Toby Tyler; Or, Ten Weeks with a Circus — John Shaqi
Toby Tyler; Or, Ten Weeks with a CircusOtis, James
General
Toby Tyler; Or, Ten Weeks with a Circus
Otis, James
Circus -- Fiction; Runaways -- Fiction
Mr. Job Lord lifted the poor boy entirely clear of the ground, and
each blow that he struck could be heard almost the entire length of the
circus train.
“You've been makin' so many acquaintances here that you hain't willin'
to do any work,” he said, savagely, as he redoubled the force of his
blows.
“Oh, please stop! please stop!” shrieked the poor boy in his agony.
“I'll do everything you tell me to, if you won't strike me again!”
This piteous appeal seemed to have no effect upon the cruel man, and he
continued to whip the boy, despite his cries and entreaties, until
his arm fairly ached from the exertion and Toby's body was crossed and
recrossed with the livid marks of the cane.
“Now let's see whether you'll 'tend to your work or not!” said the
man as he flung Toby from him with such force that the boy staggered,
reeled, and nearly fell into the little brook that flowed by the
roadside. “I'll make you understand that all the friends you've whined
around in this show can't save you from a lickin' when I get ready to
give you one! Now go an' do your work that ought to have been done an
hour ago!”
Mr. Lord walked away with the proud consciousness of a man who has
achieved a great victory, and Toby was limping painfully along toward
the cart that was used in conveying Mr. Lord's stock in trade, when he
felt a tiny hand slip into his and heard a childish voice say:
“Don't cry, Toby. Sometime, when I get big enough, I'll make Mr. Lord
sorry that he whipped you as he did; and I'm big enough now to tell him
just what kind of a man I think he is.”
Looking around, Toby saw his little acquaintance of the evening
previous, and he tried to force back the big tears that were rolling
down his cheeks as he said, in a voice choked with grief: “You're awful
good, an' I don't mind the lickin' when you say you're sorry for me. I
s'pose I deserve it for runnin' away from Uncle Dan'l.”
“Did it hurt you much?” she asked, feelingly.
“It did when he was doin' it,” replied Toby, manfully, “but it don't a
bit, now that you've come.”
“Then I'll go and talk to that Mr. Lord, and I'll come and see you again
after we get into town,” said the little miss, as she hurried away to
tell the candy vender what she thought of him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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