the circus," said
Toby, a little impatient that his friend should be so wonderfully
stupid, "an' I think that I'll have as good a chance now as ever I
shall, so I'm goin' to try it."
"Bless us!" exclaimed the fat lady, in a gasping way. "You don't mean to
say that you're goin' off just when you've started in the business so
well? I thought you'd want to stay after you'd been so well received
this afternoon."
"No," said Toby--and one quick little sob popped right up from his heart
and out before he was aware of it--"I learned to ride because I had to,
but I never give up runnin' away. I must see Uncle Dan'l, an' tell him
how sorry I am for what I did; an' if he won't have anything to say to
me then I'll come back; but if he'll let me I'll stay there, an' I'll be
_so_ good that by-'n'-by he'll forget that I run off an' left him
without sayin' a word."
There was such a touch of sorrow in his tones, so much pathos in his way
of speaking, that good Mrs. Treat's heart was touched at once; and
putting her arms around the little fellow, as if to shield him from some
harm, she said, tenderly, "And so you shall go, Toby, my boy; but if you
ever want a home or anybody to love you come right here to us, and
you'll never be sorry. So long as Sam keeps thin and I fat enough to
draw the public, you never need say that you're homeless, for nothing
would please us better than to have you come to live with us."
For reply Toby raised his head and kissed her on the cheek, a proceeding
which caused her to squeeze him harder than ever.
During this conversation the skeleton had remained very thoughtful.
After a moment or two he got up from his seat, went outside the tent,
and presently returned with a quantity of silver ten-cent pieces in his
hand.
"Here, Toby," he said--and it was to be seen that he was really too much
affected even to attempt one of his speeches--"it's right that you
should go, for I've known what it is to feel just as you do. What Lilly
said about your having a home with us I say, an' here's five dollars
that I want you to take to help you along."
At first Toby stoutly refused to take the money; but they both insisted
to such a degree that he was actually forced to, and then he stood up to
go.
"I'm goin' to try to slip off after Job packs up the outside booth if I
can," he said, "an' it was to say good-bye that I come around here."
Again Mrs. Treat took the boy in her arms, as if it were one of her own
children who was leaving her, and as she stroked his hair back from his
forehead she said, "Don't forget us, Toby, even if you never do see us
again; try an' remember how much we cared for you, an' how much comfort
you're taking away from us when you go; for it was a comfort to see you
around, even if you wasn't with us very much. Don't forget us, Toby, an'
if you ever get the chance come an' see us. Good-bye, Toby, good-bye."
And the kind-hearted woman kissed him again and again, and then turned
her back resolutely upon him, lest it should be bad luck to him if she
again saw him after saying good-bye.
The skeleton's parting was not quite so demonstrative. He clasped Toby's
hand with one set of his fleshless fingers, while with the other he
wiped one or two suspicious-looking drops of moisture from his eyes, as
he said, "I hope you'll get along all right, my boy, and I believe you
will. You will get home to Uncle Daniel, and be happier than ever, for
now you know what it is to be entirely without a home. Be a good boy,
mind your uncle, go to school, and one of these days you'll make a good
man. Good-bye, my boy."
The tears were now streaming down Toby's face very rapidly; he had not
known, in his anxiety to get home, how very much he cared for this
strangely assorted couple, and now it made him feel very miserable and
wretched that he was going to leave them. He tried to say something
more, but the tears choked his utterance, and he left the tent quickly
to prevent himself from breaking down entirely.
In order that his grief might not be noticed, and the cause of it
suspected, Toby went out behind the tent, and, sitting there on a stone,
he gave way to the tears which he could no longer control.
While he was thus engaged, heeding nothing which passed around him, he
was startled by a cheery voice which cried, "Halloo! down in the dumps
again? What is the matter now, my bold equestrian?"
Looking up, he saw Ben standing before him, and he wiped his eyes
hastily, for here was another from whom he must part, and to whom a
good-bye must be spoken.
Looking around to make sure that no one was within hearing, he went up
very close to the old driver, and said, in almost a whisper, "I was
feelin' bad 'cause I just come from Mr. and Mrs. Treat, an' I've been
say in' good-bye to them. I'm goin' to run away to-night."
Ben looked at him for a moment, as if he doubted whether the boy knew
exactly what he was talking about, and then said, "So you still want to
go home, do you?"
"Oh yes, Ben, _so_ much," was the reply, in a tone which expressed how
dear to him was the thought of being in his old home once more.
"All right, my boy; I won't say one word agin it, though it do seem too
bad, after you've turned out to be such a good rider," said the old man,
thoughtfully. "It's better for you, I know; for a circus hain't no place
for a boy, even if he wants to stay, an' I can't say but I'm glad you're
still determined to go."
Toby felt relieved at the tone of this leave-taking. He had feared that
Old Ben, who thought a circus-rider was almost on the topmost round of
Fortune's ladder, would have urged him to stay, since he had made his
_debut_ in the ring, and he was almost afraid that he might take some
steps to prevent his going.
"I wanted to say good-bye now," said Toby, in a choking voice, "'cause
perhaps I sha'n't see you again."
"Good-bye, my boy," said Ben as he took the boy's hand in his. "Don't
forget this experience you've had in runnin' away; an' if ever the time
comes that you feel as if you wanted to know that you had a friend,
think of Old Ben, an' remember that his heart beats just as warm for you
as if he was your father. Good-bye, my boy, good-bye, an' may the good
God bless you!"
"Good-bye, Ben," said Toby; and then, as the old driver turned and
walked away, wiping something from his eye with the cuff of his sleeve,
Toby gave full vent to his tears, and wondered why it was that he was
such a miserable little wretch.
There was one more good-bye to be said, and that Toby dreaded more than
all the others. It was to Ella. He knew that she would feel badly to
have him go, because she liked to ride the act with him that gave them
such applause, and he felt certain that she would urge him to stay.
Just then the thought of another of his friends--one who had not yet
been warned of what very important matter was to occur--came into his
mind, and he hastened toward the old monkey's cage. His pet was busily
engaged in playing with some of the younger members of his family, and
for some moments could not be induced to come to the bars of the cage.
At last, however, Toby did succeed in coaxing him forward, and then,
taking him by the paw, and drawing him as near as possible, Toby
whispered, "We're goin' to run away to night, Mr. Stubbs, an' I want
you to be all ready to go the minute I come for you."
The old monkey winked both eyes violently, and then showed his teeth to
such an extent that Toby thought he was laughing at the prospect, and he
said, a little severely, "If you had as many friends as I have got in
this circus you wouldn't laugh when you was goin' to leave them. Of
course I've got to go, an' I want to go; but it makes me feel bad to
leave the skeleton, an' the fat woman, an' Old Ben, an' little Ella. But
I mustn't stand here. You be ready when I come for you, an' by mornin'
we'll be so far off that Mr. Lord nor Mr. Castle can't catch us."
The old monkey went toward his companions, as if he were in high glee at
the trip before him, and Toby went into the dressing tent to prepare for
the evening's performance--which was about to commence.
It appeared to the boy as if every one was unusually kind to him that
night, and, feeling sad at leaving those in the circus who had
befriended him, Toby was unusually attentive to every one around him. He
ran on some trifling errand for one, helped another in his dressing, and
in a dozen kind ways seemed as if trying to atone for leaving them
secretly.
When the time came for him to go into the ring and he met Ella, bright
and happy at the thought of riding with him and repeating her triumphs
of the afternoon, nothing save the thought of how wicked he had been to
run away from good old Uncle Daniel, and a desire to right that wrong in
some way, prevented him from giving up his plan of going back.
The little girl observed his sadness, and she whispered, "Has any one
been whipping you, Toby?"
Toby shook his head. He had thought that he would tell her what he was
about to do just before they went into the ring, but her kind words
seemed to make that impossible, and he had said nothing, when the blare
of the trumpets, the noisy demonstrations of the audience, and the
announcement of the clown that the wonderful children riders were now
about to appear, ushered them into the ring.
If Toby had performed well in the afternoon, he accomplished wonders on
this evening, and they were called back into the ring, not once, but
twice; and when finally they were allowed to retire, every one behind
the curtain overwhelmed them with praise.
Ella was so profuse with her kind words, her admiration for what Toby
had done, and so delighted at the idea that they were to ride together,
that even then the boy could not tell her what he was going to do, but
went into his dressing-room, resolving that he would tell her all when
they both had finished dressing.
Toby made as small a parcel as possible of the costume which Mr. and
Mrs. Treat had given him--for he determined that he would take it with
him--and, putting it under his coat, went out to wait for Ella. As she
did not come out as soon as he expected he asked some one to tell her
that he wanted to see her, and he thought to himself that when she did
come she would be in a hurry, and could not stop long enough to make any
very lengthy objections to his leaving.
But she did not come at all--her mother sent out word that Toby could
not see her until after the performance was over, owing to the fact that
it was now nearly time for her to go into the ring, and she was not
dressed yet.
Toby was terribly disappointed. He knew that it would not be safe for
him to wait until the close of the performance if he were intending to
run away that night, and he felt that he could not go until he had said
a few last words to her.
He was in a great perplexity, until the thought came to him that he
could write a good-bye to her, and by this means any unpleasant
discussion would be avoided.
After some little difficulty he procured a small piece of not very clean
paper and a very short bit of lead-pencil, and using the top of one of
the wagons, as he sat on the seat, for a desk, he indited the following
epistle:
"deaR ella I Am goin to Run away two night, & i want two say
good by to yu & your mother. i am Small & unkle Danil says i
dont mount two much, but i am old enuf two know that you
have bin good two me, & when i Am a man i will buy you a
whole cirkus, and we Will ride together. dont forgit me & I
wont yu in haste TOBY TYLER."
Toby had no envelope in which to seal this precious letter, but he felt
that it would not be seen by prying eyes, and would safely reach its
destination, if he intrusted it to Old Ben.
It did not take him many moments to find the old driver, and he said, as
he handed him the letter, "I didn't see Ella to tell her I was goin', so
I wrote this letter, an' I want to know if you will give it to her?"
"Of course I will. But see here, Toby"--and Ben caught him by the sleeve
and led him aside where he would not be overheard--"have you got money
enough to take you home? for if you haven't I can let you have some."
And Ben plunged his hand into his capacious pocket, as if he was about
to withdraw from there the entire United States Treasury.
Toby assured him that he had sufficient for all his wants; but the old
man would not be satisfied until he had seen for himself, and then,
taking Toby's hand again, he said, "Now, my boy, it won't do for you to
stay around here any longer. Buy something to eat before you start, an'
go into the woods for a day or two before you take the train or
steamboat. You're too big a prize for Job or Castle to let you go
without a word, an' they'll try their level best to find you. Be
careful, now, for if they should catch you, good-bye any more chances to
get away. There"--and here Ben suddenly lifted him high from the ground
and kissed him--"now get away as fast as you can."
Toby pressed the old man's hand affectionately, and then, without
trusting himself to speak, walked swiftly out toward the entrance.
He resolved to take Ben's advice and go into the woods for a short time,
and therefore he must buy some provisions before he started.
As he passed the monkeys' cage he saw his pet sitting near the bars, and
he stopped long enough to whisper, "I'll be back in ten minutes, Mr.
Stubbs, an' you be all ready then."
Then he went on, and just as he got near the entrance one of the men
told him that Mrs. Treat wished to see him.
Toby could hardly afford to spare the time just then, but he would
probably have obeyed the summons, if he had known that by so doing he
would be caught, and he ran as fast as his little legs would carry him
toward the skeleton's tent.
The exhibition was open, and both the skeleton and his wife were on the
platform when Toby entered; but he crept around at the back and up
behind Mrs. Treat's chair, telling her as he did so that he had just
received her message, and that he must hurry right back, for every
moment was important then to him.
"I put up a nice lunch for you," she said as she kissed him, "and you'll
find it on the top of the biggest trunk. Now go; and if my wishes are of
any good to you, you will get to your uncle Daniel's house without any
trouble. Good-bye again, little one."
Toby did not dare to trust himself any longer where every one was so
kind to him. He slipped down from the platform as quickly as possible,
found the bundle--and a good-sized one it was too--without any
difficulty, and went back to the monkeys' cage.
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.
[Illustration: THE RUNAWAYS.]
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,
"Good-bye, Mr. Treat, an' Mrs. Treat, an' Ella, an' Ben. Some time, when
I'm a man, I'll come back, an' bring you lots of nice things, an' I'll
never forget you--never. When I have a chance to be good to some little
boy that felt as bad as I did I'll do it, an' tell him that it was you
did it. Good-bye."
Then, turning around, he ran toward the woods as swiftly as if his
escape had been discovered and the entire company were in pursuit.