"Run, then; an' if Job abuses you, just let me know it, an' I'll
keep him from cuttin' up any monkeyshines."

Toby hardly heard the end of her sentence, so great was his haste
to get back to the booth; and just as he emerged from the tent, on
a quick run, he received a blow on the ear which sent him sprawling
in the dust, and he heard Mr. Job Lord's angry voice as it said,

"So, just the moment my back is turned you leave the stand to take
care of itself, do you, an' run around tryin' to plot some mischief
against me, eh?" And the brute kicked the prostrate boy twice with
his heavy boot.

"Please don't kick me again!" pleaded Toby. "I wasn't gone but a
minute, an' I wasn't doing anything bad."

"You're lying now, an' you know it, you young cub!" exclaimed the
angry man as he advanced to kick the boy again. "I'll let you know
who you've got to deal with when you get hold of me!"

"And I'll let you know who you've got to deal with when you get
hold of me!" said a woman's voice; and just as Mr. Lord raised his
foot to kick the boy again the fat woman seized him by the collar,
jerked him back over one of the tent ropes, and left him quite as
prostrate as he had left Toby.

"Now, Job Lord," said the angry woman, as she towered above the
thoroughly enraged but thoroughly frightened man, "I want you to
understand that you can't knock and beat this boy while I'm around.
I've seen enough of your capers, an' I'm going to put a stop to