Show jhc thc j ra he a ouse 0 of f the h c thres three ice U ganders ba bacheller SYNOPSIS exhausted ragged rae ered and starving a boy of about sixteen Is found in tho the woods by a camping party lie ile has haa fled from his brutal father dat bat morry son dat bat cornea comes after him but hla his new f friends a conceal him CHAPTER I 1 continued 2 without a word hat bat strode oly oft into the darkness ile he went not in the direction of high falls but back on the trail toward dead creek floe doe lie he was like a wounded panther growling with rage a veritable child of the darkness in which he be walked lie ile wont be comin back here scott declared theres a lumber camp down own by grass pond pon blell head fer that ile he aint goin to give up lookin fer the boy bat needs him the boy could earn many a bottle 0 whisky for him this summer sum nier 11 bat had not recognized his son sha went to bed that night with a jeep deep pity in its ills heart for the man who ws w s his father remembering as he did the good lays days past of which there were some like starlight in ills dark memories soon ho he slept as only a weary boy can sleep lie ile awoke refreshed in the morning im glad it aint yesterday no more lie he said to mr converse as lie he was dressing 1 I feel better more like a man you look like a gentleman and I 1 want you to learn to eat as gentlemen do eat slowly and keep your knife away from your face use it only to cut your food and eat with your fork fok 1 I wont forget your advice said the boy id like to be a gentleman they went to breakfast brenk fast after the meal mr converse turned to the lad ind saying ill send uncle polde down the trail with you to my tamp camp hell keep you happy till youre beyond the danger point uncle chlde ion you take a gun with you and see that he gets there when scott and the boy were ready to set out the latter in tits his new clothes and mustache mr converse sald said to him have you got your money 11 yes sir ive got it pinned in my packet all safe when you get outi out of the woods make for st lawrence county its near canada you ifould could jump across a c ross the border if necessary and be safe take this letter to my friend colonel blake lie ile lives in canton then shad and the famous guide eulile began their journey through that winding green ai al the deep woods from big deer pond to mud lake they had gone about a mile when at a point where the trail sloped down a hillside tile the guide stopped suddenly some one jest crossed the trail away down in the valley lie he whispered the guide stood still look ing Intently at the point where a moving figure had attracted ills his attention again lie he whispered its a man les settin on a log by the side oo 00 the trail lie ile see us cotee on if its yer father I 1 may stop a minute but you walk right on as if uever never seen him bufore within five minutes they came upon bat morrison Mor ryson sitting at the trailside trail trall side the boy walking ahead had assumed a slight limp to disguise ills hla galt gait bat greeted him saying hello stranger shad made no reply iles hes deef and dumb on an yo ye might as well talk to that log yer on said chlde scott as lie he stopped by the huge cyclopean bat the boy passed on around a turn in the trail and in a moment was beyond the reach of their vision in a short time the guide overtook him lie he mistrusts that youre back at my camp said scott lies iles heard at grass pond that converse is over with me I 1 lies les made up ills his mind thit that the millionaire will try to slip blip you across to his place at bog lake A mile or so farther on oil the two carno came to that big black pond known as ag mud atud lake they got into the only boat at the landing ard and rowed across it was now a two mile stretch to dog bog lake walled in by giant pines and spruces spruced meanwhile the slow intellect of bat morrison Mor ryson sitting on a log by bj therrall tide side had begun to find its way lie he had bid been thinking about the small i tranger who had bad come coma down the trail with chlde scott there was something familiar in the look of that chap suddenly lie arose by G d I 1 fooled me he said to himself dressed the boy up an put a piece ol 01 0 fur on his lip an slipped him right under my nose 11 lie ile hurried down the trail in pursuit of scott and shad not half a mile behind them ile he was losing a slave and 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 lie he and ills his guide crossed bog lake and set out for the railroad A freight and accommodation train was waiting at a flag station shad got aboard and went on to fulton chain ile he was advised to change there to the express train bound for utica utoca this lie he did it was the F 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 exi 1 hope hes as fond of ladles ladies as he la Is of flapjacks Flap jacks 11 press train arrived after the engine had passed lie he 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 downward as if looking for something he had dropped ile he climbed aboard a car near him ing ilig whether he had better take that train or wait for another perhaps ills his father would get off there A happy lot of boys and girls sat around him blowing tin horns horna laughing throwing jests and missiles at one another lie ile had never known that boys and girls could be so happy A little after the train started bat mor ryson came through the car looking for ills his son lie went to the end of the train and back his big red eye searching in aln for the boy slave shad got out with a large band of merrymakers merry makers at Item sIn suddenly lie discovered that ills father was walking just ahead of him with a stranger it if I 1 dont find tile the young joung devil here ill buy a bottle 0 whisky an put fer fec home lie hp was saying ive hn had 1 I enough 0 this shad left them at the next corner and went straight out into tile 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 lie ile crossed the fence tore open a cobb boelt of luy hay anil and matte made for himself a comfortable bed of the sweet grasses and lay down upon it and fell asleep lie ile was up tip at daylight about midday lie he came to a little village where were a railroad station and a small hotel at the latter lie he got hla his dinner late lale that afternoon he got a train going north and arrived at canton about six in the morning A bus driver told him how to reach the house of colonel blake two miles from town he set out in the direction indicated and was wag soon eoon beyond the village up toward the hills he came toa little red house with flowers flo in the dooryard and potted plants in the windows A small mounted brass cannon stood or on one side of the lawn in the road a man mail and ills his dog were driving x ome cattle im lookin for colonel blakes house said the boy 1 I wonder if you were also lookin for some breakfast the man answered 1 I am kind ol 01 0 hungry well hunger Is like every other good thing it can be carried too far you can let go of it as soon as I 1 have put out these cattle im hungry myself im awful hungry said the boy ive got money to pay for what I 1 eat look here did you see that cannon in my yard yes sir well I 1 shoot it at every man that offers me money for victuals after lies hes warned if youve got more money than you want you can throw some of it into my well the cattle began streaming through an open barway into the tha pasture when all were entered and the bar put up the man turned to the boy and said now follow me well tend to colonel one blake later the sun was up A clear beautiful summer day had begun they washed with apap and cold water dipped from a rain barrel at a stand outside tile the door and went into the house and sat down at the breakfast table they ate in silence the hired girl brin i ing their from it a stove look here pard said tile the man ill tell you my name if t tell e 11 me yours names are not important but in high society a help 11 my name Is shad morrison morrison Mor ryson ryson said the boy its quite a mouthful my name Is alson blake be you colonel blake yes what they call me Il heres leres a letter for you shad drew the letter from his pocket and put it in the colonels hands the latter opened and read it converse Con versel he knows a good thing when lie 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 down at the table heres a boy come up the road this moraln the colonel said to tits his wife 1 I hope hes as fond of ladles ladies as he be Is of flapjacks flap jacks mrs blake was a kindly comely woman about forty years of age the blond blue eyed girl was dressed for school this girl ruth Is our professor of fun said the man shad was blushing lie ile and the girl had taken a quick survey of each other and come to conclusions the have a special gift for that shad thought that next nest to a spotted fawn she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen when he be looked at her it was to discover that she was looking at him the same was true of the girl colonel blake saw it all and smiled in a moment he sald said to the boy well go down to the office ill give you a letter to a friend of mine ov over er at amity dam who told me that he be wanted a boy to work in his bla store the colonel and the lad went out of doors boora it was the tenderhearted tender hearted im mrs MO blake who made all this a part of our history she called to her husband ile he returned to the house who ik ib that beautiful boy and where did lie he come from the woman asked iles hes a runaway a kind of a fugitive slave what a shamel shame 1 ills his smiling handsome face lias has won my heart lets keep him here a day or two and give him a chance to rest well ask aik him I 1 rather guess held hed like it so it came about that the boy tar led a day and a night at the red farmhouse A new experience had come goshad to Shad women had been mostly hateful baleful to him they had been hard to get along with he had had a poor opinion of them ile he felt something immeasurably grateful and wonderful in the motherly gentle mariner manner of mrs alake and in the beauty and gracs graca dofher of her daughter ruth did not go to school that jay day she entertained the boy w with ith tile the photograph album and with croquet and throwing and catching a ball bal they were pleased with all this but their joy came from a different source pe per r haps from looking into each others eyes and from a singular emotion quite new to them at last they sat down very tired in the swing under the big maple tree IVI where VIlere Is colonel blake the boy asked oh lies gone to town lies hes a lawyer lies hes the district attorney the girl answered proudly ile he goes away every morning are you going with him tb tomorrow morrow yes I 1 must get to work men alen are so hateful th ayro aldaya going to work TO BE BB conta CONTINUED |