Show we k ma 1 the hous of thet the T three rec i genders fr aby irving bachellor Bachell cr 1 I SYNOPSIS exhausted ragged and starving a b boy 07 ot of about sixteen la is found in tho the woods wood by a camping party its he has ha flod from his ht brutal father bat morry son on hat bat cornea comes a after him but hla his now new friends rie n do conceal boncea I 1 h him im CHAPTER I 1 continued A without d a word 2 bat strode off into she aie darkness ar kness he went not in the direction rg on of falls but back on the trail tr 11 d dead creek floe he was kilk e panther growling with 3 arpir ja a veritable child of the dark tn n which he walked i wont be comin back hero here S t declared dc cared theres a lumber scamp camp down by grass pond hell head fer that ile ho aint coln to give up lookin fer the boy bat needs him the boy could earn many a bottle 0 whisky for him this summer bat had not recognized his son shad went to bed that night with a deep pity in his heart for or the man who was his father remembering as ho he did the good days past of which there were some like starlight in his dark memories soon he slept as only a weary boy can sleep he awoke refreshed in the morning im glad it aint yesterday no more i he said to mr converse as he waa w s dressing 1 I feel better more like a v 1 11 man r you look like a gentleman and I 1 want you to learn to eat as gentlemen do bat E at slowly and keep your knife away front from your face use it only to cut your food and eat with your fork 1 I wont forget your advice said the boy id like to be a gentleman they went to breakfast after the weal meal mr converse turned to the lad ind saying ill ID send uncle 1 phi chlde de down the trail with you to iny I 1 camp mp hell keep you happy till youre b dit danger liger point uncle bhide you take a gun with you and see that ho he gets there when scott and the boy were ready to 40 set out the latter in his bla new clothes ahli Hl i tp 44 4 1 I hops ahls as fond of ladles as he Is of flapjacks Flap jacks 11 and mustache mr converse said to him nave you got your mon money eyll yes tee sar ive got it pinned in my pocket all sate safe 1 I when you get out of the woods st lawrence ciuni county its near canada you could jump across d av sw the tha border barder if necessary and be safe tabe take this letter to my friend C colonel r blake ake he lives in canton 11 then shad Sha dand and the famous guide began sin their journey through that winding green aisle in the deep woods from big 1118 I 1 de deer 6 r rond pond to M mud ud lake they X had bad gone about a mile when at a point trail sloped down a hillside athe the guide stopped suddenly some soini one jest crossed the trail mer in the valle valley v he h ahe guide buldo stood still look ij arthe at the point where a amov egure ie had bad attracted his attention alq be e whispered its ita a man skit n on a log by the side 0 W the aral trait lie he see us ua come on it its tag yer father I 1 may stop a minute but you walk right on as if ed never aaen him before 9 within five minutes they came upon but bat morrison Mor ryson sitting bitting at the trailside trail side the boy walking ahead had assumed a slight blight limp to disguise his gait t bat greeted him saying nello hello g stranger shad made anade no BO reply hes deaf and dumb j fin an ye yb might as well talk to that tha ilog log yer sit tinon on bhide scott as he stopped by the T t 1 huge cyclopean bat y r the boy passed en around a turn in ane trail and in a moment was beyond the reach of their vision in a short time the guide overtook him he mistrusts that abat youre back at my camp said scott hes heard beard at grass pond that converse Is 1 over with zae me laa mad aphis up hla mind that thai the millionaire will gryto try to slip clip you across to hla his place at bog lake A ratio mile or so farther on the two camo came to that big black pond known as mud lake they got into the on only y boat ut the I 1 landing anding and rowed across it was now a two mile stretch to bog lake walled in by giant pines and spruced spruces meanwhile the slow intellect of bat morrison Mor ryson sitting on a log by the trailside had begun to find its way lie ile had been thinking about the small stranger who had coma down the trail with bhide scott there wad something familiar in the look of that chap suddenly be arose by G d dl I 1 fooled roe me ho he said to himself dressed the boy up an put a piece 0 fur on his bis lip fill an slipped him right under my coy nose lie ile hurried down the trail in pursuit of scott and shad not half a mile behind them lie ile was losing a slave and tho the slave was of considerable value when he got to mud lake and found no boat and saw the others landing a mile away on the far shore he started to skirt the lake with his mouth full of curses CHAPTER II 11 the fugitive resorts to strategy soon after shad arrived at the big log camp of mr converse he be and his guide crossed bog lake and set out for the railroad A freight and accommodation train wits was waiting at a flag station shad got aboard and went on to fulton chain ue ile was waa advised to change there to the express train bound for utica this he did rt it was the fourth of july there had been a celebration of the day in the forest village shad stood in the midst of a merry throng when the express train arrived after tile the engine had bad passed he be saw the head of his father protruding from a window of the smoking car the man was looking intently at the crowded platform the boy ducked do downward as if looking for something he had dropped he climbed aboard a car near him won dering whether he had better take that train or wait for another perhaps his bis father would get off there A happy of and girls sat around him blowing tin horns laughin ing throwing jests and missiles ellea at one abnot toys s and girls could be so BO happy aa A I 1 a after the train started bat mor ryson came through the car looking for his son ire he went to the end of the train and back his bis big red eye searching in vain for the boy slave shad got out with a large band of merrymakers merry makers at remsen suddenly ho he discovered that hla his father was walk ing just ahead of him film with a stranger if I 1 dont find the young devil here ril buy a bottle ol 01 0 whisky an put for home ho he was wag saying ive had bad enough 01 0 this shad left them at the next corner and went straight out into the country after some hours of travel he came to a new mown meadow by the roadside where dried hay was cocked or in windrows wind rows he crossed the fence tore open a coak of cf hay and made for him self a comfortable bed of the sweet grasses and lay down upon it and fell asleep lie ile was up at daylight about midday he came to a little village where were a railroad station and a small hotel at the latter he got his dinner late that afternoon he got a train going north and arrived at canton about six la in the morning A bus driver told him how bow to reach the house of colonel blake two miles from town he set out in the direction indicated and was soon beyond the village up toward the hills he came to a little red house bouse with flowers in the dooryard and potted plants in the windows A small mounted brass cannon stood on one side of the lawn in the road a man and his bis dog were driving some cattle tin im lookin for colonel blakes house said the boy 1 I wonder if you were also I 1 lookin for some breakfast the man answered 1 I am kind hind 0 bun hungry well hunger la Is like every other good thing it can be carried too far you can let go of was it aa soon boon as aa I 1 have put out nut these cattle rm im hungry myself im awful hungry said bald the boy ive got money to pay for or what I 1 eat look here did you see that cannon in my yard bardt yee yea air clr well I 1 wat it at every roan man that offers me money for victuals after hes be warned if youve got moro more money than you want you can throw some of it into ray ay well tho the cattler cattle began streaming through an open barway into the pasture when all were entered and the barf bar put up the man turned to the boy and said now follow me well tend to colonel blake later the sun was up A clear beautiful summer day had begun they washed with soap and cold water dipped fro from in a rain barrel at a stand outside the t he door and went into the house and sat pat down at the breakfast table they ate in silence the hired girl bringing their food from a stove look here pird said the man ill tell you my name it if tell me yours youra names are not important but in high society a help my name to la shad morrison Mor ryson said bald the boy its quite a mouthful my name to la alson blahe be you colonel blake yes thata what they call me heres a letter for you shad drew the letter from hla pocket and put it in div hands the latter opened and read it converse I 1 lie ile knows a good thing when he sees it and I 1 guess hed know a good boy blakes wife and daughter entered the room with a cheery greeting and sat oat down at the table heres a boy come up the road this mornin 11 the colonel said eald to his bis wife 1 I hope hes as fond of ladles as an he h to la of flapjacks flap jacks 11 mrs blake was a kindly comely woman about forty years of age the blond bloyed blue eyed girl was dressed for school this girl ruth Is our professor ot of run said the roan man shad was blushing lie ile and the girl had taken a survey of each other and come to conclusions the tn young have a special gift for that thal shad thought that next to a spotted fawn fhe bhe was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen when ho he looked at her bw it was wa to discover that she was looking at lam him the same sama was true of the girl colonel blake blak saw it all and smiled in a moment he said to the boys boy well go down to the office ill give you a letter to a friend of mine over or at amity dam who told me that he ha wanted a boy to work in his store the colonel and the lad went out of doors it was the tenderhearted tender hearted impressionable able mrs blake who made all this a part of our history 8 ab he called to her husband he returned the house WE cris that beautiful boy a and nd where did he be come from the woman asked viles hes a runaway a kind of a fugitive slave what a ilis his smiling handsome face has won my heart lets keep him here a day or two and give him a chance to rest well wel I 1 ask him I 1 rather guess hed like it so it came about that the boy tarried a day and a night at the red rad farmhouse A new experience had come to shad women had been mostly hateful to him they had been hard to get along with ile he had bad had bad a poor opinion of them ile he felt something immeasurably grateful and wonderful in the motherly gentle manner of mrs blake and in the beauty and grace grac of her daughter ruth did not go to school that day she entertained the boy with th the photograph album and with croquet and throwing and catching a ball they were pleas pleased ed with all this but the their ir joy came from a different source perhaps from looking into each others eyes and from a singular motion emotion quite new to them at last they sat down very tired in the swing owing under the big maple tree where Is colonel blakel blakey the boy asked oh hes gone to town iles hes a lawyer iles hes the district attorney the girl answered proudly he goes away every morning are you going with him tomorrow T yes oyes I 1 must get to work men are so hateful always going to work TO DX BB CONTINUED |