"Now let's see if he knows you as well as Stubbs did."
Toby took the monkey in his arms with a glad cry of delight, and fondled him as if he really were the pet he had lost.
Whether it was because the animal knew that the boy was petting him, or because he had been treated harshly, and was willing to make friends with the first one who was kind to him, it is difficult to say. It is certain that as soon as he found himself in Toby's arms he nestled down with his face by the boy's neck, remaining there as contentedly as if the two had been friends for years.
"There! don't you see he knows me?" cried the boy, in delight, and then he sat down upon the ground, caressing the animal, and whispering all sorts of loving words in his ear.
"He does seem to act as if he had been introduced to you," said old Ben, with a chuckle. "It would be kinder nice if you could keep him, wouldn't it?"
"'Deed it would," replied Toby, earnestly. "I'd give everything I've got if I could have him, for he does act so much like Mr. Stubbs, it seems as if it must be him."
Then Ella whispered something to the old driver, the skeleton bestowed a very mysterious wink upon him, the fat woman nodded her head until her cheeks shook like two balls of very soft butter, and Abner looked curiously on, wondering what was the matter with Toby's friends.
He soon found out what it was, however, for Ben, after indulging in one of his laughing spasms, asked:
"Whose monkey is that you've got in your arms, Toby?"
"Why, it belongs to the circus, don't it?" And the boy looked up in surprise.