The Flight of Pony Baker / A Boy's Town Story

the circus man; but Jim Leonard said: "Don't you tell, Pony Baker!" and he started to

e'll be watching out around the corner of your house, and when the procession comes along and he sees you're

s to feel him over, that way, and act so kind of pleasant and friendly, he would be too

n you; they'll be afraid to, on account of his dog. You'll see, he'll be the one to come for you

them came along he told them. They said it was splendid, and they said that if they could make their mothers let them, or if they could get

s coming for him, and he could not back out; he did not know what would happen if he did. It seemed to him as if his mother had done everything she could to make it harder for him. She had stewed chicken for dinner, with plenty of gravy, and hot biscuits to sop in, and peach preserves afterwards; and she kept helping

h out whether the circus man would say anything to him when he went in; and Jim Leonard rubbed up against him, when the man passed with his dog and did not even loo

er he would like to be a circus actor; and when the one came out who rode four horses bareback and stood on his head on the last horse, and drove with the reins in his teeth, Pony thought that he never could learn to do it; and if he

ony's father bought some for each of the

th you, Pony? Are you

at's all. I'm well," said Pon

his mother would ever want, and that he would tell her he had taken if she asked for it. He said it would be the very thing for Pony to carry his clothes in, for it was light and strong and would hold a lot. He helped Pony to choose his things out of his bureau draw

he should go to bed right away or pretty soon, so that nobody would think anything, and maybe he could get some sleep before he got up and went down to wait on the front steps for the circus to come along. He promised to be there with the other boys and keep the

he circus boys and he was afraid he might feel kind of lonesome. But Jim Leonard said he would soon get acquainted, and

just as well to rest a little while before the circus procession came along for him; and, anyway, he could not bear

ing, he heard his mother saying: "Where in the world is Pony? Has

, "Go out to the front steps, girls, and see if you can see him," and then he heard her coming up the stairs; and she came into

e me! Why didn't you answer me? Are you sick, Pony? Your father said you

poke very low, and his mother came up

d began to tumble his short black hair in the way she had, and she got one of his hands between her two, and kept rubbing it. "But you'v

t tired; and that was true; he felt a

lose down to his, and said very low: "Pony, dear, you don't f

threw his arms round her neck and cried; and she told him not to cry, and that she would neve

fter that, "Now I lay me," just as when he was a very little fellow. After they had finished she stooped over and kissed him aga

r a good while down-stairs. His father

e in?" and hi

uldn't disturb him, Henry.

the boy. If he keeps on acting so strangely I

, and he would have given anything if he could have gone down to his father and

, and he had to button the lower buttons of his trousers to keep it on. He got his bundle and stole down to the front door without seeming to touch his feet to anything, and when he got out on the front steps he saw the circus magician coming along. By that time the music had stopped and Pony

magician should not find him, but when he felt for the door-knob there was no door there anywhere; nothing but a smooth wall. Then he sat down on the steps and tried to shrink up so littl

ncet, when Pony heard his mother calling: "Pony, Pony! What's the matter?

glad to think that by this time the circus was far away

eally going to be sick or not. When he went back most of the fellows had forgotten that he had been going to run off wit

t a new tent to hold him; and that was the reason why they didn't take him. Archy Hawkins said: "How long did you have to wait on the front steps, Pony, dear?" But

it like a dream, and sometimes only part of it. Jim Leonard tried to help him make it out, but they could not. He said it was a pity he had oversl