ri. IIVERto >!ARPE!U BROTHS PUBLIC FRANKLIN SQUARE. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1852, by HARI'ER & BROTHERS. to the Clerk's Office tor the Southern District f New York. Copyright, 1380, by BENJAMIN VAUCTIAX ABBOTT, Arsiwf Ansan; ABBOTT. EOWXEO ABBOTT, A ( PREFACE THE development of the moral sentiments in the human heart, in early life, and every thing in fact which relates to the formation of character, is deter mined in a far greater degree by sympathy, and by the influence of example, than by formal precepts and didactic instruction. If a boy hears his father speak ing kindly to a robin in the spring,- welcoming its coming and offering it food, there arises at once in his own mind a feeling of kindness toward the bird, and toward all the animal creation, which is produced by a sort of sympathetic action, a power somewhat similar to what in physical philosophy is called induc tion. On the other hand, if the father, instead of feed ing the bird, goes eagerly for a gun, in order that he may shoot it, the boy will sympathize in that desire, and growing up under such an influence, there will b gradually formed within him, through the mysterious tendency of t'he youthful heart to vibrate in unison with hearts that are near, a disposition to kill and destroy all helpless beings that come within his r>mv<>r. There i* 473590 vi PREFACE. no need of any formal instruction in either case. Of a thousand children brought up under the former of the above-described influences, nearly eve-v one, wheu he sees a bird, will wish to go and get crumoo to feed it, while in the latter case, nearly every one will just aa certainly look for a stone. Thus the growing up in the right atmosphere, rather than the receiving of the right instruction, is the condition which it is most important to secure, in plans for forming the characters of chil dren. It is in accordance with this philosophy that these stories, though written mainly with a view to their moral influence on the hearts and dispositions of the readers, contain very little formal exhortation and in struction. They present quiet and peaceful pictures of happy domestic life, portraying generally such conduct, and expressing such sentiments and feelings, as it ia desirable to exhibit and express in the presence of children. The books, however, will be found, perhaps, after all, to be useful mainly in entertaining and amusing the youthful readers who may peruse them, as the writing of them has been the amusement and recreation of the author in the intervals of more serious pursuita. COlSrENTS. CHi.'TEP. I. BAD TRAINING, ... .11 II- ELLEN, . . . . . . . 32 HI SICKNESS, .... .60 TV. THE SNOW-SHOES 80 V. DEATH, . 104 VI. CONSEQUENCES OF BAD Tr./.mwy, . .Ill VII. CRIME, 132 VIII. ANTONIO, ....... 154 IX. ANTONIO A PRISONER, .... 178 X. THK TRIAL, 193 XI. ANOTHER TRIAL, . . 205 XU. THE FLIGHT, ...... *U8 ENGRAVINGS. PAQl THE HOUSE WHERE RODOLPHUS LIVED. FRONT ISPIECE. THE RABBIT-HOUSE, 13 THE PURSUIT, . . 30 THE RAFT, 43 UP THE LADDER, 48 THE YARD AT MR. RANDOM'S, . 5o PLAN OF MRS. RANDOM'S HOUSE, . . . . 63 THE GREAT ROOM, . . . . . .65 ELLEN ASLEEP, .-.-'. . . . . 86 THE SNOW-SHOES, .... . . 9i THE FUNERAL, . 109 THE BOYS AND THE BOAT . . . .120 THE EVASION, 130 LIFTING THE HASP 148 THE CORN-BARN, . . . . * . . 151 THE DRAG-RIDE, 159 THE WELL, 1G8 THE CONFLAGRATION, . . . . 176 THE BARRED WINDOW, 184 ANTOIU'O'S PICTURE, ...... 187 THE COURT-ROOM, ..... 194 THE ARREST, ... ... 200 THE GOVERNOR 222 THE FR.ANCONIA STORIES, ORDER OV THE VOLUMES MALLEVILLE. WALLACE. MARY ERSKINE. MARY BELL. BEECH NU T RODOLPHUS. ELLEN LINN. STUYVESAN1 CAROLINE. AGNES SCENE OF THE STORY. F'RANCOHU a village among the mountains at the North. PRINCIPAL PERSONS. RODOLPIIUS. ELLEN LINN, his sister, residing with her aunt up the glen ANNIE LINX. a youiiger sister. ANTOINE EUNCHINETTE, a French boy, at service at Mrs. Henry's, a short distance from the village. He is called generally by grown-up people Antonio, and by the children Beechnut. MALI.EVILLE, Mrs: Henry's niece. ALPIIONZO, called commonly Phonny, her OD. MR KKEP, a lawyer. RODOLPHUS. OH AFTER I. BAD TRAINING. Moral of the story, Rodolphus's ingenuity. HE manner in which indulgence and ca- -*- price on the part of the parent, lead to the demoralization and ruin of the child, is illus trated by the history of Rpdolphua, Rodolphus, whatever may have been his faults, was certainly a very ingenious boy. When he was very young, ho made a dove- house in the end of his father's shed, all com plete, with openings for the doves to go in and out in front, and a door for himself behind. He made a ladder, also, by which he could mount up to the door. He did all this with boards, which he obtained from an old fence, for ma terial, and an ax and a wood-saw for his only tools. His father, when he came to see the dove-house, was much pleased with the inge- 12 RoDOLl'HUS. IFis dove liouse. His rabbit-house. Arrangements of it. nuity which Rodolphus had displayed in the construction of it, though he found fault with him for taking away the boards from the fence without permission. This, however, gave Ro dolphus very little concern. When the dove-house was completed, Ro dolphus obtained a pair of young doves from a farmer who lived about a mile away, and put them into a nest which he made for them in a box, inside. At another time, not long after this, he form, ed a plan for having some rabbits, and accord ingly he made a house for them in a corner of the yard where he lived, a little below the vil lage of Franconia. He made the house out of an old barrel. He sawed a hole in one side of the barrel, near the bottom of it, as it stood up upon one end, for a door, in order that the rab bits might go in and out. He put a roof over the top of it, to keep out the rain and snow. He also placed a keg 1 at the side of the barrel, by wry of wing to the building. There was a roof over this wing, too, as well as over the main body of the house, or, rather, there was a board placed over it, like a roof, though in re spect to actual use this covering was more prop erly a lid than a roof, for the keg wa intend- BAD TRAINING. The store-room. A roof on hinges. Rodolplius's mother. THE RABBIT-HOOSB ed to be used as a store-room, to keep the pro visions in which the rabbits were to eat. The board, therefore, which formed the roof of the wing of the building, was fastened at one edge by leather hinges, and so could be lifted up and let down again at pleasure. Rodolphus's mother was unwilling that he should have any rabbits. She thought that such animals, in Rodolphus's possession, would make her a great deal of trouble. But Ro- 14 RoDOLPHUS. Rodolphus holds a conversation with his mother. dolphus said that he would have some. At least, he said, he would have one. Rodolphus was standing in the path, in front of the door of his mother's house, when he said this. His mother was upon the great flat stone which served for a step. " But Beechnut asks a quarter of a dollar for his rabbits," said his mother, in an expostula ting tone, " and you have not got any money." "Ah, but I know where I can get some mon ey." said Rodolphus. ""Where?" said his mother. " Father will give it to me," said Rodolphus. "But I shall ask him not to give ic to you," said his mother. "I don't care," said Rodolphus. "I can get it, if you do." " How ?" asked his mother. Rodolphus did not answer, but began to turn summersets and cut capers on the grass, mak ing all sorts of antic gestures and funny grim aces toward his mother. Mrs. Linn, for that was his mother's name, laughed, and then went into the house, saying, as she went, " Oh, Rolf ! Rolf ! what a little rogue you are !" Rodolphus's father was a workman, and he was away from home almost all the day, though BAD TRAINING. 15 Rodolphus's way of getting money. His success. sometimes Rodolphus himself went to the place where he worked to see him. When Mr. Linn came home at night, sometimes he played with Uodolphus, and sometimes he quarreled with him ; but he never really governed him. For example, when Rodolphus was a very little hoy, he would climb up into his father's lap, and begin to feel in his father's waistcoat pockets for money. If his father directed him not to do so, Rodolphus would pay no regard to it. If he attempted to take Rodolphus's hands away by force, Rodolphus would scream and struggle ; and so his father, not wishing to make a disturbance, would desist. If Mr. Linn frowned and spoke sternly, Rodolphus would tickle him and make him lauo-h. O Finally, Rodolphus would succeed in getting a cent, perhaps, or some other small coin, from his father's pocket, and would then climb down and run away. The father would go after him, and try all sorts of coaxings and threatenings to induce Rodolphus to bring the cent back ; while Mrs. Linn would look on, laughing, and saying, perhaps, "Ah, let him have the cent, husband. It is not much." Being encouraged thus by his mother's in terposition, Rodolphus would, of course, perse- 16 RODOLPHUS. His way of triumphing over his father. Story of the blocks. vere, and the contest would end at last by his keeping the money. Then he would insist, the next day, on going into the little village close by, and spending it for gingerbread. He would go, while eating his gingerbread, to where his father was at work, and hold it up to his father as in triumph, making it a sort of trophy, as it were, of victory. His father would shake his finger at him, laughing at the same time, and saying, "Ah, Rolf! Rolf! what a little rogue you are !" Rodolphus, in a word, generally contrived tc have his own way in almost every thing. His mother did not attempt to govern him ; she tried to manage him ; but, in the end, it gen erally proved that he managed her. In fact, whenever he was engaged in any contest with his mother, his father would usually take the boy's part, just as his mother had done in his contests with his father. For instance, one winter evening, when he was quite a small boy, he was sitting in a cor ner, playing with some blocks. He was build ing a saw-mill. His mother was at work in A little kitchen, which opened into the room where he was at play. His father was sitting on the settle, by the fire, reading a newspaper. Tha BAD TRAINING. 17 Hodolphus will not go to bed. Contention with his mother. door was open which led into the kitchen, and Rodolphus, while he was at work upon his mill watched his mother's motions ; for he knew that when she had finished the work which she was Joing, and had swept up the room, she would come to put him to Led. So Rodolphus went on building the mill, and the bridge, and the flume which was to convey the water to his mill, listening all the time to the sounds in the kitchen, and looking up from time to time, with a very watchful eye, at the door. At length he heard the sound of the sweep ing, and, a few minutes afterward, his mother appeared at the door, coming in. Rodolphus dropped his blocks, sprang to his feet, and ran round behind the table a round table which stood out in the middle of the room. " Now, Rodolphus," said his mother, in a tone of remonstrance, looking at the same time very seriously at him, "it is time for you to go to bed." Rodolphus said nothing, but began to danco about, looking at his mother very intently all the time, and moving this way and that, as sho moved, so as to keep himself exactly on the op posite side of the table from her. " Rodolplms !" said his mother, in a very B 18 RODOLPHUS. Mr. Linn takes part with Rodolphus. stern and commanding tone, " come to me this minute." Rodolphus continued his dancing. Rodolphus's mother was a very beautiful young woman. Her dark, glossy hair hung in curls upon her neck. When she found that it did no good to com mand Rodolphus, the stern expression of hei face changed into a smile, and she said, " "Well, if you won't come, I shall have U catch you, that's all." So saying, she ran round the table to catch him. Rodolphus ran too. His mother turned first one way and then the other, but she could not get any nearer to the fugitive. Rodolphua kept always on the farthest side of the tablo from her. Presently, Mr. Linn himself looked up, and began to cheer Rodolphus, and encour age him to run ; and once, when Mrs. Linn nearly caught him and he yet escaped, Mr. Linn clapped his hands in token of his joy. Mrs. Linn was now discouraged ; so she stop- ped, and, looking sternly at Rodolphus again, she said, " Now, Rodolphus, you must come to me. Come this minute. If you don't come, I shall certainly punish you." She spoke these words BAD TRAINING. 19 A new plan. Failure of it. Rodolphus will not submit. with a great deal of force and emphasis, in or der to make Rodolphus think that she was re ally in earnest. But Rodolphus did not believe ihat she was in earnest, and so it was evident that he had no intention to obey. Mrs. Linn then thought of another plan for catching the fugitive, which was to push the table along to one side of the room, or up into a corner, and get Rodolphus out from behind it in that way. So she began to push. Rodolph us immediately began to resist her attempt by pushing against the table himself on the other side. His mother was the strongest, however, and she succeeded in gradually working the table, with Rodolphus before it, over to the fui- ther side of the room, notwithstanding all the efforts that he made to prevent it. When he found at last that he was likely to be caught, he left the table and ran behind the settle where his father was reading. His mother ran after him, and caught him in the corner. She attempted to take him, but Rodolphus began to struggle and scream, and to shake hi a shoulders when she took hold of them, evincing his determination not to go with her. At the same time he called out, " Father ! father !" His father looked around at the end of tho settle to see what was the matter. 20 RODOLPHUS. Annie in the cradle. Rodolphus becomes a bad boy " He won't let me put him to bed," said Mrs, Linn, " and it was time half an hour ago." " Oh, let him sit up a little while longer, if he likes," said Mr. Linn. " It's of no use to make him cry." Mrs. Linn reluctantly left Rodolphus, mur muring to herself that he ought to go to hed. Very soon, she said, he would be asleep upon the floor. " I would make him go," she added, " only if he cries and makes a noise, it will wake Annie." In fact, Annie was beginning to move a little in the cradle then. The cradle in which Annie was sleeping was by the side of the fire, oppo site to the settle. Mrs. Linn went to it to rock it, so that Annie might go to sleep again, and Rodolphus returned victorious to his mill. These are specimens of the ways in which Rodolphus used to manage his father and moth er, while he was quite young. He becamo more and more accomplished and capable in attaining his ends as he grew older, and finally succeeded in establishing the ascendency of his own will over that of his father and mother, almost entirely. He was about four years old when the inci dents occurred which have been just described. BAD TR AIW The flat rock Situation of the house The gate. When he was about five years old, he used to begin to go and play alone down by the water. His fathers house was near the water, just be low the bridge. There were some high rocks near the shore, and a large flat rock rising out of the water. Rodolphus liked very much to go down to this flat rock and play upon it. His mother was very much afraid to have him go upon this rock, for the water was deep near it, and she was afraid that he might fall in. But Rodolphus would go. The road which led to Mr. Linn's from the village passed round the rocks above, at some distance above the bank of the stream. There was a fence along upon the outer side of the road, with a little gate where Rodolphus used to come through. From the gate there was a path, with steps, which led down to the water. At one time, in order to prevent Rodolphus from going down there, Mr. Linn fastened up the gate. Then Rodolphus would climb over the fence. So his father, finding that it did no good to fasten up the gate, opened it again. Not content with going down to the flat stone contrary to his mother's command, Rodolphus would sometimes threaten to go there and jump off, by way of terrifying her, when his mother 22 R O D L P H U S. Account of Annie. Annie at the rabbit -house. would not give him what he wanted. This would frighten Mrs. Linn very much, and she would usually yield at once to his demands, in order to avert the danger. Finally, she persua ded her husband to wheel several loads of stones there and fill up the deep place, after which she was less uneasy about Rodolphus's jumping in. Rodolphus was about ten years old when he made his rabbit-house. Annie, his sister, had grown up too. She was two years younger than Rodolphus, and of course was eight. She was beautiful like her mother. She had blue eyes, and her dark hair hung in curls about her neck. She was a gentle and docile girl, and was often much distressed to see how disobedi ent and rebellious Rodolphus w r as toward his father and mother. She went out to see the rabbit-house which Rodolphus had made, and she liked it very much. She wished that her mother would al low them to have a rabbit to put into it, and she said so, as she stood looking at it, with he? hands behind her. H U S. Plan for an expedition. Invitation to Annie. CHAPTER II. ELLEN. THE next morning after Rodolphus had ob tained his quarter of a dollar in the manner we have described, he proposed to Annie to go with him to buy his rabbit. It would not be very far, he said. " I should like to go very much," said Annie, " if my mother will let me." " Oh, she will let you," said Rodolphus ; "/ can get her to let you." Rodolphus waited till his father had gone away after breakfast, before asking his mother to let Annie go with him. He was afraid that his father might make some objection to the plan. After his father had gone, he went to ask his mother. At first she said very decidedly that Annio could not go. " Why not?" asked Rodolphus. " Oh, I could not trust her with you so far,' replied his mother ; " she is too little." ELLEN. 33 Plans for bringing home the rabbit. There followed a long and earnest debate be tween Rodolphus and his mother, which ended at last in her consent that Annie should go. Rodolphus found a basket in the shed, which he, took to bring his rabbit home in. He put a cloth into the basket, and also a long piece of twine. The cloth was to spread over the top }f the basket, and the twine to tie round it, in order to keep the rabbit in. When Rodolphus was ready to go, his mother told him that she was afraid that he might lose his quarter of a dollar on the way, and, in order to make it more secure, she proposed to tie it up for him in the corner of a pocket handker chief. " Why, that would not do any good, mother," said Rodolphus, " for then I should only lose handkerchief and all." "No," replied his mother, "you would not be so likely to lose the handkerchief. The handkerchief could not be shaken out of your pocket so easily, nor get out through any small hole Besides, if you should by any chance lose the money, you could find it again much more readily if it was tied up in a handker chief, that being so large and easily seen." So Mrs. Linn tied the money in the corner o> r. 34 RODOLPHUS. Rodolphus disregards his mother's diicctions. a pocket handkerchief, and then put the hand- kerchief itself in Rodolphus's pocket. The place where Rodolphus lived was in Franconia, just below the village. There was a bridge in the middle of the village, with a dam across the stream just above it. There were mills near the dam. Just below the dam the water was very rapid. Rodolphus walked along with Annie till he came to the bridge. On the way, as soon as he got out of sight of the house, he pulled the handkerchief out of his pocket, and began un tying the knot. u "What are you going to do ?" asked Annie. " I am going to take the money out of this pocket handkerchief," said Rodolphus. So saying, he untied the knot, and when he had got the money out, he put the money it self in one pocket and the handkerchief in the other, and then walked along again. When Rodolphus reached the bridge, he turn ed to go over it. Annie was at first afraid to gc over it. She wanted to gc some other way. " There is no other way," said Rodolphus " Where is it that you are going to get the rabbit ?" asked Annie. " To Beechnut's," said Rodolphus. ELL UN. 35 Annie alraid of the bridge. Wagon coining. " Beechnut's," repeated Annie ; " that's a funny name." " Why, his real name is Antonio," said Ro- dolphus. " But, come, walk along; there is no danger in going over the bridge." Notwithstanding her brother's assurances that there was no danger, Annie was very much afraid of the bridge. She, however, walked along, but she kept as near the middle of the roadway as she could. Sometimes she came to wide cracks in the floor of the bridge, through which she could sec the water foaming and tumbling over the rocks far below. There was a sort of balustrade or railing each side of the bridge, but it was very open. Rodolphus went to this railing, and, putting his head between the bars of it, looked down. Annie begged him to come back. But he said he wished to look and see if there were any fishes down there in the water. In the mean time Annie walked along very carefully, taking long steps over the cracks, and choosing her way with great caution. Presently she heard a noise behind her, and, looking round, she saw a wagon coming. This frightened her moro than ever. So she began to run as fast as she could run, and very soon she got safely acro-a* 36 R o D o L p ii u s. Beechnut's name. Talk about him. the bridge. When she reached the land, she went out to the side of the road to let the wagon go by, and sat down there to wait for her brother. Presently Rodolphus came. Annie left her seat and went back into the road to meet him, and so they walked along together. " If his name is truly Antonio," said Annie, ** why don't you call him Antonio ?" " Oh, I don't know," said Rodolphus ; "the boys always call him Beechnut." lt I mean to call him Antonio," said Annie. "if I see him." " "Well, you imll see him," said Rodolphus, " for we go right where he lives." " "Where does he live ?" asked Annie. " He lives at Phonny's," said Rodolphus. " And where is Phonny's ?" asked Annie. "Oh, it is a house up here by the valley. Didn't you ever go there ?" " No," said Annie. " It is a very pleasant house," said Rodolphus. " There is a river in front of it, and a pier, and a boat. There is a boat-house, too. There used to be a little girl there too just about as big as you." " What was her name ?" asked Annio ELLEN. 37 Account cf Ellen Linn. Her aunt. " Malleville," replied Rodolphus. "I have heard about Malleville," said An* nie. '' How did you hear about her ?" asked Ro- do phus. ' My sister Ellen told me about her," said Annie. " We can. go and see Ellen," said Rodolphus. " after we have got the rabbit." ""Well," said Annie, "I should like to go and see her very much." Rodolphus and Annie had a sister Ellen. She was two years older than Rodolphus. Ro dolphus was at this time about ten. Ellen way twelve. Antonio was fourteen. Ellen did not live at home. She lived with her aunt. She went to live with her aunt when she was about eight years old. Her aunt lived in a small farm-house among the mountains, and when Ellen was about eight years old, she was taken sick, and so Ellen went to the house to help take care of her. Ellen was a very quiet and still, and, at the same time, a very diligent and capable girl. She was very useful to her aunt in her sickness She took care of the fire, and kept the room in order ; and she set a little table very neatly at 38 RODOLPHUS. Difference between Ellen and Roilulphus. tiic bed-side, when her aunt got well enough, to take food. It was a long time before her aunt was well enough to leave her bed, and then she could not sit up much, and she could not walk about at all. She could only lie upon a sort of sofa, which her husband made for her in his shop. So Ellen remained to take care of her from week to week, until at last her aunt's house be came her home altogether. Ellen liked to live at her aunt's very much, for the house was quiet, and orderly, and well managed, and every thing went smoothly and pleasantly there. At home, on the other hand, every thing was always in confusion, and Ro- dolphus made so much noise and uproar, and encroached so much on the peace and comfort of the family by his self-will and his domineer ing temper, that Ellen was always uneasy and unhappy when she was at her mother's. She liked to be at her aunt's, therefore, better ; and as her aunt liked her, she gradually came to make that her home. Rodolphus used fre quently to go and see her, and even Annie went sometimes. Annie was very much pleased with the plan of going now to make Ellen a visit. They ELLEN. 39 Danger in the road Rodolphus's courage. walked quietly along the road, talking of this plan, when Annie suddenly called out, " Oh, Rodolplms, look there !" Rodolphus looked, and saw a drove of cattle coming along the road. It was a very large drove, and it filled up the road almost entirely. " Who cares for that ?" said Rodolphus. Annie seemed to care for it very much. She ran out to the side of the road. Rodolphus walked quietly after her, saying, " Don't be afraid, Annie. You can climb up on the fence, if you like, till they get by." There was a large stump by the side of the fence, at the place where Rodolphus and Annie approached it, and Rodolphus, running to it, said, "Quick, Annie, quick! climb up on this stump." Rodolphus climbed up on the stump, and then helped Annie up after him. They had, however, but just got their footing upon it, when Rodolphus looked down at his feet, and saw a hornet crawling out of a crevice in the side of the stump. "Ah, Annie, Annie! a hornet's nest ! a hornet's nest !" exclaimed Ro dolphus ; "we must run." So saying, Rodolphus climbed down from the wtump, on the side opposite to where he had seen 40 RODOLPHUS. Rodolphus protects Annie in all her difficulties. the hornet come out, and then helped Annie down. " We must run across to the other side of the road," said he. So saying, he hurried back into the road again, leading Annie by the hand. They found, however, that they were too late to gain the fence on the other side, for several of the cattle had advanced along by the green bank on that side so far that the fence was lined with them, and Rodolphus saw at a glance that he could not get near it. " Never mind, Annie," said Rodolphus, " we will stay here, right in the middle of the road. Stand behind me, and I will keep the cattle off with my basket." So Annie took her stand behind Rodolphus, in the middle of the road, while Rodolphus, by swinging his basket to and fro, toward the cat tle as they came on, made them separate to the right and left, and pass by on each side, Ro- dolphus, besides waving his basket at the cat tle, shouted to them in a very stern and author itative manner, saying, " Hie ! Wlioh ! Hie- up, there ! Ho !" The cattle were slow to turn out ; but they did turn out, just before they came to where Rodolphus and Annie were stand- ELLEN. 41 The bank of a river. Rodolphua finds a raft Ihore. ing, crowding and jamming each other in great confusion. The herd closed together again as soon as they had passed the children, so that for a time Rodolphus and Annie stood in a little space in the road, with the monstrous oxen all around them. At length the herd all passed safely by, and then Rodolphus and Annie went on. After walking along a little further, they came to the bank of a river. The road lay along the bank of this river. There was a smooth sandy beach down by the water. Rodolphus and Annie went down there a few minutes to play. There was an old raft there. It was floating in the water, but was fastened by a rope to a stake in the sand. " Ah, here is a raft, Annie," said Rodolphus. " I'll tell you what we will do. "We will go the rest of the way by water, on this raft. I'm tired of walking so far." "Oh no," said Annie, "I'm afraid to go on that raft. It will sink." " Oh no," said Rodolphus, " it will not sink. See." So saying, he stepped upon the raft, to show Annie how stable it was. " I'll get a block," he continued, " for you to sit on." 42 RODOLPHUS. Perilous navigation. Very little progress made. Annie was very much afraid of the raft, though she was not quite so much afraid of it as she had been of the bridge, because the bridge was very high up above the water, and there was, consequently, as she imagined, danger of a fall. Besides, the water where the raft was lying was smooth and still, while that beneath the bridge was a roaring torrent. Finally, An nie allowed herself to be persuaded to get upon the raft. Rodolphus found a block lying upon the shore, and he put that upon the raft for An nie to sit upon. "When Annie was seated, Ro dolphus stepped upon the raft himself, and with a long pole he pushed it out from the shore, while Annie balanced herself as well as she could upon the block. The water was not very deep, and Rodolphus, could push the raft along very easily by setting the end of his pole against the bottom. Annie sat upon her block very still. It happened, however, unfortunately, that the place where Antonio lived was up the stream, not down, and Rodolphus found that though he could move his raft very easily round and round, and even back and forth, he could not get forward much on hia way, on account of the force of the current, svhich was strong against him. He advanced ELLEN. Hodolntius gets discouraged. 43 a little way, however, and then he began to be tired of so difficult a navigation. " I don't think we shall go very far on the raft," said he, to Annie, " there is such a strong tide." Just then Rodolphus began to look very in- 44 RODOLPHLS The raft comes to pieces in the water. tentiy into the water before him. He thought he saw a pickerel. He was just going to at tempt to spear him with his pole, when hia attention was arrested by hearing Annie call out, " Oh, Rolfy ! Rolfy ! the raft is all coming to pieces." Rodolphus looked round, and saw that the boards of which the raft had been made were separating from each other at the end of the raft where Annie was sitting; and one of the boards was shooting out entirely. " So it is," said Rodolphus. " Why didn't they nail it together ? You sit still, and I will push in to the shore." Rodolphus attempted to push in to the short 1 , but in the strenuous efforts which he made for that purpose, he stepped about upon the raft ir regularly, and in such a manner as to make the boards separate more and more. At length the water began to come up around Annie's feet, and Rodolphus, alarmed at this, hurriedly d Lrect- ed her to stand up on the block. Annie tried to do so, but before she effected her purpose, the raft seemed evidently about going to pieces. It had, however, by this time, got very near tho shore ; so Rodolphus changed his orders, and called out, " Jump, Annie, jump !" ELLEN. 45 Narrow escape. The raft a total loss. Annie jumped ; but the part of the raft on which she was standing gave way under her feet, and she came down into the water. The water was not very deep. It came up, however, almost to Annie's knees. Rodolphus himself had leaped over to the shore, and so had, him self, escaped a wetting. He took Annie by the hand, and led her also out to the dry land. Annie began to cry. Rodolphus soothed and quieted .her as well as he could. He took off her stockings and shoes. He poured the water out of the shoes, and wrung out the stockings. He also wrung out Annie's dress as far as pos sible. He told her not to mind it ; her clothes would soon get dry. It was all the fault of the boys, he said, who made the raft, for not nail ing it together. Rodolphus had had presence of mind enough to seize his basket when he leaped ashore, so that that was safe. The raft, however, went all to pieces, and the fragments of it floated away down the stream. Rodolphus and Annie then resumed their journey. Rodolphus talked fast to Annie, and told her a great many amusing stories, to divert her mind from the misfortune which had hap pened to them. He charged her not to tell hei 46 RODOLPUUS. Rodolphus and Annie arrive at Mrs. Henry'* mother, when she got home, that she had been in the water, and made her promise that she would not. At length they came to a large house, -which stood hack from the road a little way, at the entrance to a valley. This was the house, Ro dolphus said, where Beechnut lived. Rodolph us opened a great gate, and he and Annie went into the yard. " I think that Beechnut is in some of the barns, or sheds, or somewhere," said Rodolphus So he and Annie went to the barns and sheds There was a horse standing in one of the sheds harnessed to a wagon, but there were no signt of Beechnut. " Perhaps he is in the yard," said Rodolphus So Rodolphus led the way through a shed tc a sort of back yard, where there was a plank walk, with lilac bushes and other shrubbery OB one side of it. Rodolphus and Annie walkec along upon the planks. Presently they came tc a place where there was a ladder standing n\. against the house. "Ah!" said Rodolphus, "he is upon the house. Here is the ladder. I think he is doing something on the house. I mean to go and see." E L L E N. 47 They find Beechnut in a strange place. " No," said Annie, " you must not go up on such a high place." " Oh. this is not a very high ladder," said Rodolphus. So saying, he began to go up. Annie stood below, looking up to him as he as. cended, and feeling great apprehension lest he should fall. The top of the ladder reached up considerably above the top of the house, and Rodolphus told Annie that he was not going to the top of the ladder, but only high enough to see if Beechnut was on the house. He told her, too, that if she walked back toward the garden gate, perhaps she could see too. Annie accordingly walked back, and looking upward all the time, she pres ently saw a young man, who she supposed was Beechnut, doing something to the top of one of the chimneys. By this time Rodolphus had reached the eaves of the house, in climbing up the ladder, and he came in sight of Beechnut too. " Ah, Beechnut !" said Rodolphus. " Hie-yo ! Dolphin !" said Beechnut, "is that you ?" Beechnut often called Rodolphus, Dolphin. w in her face, roared in the chimneys over her head, and for a moment drowned all other sounds. When this had passed, Ellen listened again. She was sure she heard a distant cry. " It is my father and mother!" she exclaim ed ; " they are out in the storm !" Ellen's aunt had taught her to be collected and composed in all sudden and alarming emergencies, and always to take time to con sider calmly what to do, however urgent the case might be. She stood for a moment, there fore, quietly where she was, and then determ ined to go and wake her aunt, and tell her what she had heard, and ask her what she had bet ter do. She tried to shut the door, but she could not The snow that had fallen in prevented its cas ing ; so she left it open, and went through the porch to the inner door, and so back into the room, taking care to shut the inner door as soon as possible after she had passed through. 90 RODOLPHUS. Ellen calls upon her aunt in vain. She went to the couch, and, kneeling down before it, she put her hand softly upon her aunt's cheek and said, speaking in a low and gentle {.me, "Aunt! Aunt Anne!" There was no answer. "Aunt Anne!" she repeated. "Wake up a moment ; I want to speak to you a moment." There was still no answer. Ellen looked at her aunt's pale and beautiful face for a mo ment, in doubt whether to speak to her again, and then she determined to give up the at tempt to awaken her, and to decide herself what to do. After a little reflection, she concluded that she would go a little way at least, and see if she could learn what the cries were that she had heard. She accordingly went to a closet in her aunt's bed-room, and took down a cloak which was hanging there, and also a warm quilted hood. These she put on. She then went into the back room, and got a pair of snow-shoes* * Snow-shoes are of an oval form, and large and flat They are made of basket-work, or of leather straps braided together. They are worn by being fastened to the soles of the feet, ind prevent the feet from sinking down into the THE SNOW -SHOES. 91 The S:iow-shoes. Ellen equips herself. She goes out. which hung against the wall there. She car ried these snow-shoes into the porch, and put them down upon the floor. " Now," said she, " I will get the horn." The horn which she referred to was made of tin. It was kept hanging upon a nail near the tack door, and was used for calling Hugh to dinner, when he was far away from the house. It was very hard to blow for one who was not accus tomed to it, but when it was blown skillfully it could be heard a great way. Ellen took down the horn from its nail, and went back into the porch. She fastened the snow-shoes to her feet, and, drawing the cloak- around her, she sallied out into the storm. She could scarcely see where to go. The wind blew the snow in her face, and every thing was so covered that all the usual land marks were concealed from view. The snow was very light, but the snow-shoes prevented her from sinking into it. She walked on to ward the road, without, however, knowing ex- actly on what course she was going. In fact, in coming out of the yard, she inclined so far to the left, in her bewilderment, that instead of going out at the gateway, she passed over a corner of the fence, without knowing i 92 ROD OL PIT us. Ellen blows the horn. She hears a reply. and gateway being both alike deeply buried in the snow. As soon as Ellen found that she was in the road, she stopped, and, turning her back to the wind, blew a long and loud blast with her horn THE SNOW-SHOES. She then immediately paused to listen, in or- der that she might hear if there should be any re-ply. She heard a reply. It sounded like one or two voices calling together. The voices were shrill. As soon as the response ceased, Ellen blew her horn again. There was a second response, louder than the preceding one. Ellen was very much oleased to find that her signals were heard, and T H E S N O W - S H O E S. 93 Operation of snow-shoes. Ellen finds her mother. she immediately began to walk on down the road, in the direction from which the sounds had proceeded. One makes but a slow and laborious progress when walking upon snow-shoes. It is true that the shoes do not sink far into the snow, but they sink a little, and they are so large and un wieldy that it is quite difficult to walk upon them. Besides, the snow-shoes which Ellen wore were too large for her. They were mad 6 for a man. Still, Ellen advanced without any serious difficulty, though she was obliged to stop now and then to rest. Whenever she stopped she would blow her horn again, and listen for the response. The response always came, and it became louder and louder the far ther she proceeded down the valley. At length Ellen arrived at the place from which the cries that she had heard proceeded. She found there a horse and sleigh almost buried in the snow, with her mother and Rodolphus in the sleigh. It would be hard to say which was most astonished, Ellen, to find her mother and Rodolphus in such a situation, or Mrs. Linn, at finding Ellen coming to their rescue. " Why, mother !" exclaimed Ellen, " is this yon?" 94 R O D O L P H U S. Conversation between Ellen and her mother. "Why, Ellen!" said her mother, " is it pos sible that this is you?" "Why, mother!" said Ellen, more and more astonished, " did you undertake to come up in all this storm alone, with only Rodolphus ?" "No," said her mother; "Hugh came with us. We have been four hours getting so far as here, and when Hugh found that we could not get any further, he left us, and went away alone to get some help." " And you are almost frozen to death, I sup pose," said Ellen. "No," said her mother, "we are not very cold ; we are well wrapped up in buffalo robes, and the bottom of the sleigh is filled with straw." Rodolphus peeped out from beneath the mass of coverings with which he was enveloped, un harmed, but yet pale with anxiety and terror, though now overjoyed at seeing Ellen. "But I don't see now what we are to do, to get home," said Ellen. "There is only one pair of snow-shoes, and there are three of us to go." "We must go one at a time, then," said Ro- dolphus. "But when one has gone, how can we get the snow-shoes back?" asked Ellen. THE SNOW -SHOES J5 The party are in great perplexity. " 1 don't know, I am sure," said Mrs. Linn. " I don't know what we shall do." "Why did not father come with you?'' ask- 3d Ellen, despondingly. "He was gone away," said her mother. "We waited for him a long time, but he did not come, and so Hugh said that he would leave his team in the village for the night, and come with me. But he went away some time ago. and I don't know what can have become of him." While this consultation had been going on. the storm had continued to rage around them in all its fury. The track behind the sleigh had been wholly obliterated, the horse was half buried, and the snow was fast rising all around the sleigh, and threatening, before long, to over whelm the party entirely. They were entirely at a loss to know what to do ; so they paused a moment in their perplexity, and during the pause, Ellen thought that she heard another cry. "Hark!" said she. They all listened as well as the howling of the wind around them would allow them to listen. It was certainly a distant shout that they heard. 96 R O D O L P H U 8. Rode Iphus acts in a very unmanly manner. " Yes," said Ellen. " It must be Hugh," said her mother. Ellen raised the horn to her lips, and blew a Jong and loud blast, turning the horn, as she did so, in the direction of the voice. They all list ened after the sound of the horn had ceased, and heard a reply. " Yes," said Ellen, " it must be Hugh. 1 will go down to him on my snow-shoes." " No," said Rodolphus, " you must not go and leave us here alone." "Yes," said Ellen, "I will go. I can give him the snow-shoes, and then he can go and get some help for us." Rodolphus declared that Ellen should not go, and began to scream and cry in order to com pel his mother to prevent her ; but his mother said nothing, and Ellen went away. She said, as she went, " I will blow the horn now and then, mother, and as long as you hear it, you will know that I am safe." Ellen went toiling on down the road, stop ping every few minutes to blow her horn, and to listen to the responses of the voice. She soon found that she was rapidly drawing near to the place whence the sound proceeded. She per- THE SNOW-SHOES. 9? Ellen goes down the road. ceived that the voice was that of a man. She had no doubt that it was Hugh, and that he had losl. his way, and was calling for help. She still felt great anxiety, however, for she did not see, if it should prove to be Hugh, what he could do with only one pair of snow-shoes for four, to extricate such a party from their perilous con dition. She thought of her aunt, too, lying sick and alone upon her couch, and of the distress and anxiety which she supposed the helpless patient would feel, if she should wake up and find that both Martha and Ellen had gone away, and left her, sick as she was, in absolute soli tude. She, however, pressed diligently forward, and at length found herself drawing nearer and nearer to the voice. Presently she began to see a dark mass lying helplessly in the snow just before her. " Hugh," said she, " are you here?" " I am here," replied the voice, " but it is not Hugh." " Why, Antonio, is it you ?'* said Ellen. She had recognized Antonio's voice. " How came you to be here ?" " How came you to be here, is the question, I think ?" rejoined Antonio. 98 RODOLPHUS. Ant onio carries Ellen back to her mother. " I have got snow-shoes," said Ellen. " 1 heard cries, and I came out to see. My mothet and Rodolphus are up the road a little way, iir a sleigh, and the snow is covering them over very last. I'll blow my horn for them." Here Ellen blew another long and loud blast with her horn, and immediately afterward she heard the distant call of her mother and of Ro dolphus answering it together. " All right," said Antonio ; " they answer. Now the first thing to do is to get up to them. Give me the snow-shoes, and I think I can car ry you right along." " Oh no," said Ellen, " I am too heavy." " Let us try," said Antonio. So saying, he climbed up out of the snow as well as he could, and put on the snow-shoes. They were very easily put on. Antonio found that the snow- shoes bore him up completely, but Ellen had sunk down into the drift when she wa? deprived of them. Antonio, however, soon raised her again, and took her in his arms. Enveloped as she was in her cloak, she made a rather largo looking load, though she was not very heavy. Still, it was difficult to carry even a light load, walking with such shoes, on such a yielding surface, and in such a storm. Antonio was THE SNOW-SHOES. 95 Antonio forms a plan. Success of it. obliged to stop very often to rest and to take breath. At such times, Ellen would blow her horn, and listen for the answer. Thus they gradually got back safely to the sleigh. As they had thus come up the hill, Antonio, in the intervals of his conversation with Ellen, had determined on the course which he would pursue. He knew that there was a snow-sled at Mr. Randon's house ; that is, a hand-sled made light, and with the shoes of the runners very broad and flat. By means of this con struction, the sled had, like the snow-shoes, the property of not sinking much in the snow. An tonio determined to go himself up to the house on the snow-shoes leaving Ellen, with Ro- tlolphus and her mother, in the sleigh and get this sled, and he hoped, by means of it, to draw them all up safely one by one. The poor horse, he thought, would have to be left in the drifts to die. Antonio's plan succeeded completely. He put Ellen under the buffalo rolies in the sleigh, and covered her entirely in, except that he al lowed one little opening on one side for the horn, which he advised her to blow from time to time, as it might possibly help Hugh to find his way back to them. Ho then left the party in the 100 RoDOLPHUS. His efforts to obtain a snow-slei . sleigh, and was soon lost from view. He went toil ing up the hill to the house. He walked into the yard. He groped his way to the barns and sheds, but tho doors were all blocked up with snow, so that he could not get them open. He, however, contrived to climb up upon a roof, and by that means to get into a barn window. He left his snow-shoes on the scaffold, and then groped his way down in the dark to the place where Ellen had told him that the snow-sled was kept. Every thing was in such perfect or der that he met with no difficulty on the way He found the sled, and, carrying it back to the barn window, he contrived to heave it out there, throwing the snow-shoes out after it. He followed himself, descending as he had ascended, by the roof of the shed. As soon a* he got into the road, he mounted upon his sled, vmd, guiding himself by the sound of the hern, which he heard from time to time, and by the dark forms of the firs which grew upon the sides of the road, he slid quite rapidly down to the sleigh. To his great relief and joy. he found that Hugh was there. It proved that Hugh had lost his way, and he would, perhaps, have perished had he not heard the sound of the horn. The horn attract- THE SNOW-SHOES. 101 Hugh is found. He reaches home safely. ed his attention just as he was about giving up in despair. He supposed that the sound came from some farmer's house, where the people were, for some reason or other, blowing a horn. He succeeded at last in making his way to the place from which the sound proceeded, and was greatly astonished to find himself back at the sleigh. Antonio took Hugh home first. Each took the snow-shoes by turns, and drew the other on the sled. When they reached the house, An tonio left Hugh there, and returned himself for the others. The second time, he took Rodolph- us ; the third time, Ellen. Their mother in- sisted on being left to the last. By the time that the party were all safely conveyed to the house, Hugh had got the barn doors open, and had brought out a yoke of oxen, with a lantern and shovels. He then took the snow-shoes from Antonio, and, putting them upon his own feet, he walked on, to mark the way, while Antonio followed with the oxen. Antonio was, however, obliged to go behind the oxen in driving them, so as to walk in the path which they had broken. The snow was up to the sides of the oxen all the way, and in some places they came to drifts so deep that Antonio and Hugh were obliged to 102 RODOLPHUS. The whole party get home. Ellen's grief. shovel the snow away for a long time, before the oxen could get through. At length, how ever, they reached the place where the horse and sleigh had become foundered. The hors was nearly exhausted with fatigue and cold. Hugh and Antonio trod down and shoveled away the snow around him, and then unfast ened the harness, so as to separate the horse from the sleigh. They then turned back the shafts of the sleigh, and fastened the oxen to them by a chain, turning the heads of the oxen up the hill. Hugh got into the sleigh, to ride and drive the oxen. Antonio walked behind, leading the horse. The road was now so bro ken, that, though the snow was very deep, and Antonio and the horse both sank down very far into it, it was possible for them to get along. They stopped two or three times, to rest, and twice to shovel away the snow ; but, at last, they safely reached the house, and, turning into the yard, went directly to the barn. " Now," said Hugh, " I can take care of every thing here. You had better go into the house, and see if all is right there." So Antonio went into the house. Ellen came out to meet him at the porch door, weeping as 'f her heart would break. Antonio asked her THE SNOW-SHOES. 103 Antonio attempts to comfort Ellen. what was the matter. She said that her Aunt A.nne was dead. Antonio tried to comfort Ellen as well as he oould, but it was very hard to comfort her. In the course of the evening, however, she was sometimes tolerably composed, and at one such time, when she was sitting upon the settle, An tonio took a seat by her side, and talked with her a little while about her going down to her mother in the storm. " I don't know," said he, " what she will think of your having saved her life by your courage and presence of mind, but you may depend that I shall not very soon forget your having saved mine" 104 RODOLPHUS. Rodolphus's fears Effect of disobedier.ee. CHAPTER V. DEATH. RODOLPHUS was very much shocked and over powered at witnessing the scene of anxiety and sorrow into which he found himself ushered, when he arrived at the house. He sat down for a time on Hugh's bench, in the corner, by the fire, until he was warm. His mother then came and undressed him, and put him to bed in a sort of attic chamber over the great room. Rodolphus was afraid to be left alone in the solitary chamber. The wind howled mourn fully among the trees of the neighboring forest, and the snow clicked continually against the windows. Rodolphus was, however, not afraid of the storm, nor was he afraid of robbers or of ghosts. In fact, he did not know what he was afraid of. Still, he was afraid. Undutiful and disobedient boys are always afraid when they are left alone. In fact, Rodolphus would have refused to go to bed altogether, had it not been that his sprit DEATH. 105 RodolpHus is afraid of Antonio. was awed and subdued by the presence of death, and by the strange situation in which he so sud denly found himself placed. Notwithstanding this, however, he was upon the point of making soino resistance when his mother first came to him to take him away, but just then Antonio came into the room, and, perceiving that there was about to be some difficulty, he stopped and looked at Rodolphus, as if to see what he was going to. do. Rodolphus immediately submit ted, and allowed himself to be led away. He was more afraid of Antonio than he was even of being left alone in his chamber. The next morning, when Rodolphus awoke, he found that the storm was still raging. He looked out the window, and perceived that the air was full of driving snow, while upon the ground nothing was to be seen but vast and shapeless masses of white. He rose, dressed himself, and came down stairs. He found a great fire blazing in the fire-place, but every thing was very still and solitary about the house. The body had been removed to the bed room, and was laid* out there. The bed-room door was open. Hugh and Antonio were out, trying to get into the barn. Ellen was walk- ing softly about the bed-rocm, putting away J 06 R O D O L P H U S. Ellen mourns her aunt's death. the things which had been used during the sick ness, but which were now needed no longer, Martha, who had got home the evening before while Ellen had been gone, and had brought some of the neighbors with her, was busy pre paring the breakfast. Both she, however, and Ellen, and the others who were there, moved about silently, and spoke, when they spoke at all, in a subdued and gentle tone, as if they were afraid of disturbing the repose of the dead "When the breakfast was ready, Martha went to call Hugh, and Antonio, and all the others to come to the table. They all came except Ellen. She remained in the bed-room to watch with the body of her aunt. Her heart was full of trouble. As she sat by her aunt's bedside, she thought bitterly of her loss, and she looked forward with many anxious forebodings to the future. She felt as if her happiness was gone; forever. She loved her father and mother, it was true, but her aunt had seemed to be her best and truest friend ; and now that her aunt was gone from her forever, she felt alone and d Isolate. After breakfast, Antonio went away upon the snow-shoes to see if he could obtain some as sistance from the neighbors in relation to the DEATH. 10? Preparations for the funeral. The gra\c. funeral. The storm, he said, appeared to have abated. The clouds looked thin, and at one time he could almost see the sun. In about two hours he returned, bringing with him two or three men, all upon snow-shoes, for the snow which had fallen was so deep that any other mode of traveling was impossible. The preparations for the funeral went on dur ing the day. The third day the coffin came. It was brought upon a snow-sled, which was drawn by two men upon snow-shoes. The storm had not yet entirely abated. The wind was high, and the air was growing intensely cold. This was to be expected. It is usually much colder, in such cases, after the storm is over, than while the snow continues to fall. They dug the grave at some little distance from the house, under the margin of a wood, where there was a little shelter. In digging it, they had first to go down through the deep enow, and then, with pick-axes and iron bars, to dig into the frozen ground. When the grave was ready, they put boards over it, to prevent its being filled up again with the snow. The funeral took place just at sunset. Hugh had broken out a road to the place by means of fche oxen. The men placed the coffin on a sled 108 RODOLPHUS. Klen insists on going to the grave. it had been arranged that two of the neighbors were to draw it. They said at first that none but men could go to the grave ; but Ellen said that she must go. "I can walk very well," said she, "I kno\N, if you can let me have a pair of the snow-shoes. I must go. My aunt loved me, and always took care of me, and I must keep with her till the very last." When the men found how desirous she was to go, they said that they could take another sled and draw her. They said that if she would like to take Rodolphus with her, they could draw him too ; but Rodolphus said that he did not wish to go. When all was ready, the company assembled in the great room, and Antonio read a prayer which Ellen found in a prayer-book that had belonged to her Aunt Anne. It was a prayer suitable to a funeral occasion. When the pray er had been read, the funeral procession moved mournfully from the door. The coffin went first, covered, as it lay upon the sled, with a black cloak for a pall, and drawn by two men. The other sled followed, drawn also by two men. Ellen was seated upon the second sled, wrapped in buffalo robes DEATH. 109 The funeral procession. The burial. The road had been broken out, so as to bo pass able, but the snow was very deep, and the men made their way with great difficulty through it. They stopped once or twice on the way to rest. THE FUNERAL. When they arrived at the grave, they found that the sun was shining pleasantly upon the spot, and the trees sheltered it from the wind. 11U RODOLPHUS Ellen is visited with a new affliction. Still it seemed to Ellen, as she looked down into the deep pit from the top of the snow which surrounded it, that it was a very cold grave. The men let the coffin down, and then two of them remained to fill the earth in again, whil<; Hugh and Antonio drew Ellen home. Distressed and unhappy as Ellen was at the. death of her aunt, there was another blow still to come upon her. She found, when she reach ed the house on her return from the funeral, that the whole family were in a state of con sternation and terror at the tidings which had arrived from the village, that her father had perished in the storm. He had been across the river when the storm came on. In attempting to return, his horse had become exhausted in the snow, and he was forced to abandon him and attempt to find his way home alone. He lost his way, and wandered about till his strength failed, and then, benumbed with the cold, and \Vearied with the hopeless toil, he sank down into a drift and fell asleep. Of course, he never woke again. He was found, when the storm was over, by means of a small dark spot form ed by a part of his shoulder, which projected above the surface of the snow. It was thus that Rodolphus lost his father CONSEQUENCES OF BAD TRAINING. Ill Rodolphus playing with Annie. Ellen. CHAPTER VI. CONSEQUENCES OF BAD TRAINING. ONE pleasant morning in the month of June during the next summer after the great storm, Rodolphus was drawing his sister Annie about the yard in a little green cart which her sister Ellen kept for her. There was a great elm- tree in the middle of the yard, with a path lead ing all around it. Rodolphus was going round and round this tree. Annie was playing that Rodolphus was her horse, and she had reins to drive him by. She also had a little whip to whip him with when he did not go fast enough. Presently Ellen came to the door. She had a small hammer in one hand, and a box con taining some small nails and tags of leather in the other. She was going tc train up a climb ing rose, which had been planted by the side f 1 he door. Ellen told Rodolphus that she thought it waa time for him to get ready to go to school. " Oh no," said Rodolphus, " it is not time Ro DDL I' II US. Conversation between Rodolphus and his mother. yet ;" so he went prancing and galloping on around the great tree. A moment afterward his mother came to the door. " Rodolphus," said she, " it is time for you to go to school." " Oh no, mother, not yet," said Rodolphus. " Yes," said his mother, " it is quite time. Come in directly." "Well, mother," said Rodolphus, "I will." Mrs. Linn stopped a moment to look at El len's rose-tree, and to say " How pretty it looks climbing up here by the door," and then she went in. Rodolphus continued to run round the yard. Presently he came prancing up to the door, and stopped to see what Ellen was doing. " Rodolphus," said Ellen, " you ought to obey mother. She said that you must go to school." " Oh, pretty soon," said Rodolphus. " She is not in any hurry." " Yes, Rodolphus," said Annie, in a very pos itive manner, " you ought to obey my mother You must go to school." So saying, Annie began to move as if she wore going to get out of the cart, but Rodolph- CONSEQUENCES OF BAD TRAINING. 11J Rodolphus is very disobedient. The ca.t. us, perceiving this, immediately began to dra\v the cart along, and thus prevented her. She could not get out while the cart was going. Rodolphus continued to run about for some time longer. Annie begged of him to stop and let her get out, but he would not. At length his mother came to the door again, and renew ed her commands. She said that unless he stopped playing with the cart, and went to school immediately, she should certainly pun ish him. "Why, mother," said Rodolphus, "it is not late. Besides, I am going to draw Annie to school in the cart, and so we shall go very quick." " No," said his mother, " you must not take the cart to school. If you do, it will come to some damage." " Oh no," said Rodolphus. " Gro and get me Annie's books, and I will start off directly." His mother went into the house and brought out a spelling-book, and put it down on the step of the door. She called out at the same time ro Rodolphus, who was at that time near the great tree, telling him that there was the book, and that he must leave the cart, and take An nie and the book, and go directly H 114 RUDOLPH us. How Annie obtained her cart. The reason why Mrs. Linn was so solicitous for the safety of the cart was because it was Ellen's cart, and she knew that Ellen prized it very highly. The way that Ellen came to have duch a cart was this : One day she was walking alone near the back fence of the garden, at a place where the fence was very high and close, when she heard the voices of some children on the other side, in a little green lane, where children often used to play. Ellen thought she heard Rodolphus's voice among the others, and there appeared to be some difficulty, as, in fact, there usually was, where Rodolphus's voice could be heard. So Ellen climbed upon a sort of trellis, which had been made there against the fence, in order that she might look over and see what was the matter. She found that there were two girls there with a small cart, and that Rodolphus had got into the cart, and was insisting that the girls should draw him along. The girls looked troubled and distressed, and were not trying to draw. "Pull," said Rodolphus. "Pull away, hearty." " No." said the girls, " we can't pull. It Is CONSKCJ CKNCKS OF BAD TRAINING. 115 RoUulphtis ami the two poor girls. The cart broken. too heavy ; besides, you will break down our cart." 'Rodolphus!" said Ellen. Rodolphus turned his head, and saw his sis- Irr looking down upon him from the top of the fence. 'Ellen," said he, "is that you?" "Yes," said Ellen, "7. would not trouble ill >se poor girls. Let them have their cart." "Why, they could pull me just as well as not," said Rodolphus, "if they would only try Cv)me, girls," he added, "give one good pull, and then I will get out." The girls hesitated a moment, being obvious ly afraid that the cart would be broken. They looked up to Ellen, as if they hoped that in .some way or other she could help them, but Ellen knew not what to do ; so they concluded to submit to Rodolphus's terms. They made a desperate effort to draw the cart along a few steps, but the result which they had feared was realized. The cart went on, staggering, as it were, under its heavy burden, for a short space, and then a crack was heard, and one side of ii sunk suddenly lown to the ground. The axle- tree had broken close to the wheel. The children seemed greatly distressed at 116 JtoDOLPHUS. Ellen b.\ys the poor girls' cart. The price. this accident. Rodolphus got out of the cart, and looked at the fracture, appearing perplexed in his turn, and not knowing what to say. The oldest girl took up the wheel, and began to ex- amine the fracture with a very sorrowful coun tenance, while the youngest looked on, the pic ture of grief and despair. " Now, Mary," said the youngest child, in a very desponding tone, " I don't believe we can sell our cart at all." " Do you wish to sell it?" asked Ellen. " Yes," said Mary. " Father said that we might sell it, if we could find any body thai would buy it ; but now it is broken, I don't sup- oose that any body will." " How much do you ask for it ?" said Ellen " A quarter of a dollar," said Mary. ""Well," replied Ellen, "perhaps /will bu;y it. If you will bring it round to our house this evening after tea, I will get Antonio to look at it and see if it is worth a quarter of a dollar ; or, rather, if it was worth that sum before it was broken for that will make no difference ; and if he says it was, perhaps I may buy it." " Well," said Mary, " we will." " Is Beechnut coming to our house this even ing ?" asked Rodolphus. CONSEQUENCES OF BAD TRAINING. 1J7 Rodolphus carries the cart home. " Yes," said Ellen. The girls seemed much relieved of their dis. tress at hearing this. Mary took up the "broken wheel and put it intc the cart, saying at the same time, " Come, Ally, let us carry it home " Mary stooped down to take hold of one side of the cart, while her sister took hold of the other, and so they lifted it up. " Rodolphus," said Ellen, " I think you had better help them carry the cart home." " Yes," said Rodolphus, " I will." So Rodolphus took the wheel out of the cart, and gave it to Mary to carry ; then, lifting up the cart bodily, he put it upside down upon his head, as if it were a cap, and began to run after the girls with it. They fled, filling the air with shouts of laughter, and thus the three went off together, all in high glee. The end of it was, that Ellen bought the cart, and Antonio made a new axle-trie for it, and put it, in all respects, in complete repair. He also painted it beautifully inside and out, mak ing it look better than when it was new. El len's motive in getting the cart was chiefly to promote Annie's amusement, but still she val ued it herself very highly. 118 RoDOLPHUS. Beechnut's help in respect to the cart. She used often to lend it to Rodolphus when he was playing with Annie in the yard, and Rodolphus would draw his sister about in it, Ellen always gave h:m many cautions not to go too fast, and was very careful never to allow him to put any thing inside that would bruise or soil it. There was a little seat inside for An nie to sit upon, with a box beneath it where a small basket of provisions could be stored, in case of an excursion. Beechnut had promised, too, to make Annie a whip, and Ellen was going to make her a pair of reins, so that when Ro- lolphus was drawing her she might play drive But to return to the story. Rodolphus drew the cart up to the door, and taking up the book, he put it upon Annie's lap. and then began to move away again. " Stop," said Annie ; " stop, and let me get out." " No," said Rodolphus, " I am going to draw you to schcol." " No," waid Annie. " my mother said that you must not take my cart to school." " Oh, she won't care," said Rodolphus, stil going. " But she said that you must not," persisted Annie. CONSEQUENCES OP BAD TRAINING. 119 Annie in trouble. Boys goi ig a fishing. " That was because she thought the cart would come to some damage," said Rodolphus. " But it \vill not come to any damage. I shall bring it home all safe at noon, and then she won't care." By this time Rodolphus had got out into the road. Annie looked anxious and distressed ; but, as Rodolphus walked rapidly on, she was entirely helpless, and could do nothing hut sit still, though she urged Rodolphus to stop again and again, until, at last, finding that it did no good, she gave up in despair, and resigned her self to her fate. They proceeded in this way until they had got pretty near the village, when, as they were going along the road, which, at this place, led near the margin of the river, just below the bridge and mill, Rodolphus saw two boys get ting into a boat. He asked them where they were going ; they said that they were going a fishing. "I mean to go too," said Rodolphus, looking l-o ward Annie. " No," said Annie, " you must not go, for then what shall I do with my cart ?" " Oh, you can draw your cart along to school yourself very well," said Rodolphus; and, so 120 RODOLPHUS. Annie is abandoned in the road. THE BOYS AND THE BOAT. saying, he lifted Annie hastily and roughly out of the cart, calling out, at the same time, to the boys to wait a minute for him. He put the handle, which was at the end of the tongue CONSEQUENCES OF BAD TRAINING. 121 Annie's return from school. The cart. of the cart, into Annie's hand, and then ran down to tfye water ; and thus, almost before Annie had time to recover from her astonish ment, she found herself left alone in the road, while the boat, with Rodolphus and the other boys in it, began slowly to recede from the shore. Annie began to cry. Rodolphus called out to her, in a rough voice, to go along to school. So she began to walk slowly along, drawing the carl wearily after her. On her way home from school that day, when she came to the place in the road where Ro dolphus had left her in the morning, she found him waiting there for her. She was coming without the cart. Rodolphus asked her what she had done with it. She said that she had left it at school. The teacher had told her that it was too heavy for her to draw, and had put it in a corner, to wait till Rodolphus came. Rodolphus then told Annie to sit down upon a stone by the side of the road till he came back, and then began to run toward the school-house, In a short time he came back, bringing the cart. Ho put Annie into it, and went toward home. Annie asked him where he had been all the day, but he did not answer. He seemed dis- 122 RODOLPHUS. Rodolphus calls his mother. Conversation. contented and uneasy, and preserved a moody silence all the way home, except that once he turned, and charged Annie not to tell his moth er or Ellen that he had not been at school that day. When he reached home, he left the cart at the door, and, stepping into the entry, he be gan to call out aloud, "Mother! mother!" Ellen came to the door, and said, in a gentle voice, " Mother can't come now, Rolfy ; she i? busy." " But I want to see her a minute," said he. " Mother ! mother !" A moment afterward his mother appeared lphus. His deceitfulness. You'd like to find the nest that has such eggs as those in it, wouldn't you ? "Well, I'll tell you all about it to-night. Come out here after nine o'clock. I will be here to meet you. "We have got plenty of money, and we're going to have a good time." Soon after this Rodolphus carried his tools to the shed, and went in to his supper. About eight o'clock it became dark, and at half past eight Rodolphus said that he felt rather tired, and he believed that he would go to bed. Feel ing guilfy and self-condemned as he did, he ap peared absent-minded and dejected, and Ellen was anxious about him. She was afraid thai he was going to be sick. She lighted the lamp for him, and went up with him to his room, and did all that she could to make him com fortable. At length she bade him good-night and went away. The place where Rodolphus slept was in a lit tle corner of an attic by a great chimney. The place had been partitioned off, and there was a door leading into it. This door had a hasp on the inside. There was also a small window which opened out upon the roof of a shed. It was a pretty long step from the window down to the roof of the shed, but yet Rodolphus had I 130 RODOLPHUS. Rodolphus creeps out oi'his window at night. often got down there, although his mother had repeatedly forbidden him ever to do so. As soon as Ellen was gone, Rodolphus fas tened the door, and then waited a little while till all was still. Then he opened the window very gently, and crept out. He put out his light THE EVASION. the last thing before he got out of the window, and crept down upon the roof of the shed. He stopped here to listen. All was still. He walk ed softly, with his shoes in his hand, down to the lower edge of the roof, and there he got down to the ground by means of a fence which joined the shed at one corner there. CONSEQUENCES o? BAD TRAINING. 131 Ho spends the night in sin. Rodolphus found the boys waiting for him beyond the garden wall. He went away with them, and spent the night in carousals and wickedness, under a barn in a solitary place. About one o'clock he came back to the house. He climbed up the fence and got upon the shed. He crept along the shed softly, with his shoes in his hand as before, and got into his window. When in, he shut down the window, undressed himself r and went to bed. And this was the end of all Rodolphus's res olutions to reform. 132 RODOLPHUS. Mr. Randun endeavors to find a place for Rodolphui. CHAPTER VII. CRIME. RODOLPHUS went on in the evil way which we have described for some time, and at length he became so disorderly in his conduct and so troublesome, and caused his mother so much anxiety and care, that she finally concluded to follow the advice which all the neighbors had very frequently given her, and bind the boy out to some master to learn a trade. As soon as she had decided upon this course, she asked the assistance of Mr. Randon to find a good place. Mr. Randon made a great many inquiries, but he could not find any place that would do in Franconia ; all the persons to whom he applied in the village declined taking Rodolphus, giv ing various reasons for their refusals. Some did not want any new apprentice, some had other boys in view that they were going to ap ply to. Some said that Rodolphus was too old, others that he was too young. Mr. Randon thought that the real reason probably was, in a CRIME. 133 Tim difficulties. Mr. Ke;ber's proposals. great many of these cases, that the men did not .ike Rodolphus's character. In fact, one man to whom he made application, after listening attentively to Mr. Randon until he came to mention the name of the boy, said, " What ! Rodolphus Linn ? Is it Rodolphus Linn ?" " Yes," said Mr. Randon. "Hoh!" said tho man, '-I would not have Rodolphus Linn in my shop for a hundred dol lars a year." At last, however, Mr. Randon found in an other town, about twenty -five miles from Fran- conia, a man who kept a livery-stable, that said he wanted a boy. This man's name was Ker- ber. Mr. Kerber said that if Rodolphus was a stout and able-bodied boy, he would take him. Mr. Randon said that Rodolphus was stout enough, but he frankly told Mr. Kerber that the boy was rather rude and unmanageable. ' I'll take care of that," said Mr. Kerber. " All [ want is to have him able to do his duty. If he is only able to do it, you need not fear but that I'll find ways and means of seeing that it is done." Mr. Randon thought from this conversation, and from other indications, that Mr. Kerber wa? 134 RODOLPHUS. The carpenter. Rodolphus prefers Mr. Kerbe! 'a. a very harsh man, and he thought that Rodolph us might he likely to have a hard time if ap prenticed to him. He concluded, therefore, that, before making his report to Mrs. Linn, he would make some further inquiry. He found, at last, another man in the same town with Mr. Kerbei who was willing to take Rodolphus. This man was a carpenter. The carpenter was a man of quiet and gentle spirit, and he bore a most ex cellent character among his neighbors. At first, the carpenter was unwilling to take Rodolphus when he heard what his character was, but when Mr. Randon told him about the circum stances of the family, and explained to him that it would be a deed of great benevolence to save the boy from ruin, the carpenter said he would take him for three months upon trial, and then, if he found that he should probably succeed in making him a good boy, he would take him regularly as his apprentice. So Mr. Randor went back to report the result of his inquiries to Rodolphus's mother. Mrs. Linn was very anxious to have Rodolph us go to the carpenter's, but Rodolphus himself insisted on going to Mr. Kerber's. The reasor why he wished to go there was, because Mr Kerber kept a stable and horses. He supposed CRIMK. 135 Special stipulations with Mr. Kerber. that his chief business would be to tend the horses, and to ride about. This would be niueh better, ho thought, than to work hard all day with planes, and saws, and chisels. Ellen joined her mother in begging Rodolph- us to go to the carpenter's, but he could not be persuaded to consent, and so it was finally set tled that he should be bound apprentice to Mr. Kerber. Mrs. Linn, however, made an express stipulation, that while Rodolphus remained at Mr. Kerber's, he was never, on any account, to be whipped. If he neglected his duty or be haved badly, Mr. Kerber was to find out some other way to punish him besides whipping. Mr. Kerber made no objection to this arrange ment. He said to Mr. Randon, when Mr. Ran- don proposed this condition to him, that he would make any agreement of that kind that his mother desired. " I have learned," said he, " that there are various contrivances foi breaking refractory colts besides silk snappers." When a boy is bound apprentice to a master, a certain paper is executed between the master on the one part, and the parent or guardian of the boy on the other, which is called the Inden tures. The indentures specify the name and age of the boy, and state the time for which 136 The indenture* of apprenticeship. The stable. he is bound to the master. During that time the boy is bound to work for the master, and to obey his orders. The master is bound to provide food and clothing for the boy, and to leach him the trade. He has a right to compel the boy to attend industriously to his work, and to punish him for any idleness, or disobedience, or insubordination that he may be guilty of. Tn a word, the master acquires, for the time that the apprenticeship continues, the same rights that the father, if the boy has a father, possess ed before. According to this custom, indentures of ap prenticeship were regularly drawn up, binding Rodolphus to Mr. Kerber till he was twenty-one years of age. He was then nearly twelve The indentures were signed, and Rodolphus went to live with his new master. He, however, soon began to have a pretty hard life of it. He found that his business was not to ride the horses about, but to perform the most disagreeable and servile work in the stable. He could not even ride the horses to water, for there was a great trough in one corner of the stal le, with a stream of water always running into it, and the horses wer3 all watered there. Rodolphus was employed in harnessing and un- CRIME. 137 Rodolphus's mode of life at Mr. Kerber's. harnessing the horses, and rubbing them down when they came in ; and in pitching down hay, and measuring out oats and corn for them. He had to work, also, a great deal at the house, splitting wood and carrying it in, and in "bring ing w r ater for the washing. He was kept hard at work all the time, except in the evening, when he was generally allowed to roam about the streets wherever he pleased. Rodolphus did not have much open difficulty with Mr. Kerber, for he found out very soon that it was a very dangerous business to diso bey him. The first lesson that he had on that subject was as follows : One afternoon, when he had been at work at the house, and had some difficulty with Mrs. Kerber, he undertook to make her agree to some of his demands by threatening, as he had been accustomed to do with his mother, that if she did not let him do what he wished, he would go and jump into the pond. This pond was a small mill-pond which came up to the foot of Mr. Kerber's garden, where the garden WUM bounded by a high wall. Mrs. Kerber took no notice of this threat at the time, but when her husband came home, she told him about it at the supper-table. 138 RODOLPHUS. Mr. Kerber's mode of disciplining Rodolnhus. " All !" said Mr. Kerber. when his wife had finished her statement, " he threatened to drown himself, then ? I am afraid he does not know exactly what drowning is. I will enlighten him a little upon the subject after supper." Accordingly, after supper, Mr. Kerber com manded Rodolphus to follow him. Mr. Kerber led the way down to the bottom of the garden, and there he tied a rope round Rodolphus's waist, and threw him off into the water, and kept him there until he was half strangled. He would pull him up a moment to recover his breath, and then plunge him in again and again, until the poor boy was half dead with exhaus tion and terror. Then, pulling him out upon the bank, he left him to come to himself, and to return to the house at his leisure. Rodolphus, after this, was very careful not to come into any open collision with Mr. Kerber or with his wife ; but this kind of severity did him, after all, no real good. When a boy has grown to such an age as that of Rodolphus in habits of self-indulgence, disobedience, and insubor dination, it is almost impossible to save him by any means whatever ; but heartless severity like this only makes him worse. Rodolphus hated his master, and he determined to do as GRIM E. 139 Mr. Kerber's lid colt-pen. The stable-boy. little for Him as he possibly could. Mr. Kerber, accordingly, was continually finding fault with his apprentice for his idleness and his negl<;c< of duty, and he used often to punish him bj putting him in what he called his prison. This prison was a stall in one corner of the stable, near a little room which Mr. Kerber used tor his office and counting-room. The stall had been boarded up in front some years before, and used to shut up a small colt in. It was half full of boxes and barrels, and there was a heap of straw in one corner of it. There was a door in front, with a great wooden button out side. "When Mr. Kerber got out of patience with Rodolphus, he used to put him into this old colt-pen and button him in, and sometimes keep him there, without any thing to eat, til? he was half starved. At one time Mr. Kerbei kept him there all night. After the first half dozen times that Rodolph- us was shut up there, he did not suffer from hunger, for he made an arrangement with an other stable-boy, older than himself, to supply him with food at such times. The stable-boy would get bread from the house by stealth when Rodolphus was in his prison, and bring it out to the stable in his pocket. Then, watch- 140 RODOLPHUS. Situation of the colt-pen. Rodolphus shut up. ing his opportunity, when Mr. Kerber was not looking, he would throw it over to Rodolphus. Rulolphus was thus saved from suffering much through hunger ; but yet he would always, in such cases, when he was finally let out, pretend to be half starved, in order to prevent Mr. Ker- ber's suspecting that he had been stealthily sup plied with food. The prison, as Mr. Kerber called it, was ad joining the stable office, which was a very small room, partitioned off from the stable itself. This office had two doors, one on each side of it. One door led out into the stable, and was the one ordinarily used. The other led to a shed at one side of the stable, where the wood was kept for the office fire, which was made in a small stove that stood in one corner of the office. There was a desk in another corner of the office, and in this desk Mr. Kerber kept his papers and his money. One day, when Rodolphus was shut up in his prison, after having been there several hours, he became very tired of having nothing to do, and so, to amuse himself, he took his knife out from his pocket, and began to cut into the partition which separated the colt-pen from the office. The partition was made of boards, and as Ro CRIME. 141 Hodolphus cuts through tho partition. ilolphus's knife was pretty sharp, he could cut into it quite easily. He heard voices in the of fice, and he thought that if he should cut a small hole quite through the partition, he could hear what the men were saying, and see what they were doing. So he cut away very dili gently for half an hour, working very slowly and carefully all .the time, so as not to make a noise. At last the light began to shine through Then Rodolphus worked more carefully than ever. He, however, soon had a small hole open ed, and, putting his eye close to it, he could see a whip hanging up against the opposite wall of the office. Rodolphus gradually enlarged his hole until he could see more. He made the hole very large on the side toward his prison, and yet kept it very small toward the office, and by this means he could change the position of his eye, and so see almost all over the office, without, however, having made the opening large enough to attract attention on the inside. Rodolphus saw Mr. Kerber and another man sitting by the desk. It was summer, and there was no fire in the stove. There were a great many whips hanging up on one side of the com, and a hammer, together with an instru 142 RODOLPHUS. Rodolphus makes discoveries in Mr. Kerber'i office. ment called a nut- wrench, on a shelf over the desk. The door leading out into the shed was fastened with a hasp. Rodolphus, as he look ed at it, thought that it would be easy for a Ihief, if he wished to break into the office, to go into the shed, and bore into the door of the of fice just above the hasp, and then, by putting in a slender iron rod, the hasp might be lifted up out of the staple, and the door opened. Rodolphus listened to the conversation be tween Mr. Kerber and his visitor, but he could not understand it very well. It was all about business. At la!3t the man took a large leather purse out of his pocket, and prepared to pay Mr. Kerber some money. Mr. Kerber unlocked his desk. The man counted out the money upon a small table which w r as there. Mr. Kerber counted it after him, and then took from his desk a small box, made of iron, which he called his strong box. He unlocked the strong box with a key that he took from his pocket, and put the money into it. He then locked the strong box and put it back into the desk, and finally shut down the lid of the desk, locked it and put the key in his pocket. Mr. Kerber kept Rodolphus confined in his tirjson much longer than usual that day sc CRIME. The bad boys. Gilpin confers with Rodolphus. long, in fact, that Rodolphus became at last very impatient and very angry. At length, however, Mr. Kerber let him out, and sent him home to supper. That evening, about nine o'clock, as Rodolph us was talking with some of the had hoys with whom he was accustomed to spend his even ings, and telling them how he hated his tyran nical and cruel master, he said, among other things, that he wished he knew some thief or robber. The boys asked him why. " Why, I would tell him," said Rodolphus, ''how he might rob old Kerber, and get as much money as he wanted." Among the boys who were with Rodolphus at this time was one named Gilpin. Gilpin was a very bad boy indeed, and considerably older than Rodolphus. He was about fourteen years old. When Gilpin heard Rodolphus say this, he gave him a little jog with his elbow, as an intimation not to say any thing more. Very soon Gilpin took Rodolphus away, and walked on with him alone, along a wall which extended down toward the water from the place where the boys had been playing. As soon as he had drawn Rodolphus away from the other boys, he asked him what he meant by what he 144 UODOLPHUS. Plans for committing a robbery. had said about a good chance to get some money. So Rodolphus explained to Gilpin how his mas ter had shut him up in the stall, and how he had cut a hole through the partition, and what he had seen in the office. He also explained to him how the back door of the little office was fastened by a hasp, which it would be easy to open by boring a hole through the door, if the robber only had a bit and a bit-stock. " Oh, we can get a bit and bit-stock easily enough," said Gilpin. "Well," said Rodolphus, " shall we do it?" "Certainly," said Gilpin; "why not we as well as anybody else. I want money too much to leave any good chance for getting it to other people. You and I will get it, and go shares." "No," said Rodolphus, "I don't dare to; and, besides, if we should get into the office, we could not open the desk. He keeps the desk locked." ""We can pry it open with a chisel," said Gilpin, " as easy as a man would open an oyster." " But then wo can't open the strong box,' : said Rodolphus. "The strong box is made oi iron." "We'll carry away the strong box and all," CRIME. 145 Preparations made. Griff The plan. said Grilpin, " and get it open at our leisure aft erward." Rodolphus was at first strongly disinclined to enter into this plot, and it was, in fact, several days before he concluded to join in it. At length, however, he consented, and immediate ly commenced aiding Grilpin in making the nec essary preparations. He found a bit and bit- stock in an old shop belonging to Mr. Kerber, near his house, and also a chisel, which Gilpin said would do for forcing open the desk. There was another boy, almost as old as Gilpin, who joined in the plan. He was a coarse and rough boy, and was generally called Griff. His real name was Christopher. Grilpin and Griff gave Rodolphus a very large share of the work of making the necessary preparations for the theft. Their plan was to make the attempt on Saturday night. They thought that by this means a whole day would intervene before the discovery would be made that the money was gone, since Mr. Kerber would not be likely to go to his office on Sun day. They would thus, they thought, have ample time to take all the necessary means for concealing their booty. Rodolphus was to go to bed as usual, and then to get up about ten K 146 RODOLPHUS. The tools to be used. The corn-burn o'clock, and come out of his window, over the roofs, as he used to do at home, and as he had verv often done since he came to Mr. Kerber's. w The hit and hit-stock, and the chisel, were to he all ready in the shed heforehand. RodoJph- us was to carry them there some time in the course of the afternoon. On descending from the roofs, Rodolphus was to go to meet the other boys at a certain corn-harn, which belonged to a house which had once been a farm-house in the village. A corn-barn is a small square building, stand ing upon high posts at the four corners. These posts are usually about four or five feet high The building is raised in this manner above the ground, to prevent mice and other animals from getting into it and eating the corn. The corn-barn, however, at which the boys were to meet, was not now used for the storago of grain, but as a sort of lumber-room for a tavern that stood near by. It was behind the tavern, and almost out of sight of it, at the end of a narrow lane. It was in a very secluded position. The space beneath the building, where the posts were, had been boarded up on three sides, and there were various old boxes and barrels underneath it. Rodolphus and the CRIME 147 Mode of constructing the dark lantern. other bad boys of the village had often used this place as a rendezvous, and had carried there the various things which they had pilfered from time to time : and in summer nights they would often meet there and stay half the night, spend ing the time in eating and drinking, and in gambling with cards or coppers, and in other wicked amusements. There was no floor but the ground ; but the boys had carried straw into the place, and spread it down where they were accustomed to sit and lie, and this made the place very comfortable. .The boys were to meet at this place at ten o'clock. Griff was to bring a dark lantern. This lantern was ono which the boys had made themselves. It was formed of a round block of wood for the base, with a hole or socket in the middle of it for the admission of the end of the candle. Around this block there had been roll ed a strip of pasteboard, so as to make of it a sort of round box, with a wooden bottom and no top. The pasteboard was kept in its placo by a string, which was wound several times around it. There was a long hole cut in the pasteboard on one side, for the light to shine out of. There was another pasteboard roll which went over the whole, and closed this 148 ODOH'HUS. Success of the plot. The door opened. opening when the boys wanted the lantern to be perfectly dark. The boys met at the place of rendezvous at the time appointed. They then proceeded to the stable. They got into the shed, and there struck a light, and lighted a short candle which one of the boys had in his pocket. Rodolphus held this candle, while Gilpin, who was taller and stronger than either of the other boys, bored the hole in the door, in the place which Ro- dolphus indicated. When the hole was bored, the boys inserted an iron rod into it, and, run ning this rod under the hasp, they pried the ruu'p up and unfastened the door. They open- CRIME. 149 The desk forced. The money-box. ed the door, and then, to their great joy, found themselves all safe in the office. They put the dark lantern down upon the table, and covered it with its screen, and then listened, perfectly whist, a minute or two, to be sure that nobody was coming. (< You go and watch at the shed door," said Gilpin to Rodolphus, " while we open the desk." So Rodolphus went to the shed door. He peeped out, and looked up and down the village street, but all was still. Presently he heard a sort of splitting sound within the office, which he knew was made by the forcing open of the lid of the desk. Very soon afterward the boys came out, in a hurried man ner ; Griff had the lantern, and Gilpin the box. " Have you got it?" said Rodolphus. " Yes," said Griff. " Let's see," said Rodolphus. Griff held out the box to Rodolphus. It was very heavy, and they could hear the sound of the money within. All three of the boys seem ed almost wild with trepidation and excitement. Griff, however, immediately began to hurry them away, pulling the box from them, and saying, " Come, come, boys, we must not stay fooling here." 150 RODOLPHUS. Tt toys effect their retreat. Gilpin. " "Wait a minute till I hide the tools again," said Rodolphus, " and then we'll run." Rodolphus hid the tools behind the wood-pile in the shed, where they had been before, and then the boys sallied forth into the street. They crept along stealthily in the shadows of the houses, and in the most dark and obscure places, until they came to the tavern, where they were to turn down the lane to the corn-barn. As soon as they got safely to this lane they felt re lieved, and they walked on in a more uncon cerned manner ; and when at length they got fairly in under the corn-barn, they felt perfectly secure. "There!" said Griff; "was not that well done ?" " Yes," said Rodolphus ; " and now all that we have got to do is to get the box open." " "We can break it open with stones," said Griff. " No," said Gilpin, " that will make to* much noise. "We will bury it under this straw for a few days, and open it, somehow or other, by-and-by, when they have given up looking for the box. You can get the real key of it for un, Rodolphus, can't you ?" " How can I get it?" asked Rodolphus. CRIME. They bury the money-box under the coin-barn. " Oh, you can contrive some way to get it from old Kerber, I've no doubt. At any rate, the best thing is to bury it now." To this plan the boys all agreed. They pull ed away the straw which was spread under the sorn-barn, and dug a hole in the ground be neath, working partly with sticks and partly THE CORN-BARN. with their fingers. When they had got the hole deep enough, they put the box in and covered it up. Then they spread the straw over the place as before. 152 RODOLPHUS. A sudden alarm. The straw ov C-. During all this time the lantern had been standing upon a box pretty near by, having been put there by the boys, in order that the light might shine down upon the place where they had been digging. As soon as their work was done, the boys went softly outside to see if the way was clear for them to go home, leav ing the lantern on the box ; and while they were standing at the corner of the barn outside, looking up the lane, and whispering together, they saw suddenly a light beginning to gleam up from within. They ran in and found that the lantern had fallen down, and that the straw was all in a blaze. They immediately began to tread upon the fire and try to put it out, but, the instant that they did so, they were all thun derstruck by the appearance of a fourth person, who came rushing in among them from the lutside. They all screamed out with terror, and ran. Rodolphus separated from the rest, and crouched down a moment behind the stone wall ; but immediately afterward, feeling that .here would be no safety for him here, he set off again, and ran across some back fields and gardens, in the direction toward Mr. Kerbers. He looked back occasionally, and found that the light \vas rapidly increasing. Presently he be- CRIME. 153 The boys escape. Rodolphus reaches home. gan to hear cries of fire. He ran on till he reached the house. He scrambled over the fences into the back yard, climbed up upon a shed, crept along under the chimneys to the window of his room, got in as fast as he could, undressed himself and went to bed, and had just drawn the clothes over him, when he heard a loud knocking at the door, and Mrs. Kerber's voice outside, calling out to him that there wa?< a cry of fire in the village, and that he must get up quick as possible and help put it out. 154 RODOLPHUS. Antonio gives Malleville and Phonny an invitation. CHAPTER VIII. ANTONIO. THE person who came in so suddenly to help the boys extinguish the fire under the corn- barn, on the night of the robbery, was Antonio, or Beechnut, as the boys more commonly called him. In order to explain how he came to be there, we must go back a little in our narrative, and change the scene of it to Mrs. Henry 'a house at Franconia, where Antonio lived. One morning, about a week before the rob bery, Phonny, Mrs. Henry's son, and his cousin Malleville, who was at that time making a visit at his mother's, were out upon the back plat form at play, when they saw Antonio walking toward the barn. " Children," said Antonio, "we are going into the field to get a great stone out of the ground. You may go with us, if you like." "Well," said Phonny; "come, Malleville. let us go." So the children followed Antonio to the barn. ANTONIO. 155 The drag. Construction of it. Loading up There was a man there, one of Mrs. Henry's workmen, called James, who was getting out the oxen. James drove the oxen into the shed, and there attached them to a certain vehicle called a drag. This drag was formed of two planks placed side by side, with small pieces nailed along the sides and at the ends. The drag was shaped at the front so as to turn up a little, in order that it might not catch in the ground when drawn along. There was a hole in the front part of the drag for the end of a chain to be passed through, to draw the drag by. The end of the chain was fastened by a wooden pin called a fid, which was passed through the hook or one of the links, and this prevented the chain from being drawn back through the hole again. While James was attaching the oxen to the drag, Antonio was putting such tools and im plements upon it as would be required for the work. He put on an iron bar, an ax, a saw, Q shovel, and two spare chains. "Now, children," said he, "jump on." So Phonny and Malleville jumped on, and AntoniD with them. Antonio stood in the mid dle of the drag, while Phonny and Malleville took their places on each side of him, and held 156 RODOLPHUS Malleville calls for a song. on by his arms. James then started the oxen along, and thus they went into the field. " And now, Beechnut," said Malleville, '' I wish you would sing me the little song that Agnes sung when she was dancing on the ice that summer night." Phonny laughed aloud at this. " Oh, Malle- vJle !" said he, " there could not he any ice on a summe* night." " Yes tkere could," said Malleville. in a very positive tone, " and there was. Beechnut told me so." " Oh, that was only one of Beechnut's sto ries," said Phonny, " made up to amuse you." " "Well, I don't care," said Malleville, " I want to hear the song again." Beechnut had told Malleville a story about the fairy Agnes, whom he found dancing upon a fountain one summer night in the woods, hav ing previously frozen over the surface of the water with a little silver wand. He had often sung this song to Malleville, and now she wished to hear it again. The words of the song, a a E3echnut sang them, were as follows : Peep ! peep ! chippeda dee. Playing in the moonlight, nobody to see. The boys and girls have gone away, They've had their playtime in the day, ANTONIO. 157 .Antonio sings The song is encorei And now the night is left for me ; Peep ! peep ! chippeda dee. The music was as follows : Peep! Peep! Chip-pe -da - dee! \$- T - -j r Playing in the moonlight, no -body to see, The boys and girls have gone a- way ; They've had their play-time In the day, And now the night ia left to me. Peep ! Peep ! Chippe - da - dee ! When Beechnut had sung the song, Malle- ville said " Again." She was accustomed to say " again" when she wished to hear Beechnut go on with his singing, and as she usually liked to hear such songs a great many times, Beechnut always continued to sing them, over and over, as long as she said " again." Thus Malleville kept him singing Agnes's song, in this instance, all the way toward tha field. RoDOLPHua The party reach the field. The great stone. At length Malleville ceased to say " again," on account of her attention being attracted to a bridge which she saw before them, and which it was obvious they were going to cross. It had only logs on the sides of it for railing. Beyond the bridge the road lay along the margin of a wood. The stone which James and Antonio were going to get out was just beyond the bridge, and almost in the road. When the oxen got opposite to the stone, James stopped them, and Antonio and the children got off the drag. It was only a small part of the stone that ap peared above the ground. James took the shov el and began to dig around the place, so as to bring the stone more fully to view, while An tonio went into the wood to cut a small tree, in order to make a lever of the stem of it. Phon- ny took the saw first asking Antonio's permis sion to take it and climbed up into a large tree near the margin of the wood, where he be gan to saw off a dead branch which was grow ing there, and which may be seen in the picture. Malleville, in the mean time, sat down upon a square stone which was lying by the road-side near the wood, and occupied herself sometimes in watching the operation of digging out the stone, sometimes in looking up at Phonny, ANTONIO. 159 Picture of ths dra? ride. The lever. sometimes in singing the song which Antonio had sung to her on the way. Presently Antonio, having obtained his lever, came out into the road with it, and laid it down by the drag. He looked at the drag in doing 160 RODOLPHUS. Antonio gives Phonny various orders. Obedience. this, and observed that one of the side-pieces had started up, and that it ought to be nailed down again. He looked up into the tree where Phonny was sawing, and said, " Phonny !" "What?" said Phonny. " Look up over your head," said Antonio. Phonny looked up. " Do you see that short branch just above you?" " This ?" said Phonny, putting his hand upon it. " Yes," said Antonio. " Yes," said Phonny, " I see it." " Hang your saw on it," said Antonio. Phonny did so. "Now come down from the tree," said Afu tonio Phonny climbed down as fast as he cculd, and came to Beechnut. " Take all the things oat of your pocket, and put them down on the drag." Phonny began to take the things out. Firsl came a pocket handkerchief ; then a knife han dle without any blades ; then a fishing-line ; then two old coins, and a dark-red pebble stone : this exhausted one pocket. From the othei ANTONIO. 161 Phonny sees company coming. came a small glass prism, three acorns, and, at last, two long nails. " Ah, that is what I want," said Antonio, taking up the nails. " I thought you had two nails in your pocket, for I remembered that I gave you two yesterday. Will you give them back to me again ?" " Yes," said Phonny. " Now put the things back in your pocket. I admire a boy that obeys orders, without stop ping to ask why. He waits till the end, and then he sees why. Now you can go back to your saw." But, instead of going back to his saw, Phon ny seemed just at that instant to get a glimpse of something which attracted his attention along the road, beyond the bridge ; for, as soon as he had put his goods and chattels back in his pock ets, he paused a moment, looking in that direc tion, and then he set out to run as fast as he could over the bridge. Antonio looked, and saw that there was a girl coming along, and that, Phonny was running to meet her. Antonio wondered who it could be. It proved to be Ellen Linn. "When Malleville saw that it was Ellen, she ran to meet her. She asked her why she did not bring Annie with her L 162 RODOLPHUS. Ellen Linn. Antonio goes to meet her. " i did," said Ellen ; " she is at the house. She was tired after walking so far, and so I left her there." ''I am glad that she has come," said Malle- ville ; "let us go and see her." " Not just yet," said Ellen. " I will go with you pretty soon." The fact was, that Ellen had come to see An tonio about Rodolphus, and now she did not know exactly how she should manage to have any conversation with him alone, and she did not wish to talk before James and all the rest about the misconduct of her brother. As soon as Antonio saw her, he went to meet her, and walked with her up to the place where they were at work, to show her the great stone that they were digging out. Ellen looked at it a few minutes, and asked some questions about it ; but her thoughts were, after all, upon her brother, and not upon the stone. Presently she went to the place where Malleville had been sitting, and sat down there. She thought, per haps, that Antonio would come there, and that then she could speak to him. Phonny climbed up into the tree again, part ly to finish his sawing, and partly to let Ellen Linn see how well he could work in such a high ANTONIO. 163 Antonio makes an appointment with Ellen Linn. place. While he was there, Antonio went to the place where Ellen Linn was sitting, and asked hor if she had heard from Rodolphus lately. " Yes," said Ellen, " and that is the very thing that I came to see you about. I want to talk with you about Rodolphus." Ellen said this in a low and desponding voice, and Antonio knew that she wished to speak to him alone. " We can not talk very well here," said An tonio ; " will it do if I come and see you about it to-night ?" " Yes," said Ellen, looking up joyfully ; " only [ am sorry to put you to that trouble." " I will come," said Antonio. " I shall get there about half past eight." Pretty soon after this, Ellen Linn went back to the house, and, after a time, she and Annie went home. About a quarter past eight that evening, she went out into the yard and down to the gate to watch for Antonio. At length she saw him coming. When he reached the house, Ellen walked with him to the great tree in the middle of the yard, and they both sat down on the bench by the side of it, while An nie was running about in the great circular walk, drawing her cart. Here Antonio and El- 164 RODOLPHUS. Antonio resolves to go and see Rodolplius. len had a long conversation about Rodolphus Ellen said that she had heard very unfavorable accounts of him. She had learned that he had got into bad company in the town where he now lived, as he had done at home, and that she was afraid that he was fast going to ruin. She did not know what could be done, but she thought that perhaps Antonio might go there and see him, and find out how the case really was, and perhaps do something to save her brother. " I will go, at any rate," said Antonio, " and see if any thing can be done. Perhaps," he continued, " Mr. Kerber has found that he is a troublesome boy, and may be willing to give him up, and then we can get him another place. However, at all events, I will go and see.' 5 " When can you go ?" asked Ellen. " I can go next Saturday, most convenient ly," said Antonio. " Besides, if I go on Sat urday, I can stay till Monday, and that wL give me all of Sunday to see Rodolphus, when he will, of course, be at leisure." So it was arranged that Antonio was to go on Saturday. Ellen requested him to manage his expedition as privately as possible, for she did not wish to have her brother's misconduct mad ANTONIO. 165 Antonio matures his plan. He keeps it secret. known more than was absolutely necessary Antonio told her that nobody but Mrs. Henn should know where he was going, and that ho vould not even tell her what he was going for. That evening Antonio obtained leave of Mrs. Henry to go to the town where Mr. Kerber lived on Saturday, and to be gone until Monday. He told Mrs. Henry that the business on which he was going was private, and that it concerned other persons, and that, on their account, if she had confidence enough in him to trust him, he should like to be allowed to go without explain ing what the business was. Mrs. Henry said that she had perfect confidence in him, and that she did not wish him to explain the nature of the business. She surmised, however, that it was something relating to Rodolphus, for she knew about his character and history, and she recollected Ellen's calling at her house to in quire for Antonio that morning. "When the Saturday arrived, Antonio began, about ten o'clock, to prepare for his journey. He had decided to set out on foot. He thought that he should get along very comfortably and well without a horse, as he supposed it would be easy for him to make bargains with 1he teamsters and travelers that would overtake 166 RODOLPHUS. Antonio sets out on his journey. him on the road, to carry him a considerable part of the way. He could have taken a horse as well as not from Mrs. Henry's, but as he wa? to remain in the place where he was going o/er Sunday, he concluded that the expense of keep ing the horse there, if he w T ere to take one, would be more than he would have to pay to the travelers and teamsters for carrying him along the road. He told James that he was going away, and that he was not to be back again until Monday. He did not, however, tell him where he was going. When he was all ready to set out, he went to his chest and took some money out of his till as much as he thought that he should need and then went into the parlor to tell Mrs. Henry that he was going. "Are you all ready, and have you got every tiling that you want ?" asked Mrs. Henry. Antonio said that he had every thing. " "Well, good-by, then", said Mrs. Henry. " J wish you a pleasant journey ; and if you find that any thing occurs so that you think it bcsi to stay longer than Monday, you can do so." Antonio thanked Mrs. Henry, bade her good- by, and went away. Antonio stopped at Mrs Linn's as he passed ANTONIO. 167 Ellen gives him a parcel for Rodolphus. through the village. He had promised Ellen that he would call there on his way, to get a letter which she was going to send, and had told her at what time he should probably come, He found Ellen waiting for him at the gate. She had a small parcel in her hand. When Antonio came to the gate, she showed him tht parcel, and asked him if he could carry it. " It is not large at all," said Antonio ; " I car* carry it just as well as not." " It is my little Bible," said she, " and the let ter is inside. It is the Bible that my aunt gave me ; but I thought she would be willing that 1 should give it to Rodolphus, if she knew " Here Ellen stopped, without finishing hor sentence, and walked away toward the houte. Antonio looked after her a moment, and then went away without saying another word. It was twelve o'clock before he was fairly .set out on his journey. He walked on for abuul two hours, meeting with various objects of in t crest in the way, but without finding any trav eler going the same way, to help him on hi* journey. At last he came to a place where there were two girls standing by a well before a farm-house. Antonio, being tired and thirsty, went up to the well to get a Irink. 168 RODOLPHUS. The two girls at the well. Conversation. - THE WELL " How far is it from here to Franconia ?" said Antonio to the girls. They looked at him as if surprised, but at first they did not answer. " Do you know ?" said Antonio, speaking again. 1 ' Haven't you just come from Franconia ?T; said one of the girls. '' Yes," said Antonio. " Then I should think that you would know yourself," said sLe. " No," said Antonio, " I doa't know. I have ANTONIO. 169 Antonio takes a drink, and then walks on. been walking about two hours, but I don't kno\v how far it is." " I believe it is about five miles," said the youngest girl. " Then I have come two miles and a half an hour," said Antonio. "It is twenty miles more that I have got to go." Then he made a calculation in his mind, and found that if he should have to walk all the way, he should not reach the end of his jour ney till about eleven o'clock, allowing one hour to stop for supper and rest. Antonio thanked the girls for his drink of water, and then went on. Pretty soon he saw a large wagon in the road before him. He walked on fast until he over took it. He made a bargain with the wagoner to carry him as far as the wagon was going on his road, which was about ten miles. This ride rested him very much, but it did not help him forward at all in respect to time, for the wagon did not travel any faster than he would have walked. At length the wagon came to the place where it was to turn off from Antonio's road ; so An tonio paid the man the price which had been agreed upon, and then took to the read again os a pedestrian. 170 RoDOLPHL'!?. A wagon coming. Talk with the tiia '\ * , He walked on about an hour, and then he- began to he pretty tired. He concluded thai' he would stop and rest, and get some supper a, the very next tavern. It was now about hall past seven, and he was yet, as he calculated nearly eight" miles from the end of his journey Just then he heard the sound of wheels behind him, and, on looking round, he saw a lighl wagon coming, drawn by a single horse, am] with but one man in the wagon. The wagon was coming on pretty rapidly, but Antonio de termined to stop it as it passed ; so he stood at one side of the road, and held up his hand as a signal when the wagon came near. The man stopped. On inquiry, Antonio fount! that he was going directly to the town where Rodolphus lived. Antonio asked the man what he would ask to carry him there " "What may I call your name 1" said tlu man. " My name is Antonio." " And my name is Antony," said the man " Antony. It is a remarkable coincidence that our names should be so near alike. Get hi here with me, and ride on to the tavern ; we will see if we can make a trade." Antonio found Antony a very amusing and ANTONIO. 171 Antony and Antonio. Arrival at the tavern. agreeable companion. In the end it was agreed that they should stop at the tavern and have some supper, and that Antonio should pay for the supper for both himself and Antony, and in consideration of that, he was to le carried in the wagon to the end of his journey. During the supper and afterward, while rid ing along the road, Antony was quite inquisi tive to learn all about Antonio, and especially to ascertain what was the cause of his taking that journey. But Antonio resisted all these attempts, and would give no information what ever in respect to his business. They reached the end of their journey about half past nine o'clock. Antonio was set down at the tavern," which has already been spoken of as situated at the head of the lane leading to the corn-barn, where Rodolphus and the other boys had made their rendezvous. Immediate ly after being shown to his room, which, it hap pened, was a chamber on the side of the house which was toward the lane, Antonio came down stairs and went out. His plan was to proceed directly to Mr.Kerber's house, hoping to be able to see Rodolphus that evening. He was afraid, before he left the tavern, that it might be too ate, and that he should find they had all gona 1712 RODOLPHUS. Antonio goes to his room in the dark. to bed at Mr. Kerber's. He thought, however, that he could tell whether the family were still up by the light which he would in that case see at the windows ; and he concluded that, if the house should appear dark, he would not knock at the door, but go back to the tavern, and wait till the next morning. The house was dark, and so Antonio, after standing and looking at it a few moments with a disappointed air, went back to the tavern He went in at the door, and went up to his room. It happened that no one saw him go into the tavern this time, for as there was a very bright moon, and it shone directly into his chamber window, he thought that he should not need a lamp to go to bed by, so he went directly up stairs to his room. It was now about ten o'clock. Antonio sat down by his window and looked out. It was a beautiful evening, and he sat some time enjoy ing the scene. At length he heard suppressed voices, and, looking down, he saw three boys come stealing along round the corner of a fence and enter the lane. He saw the light of a lan tern, too, for he was up so high that he could look down into it, as it were. He was con vinced at once from these indications that *here was something iroiriir on that was wronsr. ANTONIO. 173 Suspicious appearances. Antonio at the corn-barn. He listened attentively, and thought that he could recognize Rodorphus's voice, and he was at once filled with apprehension and anxiety. He immediately took his cap, and went softly down stairs, and out at the door, and then go ing round into the lane, he followed the boys down toward the corn-barn. When they had all got safely in, underneath the building, he crept up softly to the place, and, looking through a small crack in the boards, he saw and heard all that was going on ; he overheard the con versation between the boys about the box, saw them take away the straw, dig the hole, and bury it, and then had just time to step round the comer of the barn, and conceal himself, when the boys came out to see if the way was clear for them to go home. The next moment the light from the burning straw broke out, and Antonio, without stopping to think, ran in stinctively in among the boys to help them put out the fire. Of course, when the boys fled, he was eft there alone, and he soon found that it would be impossible for him to extinguish the fire. It spread so rapidly over the straw and among the boxes, that it was very plain all his efforts to arrest the progress of it would be unavailing 174 RODOLPHUS. Burglary. Why Antonio ran awav. In the mean time he began to hear the cry of " firo." The people of the tavern had been the fust to see the light, and were running to the spot down the lane. It suddenly occurred to Antonio that if he were found there at the fire he should be obliged to explain how he carne there, and by so doing to expose Rodolphus as a thief and a burglar.* When Antonio thought how broken-hearted Ellen would be to have her brother sent to prison for such crimes, he could not endure the thought of being the means of his detection. He immediately determined, therefore, to run away, and leave the people to find out how the fire originated as they best could. All these thoughts passed through Antonio's mind in an instant, and he sprang out from un der the corn-barn as soon as he heard the men coming, and ran off toward the fields. The men saw him, and they concluded immediate ly that he was the incendiary who had set the building on fire, and accordingly the first two that came to the spot, instead of stopping to put out the fire, determined to pursue the fugitive. * The crime of breaking into a building in such a way ia called burglary, and it is punished very severely among aU civilized nations. ANTONIO. 175 itntonio l.ides behind a haystack. He is seized. Antonio ran to a place where there was a gap in a wall, and, leaping over, he crouched down, and ran along on the outer side of the wall. The men followed him. Antonio made for a hay stack which was near, and, after going round to the further side of the haystack, he ran on toward a wood, keeping the haystack between himself and the men, in hopes that he should thus be concealed from their view. As soon as he got into the wood he ran into a little thicket, and, creeping into the darkest place that he could find, he lay down there to await the re sult. The men came up to the place out of breath with running. They looked about in the wood for some time, and Antonio began to think that they would not find him. But he was mis taken. One of the men at length found him, and pulled him out roughly by the arms. They took hold of him, one on one side and the other on the other, and led him back to ward the fire. The building was by this time all in flames, and, though many men had as sembled, they made no effort to extinguish tho fire. It was obvious, in fact, that all such ef forts would have been unavailing. Then, be sides, as the building stood by itself, there was 176 RODOLPHUS. Antonio's appearance as a prisouor. no danger to any other property in letting it burn. The men gathered around Antonio, won dering who he could be, but he would not an swer any questions. He was there, an utter stranger to them all a prisoner, seized almost in the very act of setting the building on fire, and yet he stood before them with such an open, THE CONFLAGRATION. ANTONIO. 177 The conflagration. Antonio is locked up for the night. fearless, honest look, that no one knew what to think or to say in respect to him. In the mean time the flames rolled fearfully into the air, sending up columns of sparks, and illuminating all the objects around in the most brilliant manner. Groups of boys stood here and there, their faces brightened with the re flection of the fire, and their arms held up be fore their eyes to shield them from the dazzling light. A little further back were companies of women and children, beaming out beautifully from the surrounding darkness, and a gilded vane on the village spire appeared relieved against the sky, as if it were a great blazing meteor at rest among the stars. At length the fire went down. The people gradually dis persed. The men who had charge of Antonio took him to the tavern, locked him up in a room there, and stationed one of their number to keep guard at the door till morning. M 178 RODOLPHUS. Antonio's plans. An officer with a warrant CHAPTER IX. ANTONIO A PRISONER. DURING the night Antonio had time to reflect upon the situation in which he was placed, and to consider what it was best for him to do. He decided that the first thing to be done was to svrite to Mrs. Henry, and inform her what had happened. He determined, also, not to reveal any thing against Rodolphus, unless he should find that he was required by law to do so at least until he could have time to consider wheth er something could not yet be done to save him from the utter ruin which would follow from his being convicted of burglary and sent to the state prison. In the morning, an officer came with a regu lar warrant for arresting Antonio, on the charge if setting the corn-barn on fire. A warrant is a paper signed by a justice or judge, authorizing the officer to seize a prisoner, and to bring him before a magistrate, for what is called an ex amination. If, on the examination, the magis- ANTONIO A PRISONER. 179 Bail. Bad men can not generally get bail. crate sees that the prisoner is clearly innocent he releases him, and that is the end of the mat ter. If, however, he finds that there is reason to suspect that he may be guilty, he orders the officer to keep him in the jail till the time comes Cor the court to meet and try his case. Sometimes, when the offense is not very seri ous, they release the prisoner on bail, as it is called, during the time that intervenes between his examination and his trial. That is, they give him up to his friends, on condition that his friends agree that he shall certainly appear at the time of trial covenanting that if he does not appear they will pay a large sum of money. The money that is to be forfeited, if he fails to appear, varies in different cases, and is fixed by the judge in each particular case. The money is called the bail. If the prisoner has a bad character, and his friends generally believe that he is guilty, he can not get bail, for his friends are afraid that if they give bail for him, and so let him have his liberty, he will run away be fore the time comes for his trial, and then they will lose the money. When, for this or any other reason, a prisoner can not get bail, he has to go to prison, and stay there till his trial comes on On the other hand, if the prisons has a 180 RODOLPHUS Examination of a prisoner. A request good character, and if his friends have con fidence in him, they give bail, and thus he is left at liberty until his trial comes on. At the examination of a prisoner, which takes place usually very soon after he is first arrested, he is allowed to say any thing that he pleases to say in explanation of the suspicious circum stances under which he was taken. He is, how ever, not required to say any thing unless he chooses. The reason of this is, that no one is required to furnish any proof against himself, when he is charged with crime. If he can say any thing which will operate in his favor, he is allowed to do it, and what he says is written down, and produced on his trial, to be used for or against him, according to the circumstances of the case. When the officer came in, in the morning, to arrest Antonio, he told him he was to go at eleven o'clock the next morning before the mag istrate to be examined. Antonio asked the of ficer whether he could be allowed, in the mean time, to write a letter to his friends in Fran- conia. " Yes," said the officer, " only I must set what you write." So they brought Antonio a sheet of paper, ANTONIO A PRISONER. 181 Antonio writes a letter. Special messenger sent with it. and a pen and ink. He sat down to a table and wrote as follows : " HIBURGH, July 10. " To MRS. HENRY, There was a fire here last night, which burned up an old corn-barn and I have been taken up for it by the officer' They think that I set the corn-barn on fire, buv I did not do it. I suppose, though, that I shall have to be tried, and I expect that I must go to prison until the trial comes on, unless Mr. Keep could come down here and make some arrange ment for me. You may depend that I did not set the corn-barn on fire. "Yours with much respect, "A. BlANCHINETTE." The officer read this letter when it was fin ished, and then asked Antonio whether it should be put into the post-office. Antonio inquired how much it would cost to send a boy with it on purpose. The officer told him what he thought it would cost, and then Antonio took out the money that he had in his pocket, to see if he nad enough. He found that he had more than enough, and so the officer sent a special mes senger with the letter. " And now," said the officer, " you must go 182 RODOLPHUS. Antonio in charge of an officer. Hit demeanor. with me to my house. I am going to keep you there until the examination to-morrow." So Antonio took his cap and went down stairs with the officer. He found quite a number of men and boys at the door, waiting to see him come. These people followed him along through the street, as he walked toward the officer's house, some running before, to look him in the face, and some running behind, and calling him incendiary and other hard names. Antonio took no notice of them, but walked quietly along, talking with the officer. When he got opposite to the lane, he looked down toward the place where the corn-barn had stood. He found that it had been burned to the ground. The ruins were still smoking, and sev- eral men and boys were standing around the place some looking idly on, and some poking up the smouldering fire. There was something in Antonio's frank and honest air, and in the intelligence and good sense which he manifested in his conversation, which interested the officer in his fav:r. He told his wife, when he got home, that Antonic was the most honest-looking rogue that he ever had the custody of. It shows, however, he add ed, how little we can trust to appearance?. I ANTONIO A PRISONER. 183 Dorinda Antonio'* oreakfast. A conversation. once had a man in my keeping, who looked aa innocent and simple-minded as Dorinda there, but- he turned out to be one of the most cunning counterfeiters in the state. Dorinda was the officer's little girl. There was a room in the officer's house which was made very strong, and used for the tempo rary keeping of prisoners. They put Antonio into this room, and locked him in. The officer, however, told him, when he went away, that he would bring him some breakfast pretty soon, and this he did in about half an hour. Antonio ate his breakfast with an excel lent appetite. After breakfast, he moved his chair up to a, small window, which had been made in one side of the room. The window had a sash on the inside, and great iron bars without. Antonio opened the sash, and looked out through the iron bars. He saw a pleasant green yard, and a lit tie girl playing there upon the grass. " What is your name ?" said Antonio. The little girl started at hearing his voice, ran back a little way, and then stood looking ai Antonio, with her hands behind her. "Bring me that piece of paper," said Antonio, "that lies there on the grass, and I will make you a picture." 184 RODOLPHUS. Dorinda brings Antonio a paper. The girl stood still a moment, as if much as- lonished, and then advancing timidly, she pick ed up the paper and brought it to Antonio's window, which was very near the ground, and held it up. Antonio reached his arm out be tween the bars of the grating, and took the pa per in. THE BARRED WINDOW. Although the window was not high, it seemed to be with some difficulty that Antonio could reach the paper as Dorinda held it up. But ANTONIO A PRISONER. 185 He draws a picture for her. was partly because Dorinda was afraid, euid did not dare to como too near. Antonio took a pencil out of his pocket, and putting the paper down upon the window-sill, he began to draw. Dorinda stood still upon the ground outside, watching him. Antonio made a picture of a very grave and matronly-looking ANTONIO'S PICTURE. cat, lying upon a stone step, and watching two kittens that were playing upon the grass before her. There was a bareheaded boy near, who seemed to be putting a mitten upon his hand. Underneath Antonio wrote the words, " This is the picture of a cat, Looking at some kittens ; Also a boy without a hat, Putting on his mittens." 186 RODOLPHUS. Antonio draws another picture. The bxiks. When the work was finished, Antonio thre\v the paper out of the window, and Dorinda, whc had been all the time looking on with a very serious expression of countenance, took it up, and began to look at the drawing. She could not read, so she only looked at the picture. After examining it for some minutes, without, however, at all relaxing the extreme gravity of her countenance, she ran off to show the paper to her mother. Presently she came back again. By this time Antonio had made another drawing. It was the representation of his own window, as it would appear on the outside, with iron bars forming a grating, and himself looking through between them. Underneath he wrote, " Pity the poor prisoner, and bring him some books to read." Dorinda took this picture too, when Antonio threw it out to her, and ran in with it to her mother. Presently she came out with two books in her hand. She came under the window and held them up timidly to Antonio, and he took them in. By the help of these books, and some other indulgences that the officer allowed him, Anto- ANTONIO A PRISONER. 187 Antonio brought up for examination. nio got through the day very comfortably and well. The next morning, at eleven o'clock, the offi cer came to take his prisoner to the justice, foi examination. The officer led Antonio along tho street till he came to a lawyer's office. There were several men and boys about the door. These persons eyed Antonio very closely when he went in. On entering the office, Antonio was brought up in front of a table which stood in the middle of the room. A young man was sitting at the table with paper, and pen, and ink before him. He was the clerk. The justice himself sat in an arm-chair near the window. The men and boys from the outside came in immediately after Antonio, and stood in the of fice, near the door, to hear the examination. When all was ready, the justice commenced by saying to Antonio, " What is your name, young man?" " Antonio Bianchinette," said Antonio. " Where do you live ?" asked the justice. " In Franconia," said Antonio. " You are aware, I suppose," said the justice, " that you are charged with having set fire to the building which was burned night before last, and you are brought here foi a preliminary ex- 188 R ODOLPHLS. Antonio declines to answer any questions. amination. You can do just as you please about giving any explanation of the circumstances of the case, or answering any questions that I put to you. If you make any statements or answer any questions, what you say will be put down, and will be used either for or against you, as the case may be, on your trial." Antonio said, in reply, that he did not wish to make any statements, or to answer any ques tions in relation to the fire. " There is one thing, however," he added, " that I wish to say, and that is, that there is something buried in the ground, under the place where the building stood, that ought to be dug up, and if you will take me to the place, I will show you where to dig." " What is it that is buried there ?" said tho justice. " I would rather not answer that question," said Antonio. The justice paused a moment, to consider what to do. He had heard of the robbery that had been committed on Saturday night, for Mr. Kerber, on going into his office on Monday morn ing, had found the back door unhasped, and his desk broken open, and the news of the robbery had spread all over the village. People won- ANTONIO A PRISONER. 189 The whole company proceed to the ruins. dered whether there could be any connection between the robbery and the fire, though noth ing had been said to Antonio about it. After thinking a moment about Antonio's proposal, the justice concluded to accede to it. The officer accordingly sent a man to get a spade, and directed him to come with it to the ruins of the corn-barn. Another man went to tell Mr. Kerber that the boy who had been taken up for setting the barn on fire had said that there was something buried there, and that per haps it might prove to be his money-box. So Mr. Kerber determined to go and see. In a short time quite a large party were as sembled around the ruins. Antonio directed them where to dig. The men pulled away the blackened timbers and brands which were lying over the spot, and began to dig into the ground. In a few minutes they struck something hard with the spade, and setting the spade down be neath it, so as to pry it out, they found that it was indeed Mr. Kerber's box. The men gathered eagerly around to examine the box. Mr. Kerber shook it, and found that the money was safe inside. He took out his key, but he could not get it into the key-hole, for the key-hole had got filled with earth He 190 RODOLPHUS. The money-box is discovered. Mr. Keep. turned the box down upon its side, and knocked it upon something hard, and so got the earth out, and then he found that the key would go in He unlocked the box, and, to his great joy, found that all was safe. Antonio would not make any explanation, except that he did not suppose that any thing else was buried there, and that, consequently, it would do no good to dig any more. He said, moreover, that he expected some of his friends would come from Franconia before night to see about his case, and so the justice gave him up to the care of the officer again, until his friends should come. The officer accordingly took his prisoner away again, and Mr. Kerber carried hin money-box home. Mr. Keep arrived that day about noon. He immediately had an interview with Antonio. After some little general conversation, Antonio said that he would rather not make any expla nations of the circumstances under which ho was arrested at present, even to Mr. Keep, un less Mr. Keep requested it. "I tell you truly, sir," said he, "that I am entirely innocent ; but I can not state what I know, without breaking a poor girl's heart who once saved my life, and I can not do it." ANTONIO A PRISONER. 191 Antonio's determination. His defense of it. Mr. Keep was silent a few minutes when An tonio said this. He recollected Rodolphus and Ellen his sister, and recalled to mind the story of Ellen and the snow-shoes, which he had heard at the time. He immediately under stood the whole case. " I am not surprised that you feel as you do," said he ; "but when a crime is committed, and we are called upon to testify as a witness, we are bound to state what we know, without re gard to our private feelings." "Yes, sir," said Antonio, "but I am not call ed upon as a witness. I am charged with com mitting the crime myself, and the justice said that I was at liberty to answer or not, as I chose." Mr. Keep was silent for a moment. He seem ed to be reflecting upon what Antonio had said. " By taking the course that you propose," he added, at length, " you run a great risk of be ing condemned yourself for the crime." " Why, no, sir," said Antonio ; " I can't be condemned unless they prove that I did it ; and as I really did not do it, I don't think that they can prove that I did." Mr. Keep smiled. ""Well, suppose that you do as you propose," 192 RODOLPHUS. His conversation with Mr. Keep about Rodolphus. said Mr. Keep, " and albw yourself to take tho place of the one who is really guilty, what good will it do him ? You will only leave him to commit more crimes." " I hope not, sir," said Antonio. " I should try to get him away from here to some new place. I think that he has been led away. He has got into bad company." " "Well," said Mr. Keep, after a short pause, "the plan may succeed, but you run a great risk in taking such a course. I think that there is great danger that you. would be condemned and sent to the state prison." " Well," said Beechnut, " J should not mind that very much. Thoro is no great harm in go ing to prison, if you are only innocent. I have been shut up here one day already, and I had a good time. 3 ' Mr. Keep said, finally, that the subject re quired time for consideration, and that, in the mean while, he would make arrangements for giving bail for Antonio. This he did, and then he and Antonio went together back to Fran- coma. THE TRIAL. 193 The court-room. Antonio brought up for trial. CHAPTER X. THE TRIAL. THE time arrived for Antonio's trial very soon At the appointed day he and Mr. Keep went to gether to the town where the court was to be held. Mr. Keep delivered Antonio to the officer again, and the officer led him into a little room adjoining the court-room, and left him there under the custody of a subordinate officer. At length his case was called, and the officer came forward and conducted him into the court-room When Antonio entered the room, he looked around to see how it was arranged. At one end there was a platform, with a curtained window behind it, and a long desk in front. Behind the desk there sat an elderly gentleman whom An- tonm supposed was the judge. He sat in a large arm-chair. There was another arm-chair upon the platform, but there was nobody sitting in it. Antonio thought that probably it was for another judge, and that he would come in hv-and-by, but he did not N RoDOLPHUS. Arrnngsments in the court-room. THE COURT-ROOM. In front of the judge's desk, and a little low er down, there was another desk, with a great many hooks and bundles of papers upon it. There was a man seated at this desk with his back to the judge's desk. This man was writ ing. He was the clerk of the court. In front of the clerk's desk, and toward the middle of the room, was a pretty large table, THE TRIAL. 195 The lawyers. The jury. The spectators. with lawyers sitting around it. The lawyers had green bags, with papers in them. On each side of the room there were two long seats facing toward the middle of the room These seats were for the juries. Each seat was long enough for six men, making twelve in all on each side. Between the juries' seats and the judge's platform, there was, on each side, a stand for the witnesses. The witnesses' stands were placed in this position, so that all could hear the testimony which the witnesses should give. On the back side of the room there were sev eral seats for spectators. In front of the spec tators' seats there were two chairs. The officer led Antonio to one of these chairs, and gave him a seat there. The officer himself took his seat in the other chair. He had a long slender pole in his hand, which was his badge of office. The first thing to be done was for the clerk to read the accusation. The accusation to bo made against a prisoner is always written out in full, and is called an indictment. The in- dictment against Antonio was handed to the clerk, and he read it. It charged Antonio with breaking into and robbing Mr. Kerber's office, an^ then setting fire to the bain. 196 RODOLPHUS. Antonio pleads not guilty. The proceedings After the indictment had been read, the judge, looking to Antonio, asked him whether he was guilty or not guilty. " Not guilty," said Antonio. The arrangements were then made for the trial. The jury were appointed, and they took their places in the jury seats which were on the right hand side of the court-room. Some jury men belonging to another jury were sitting in the seats on the left hand, but they had now nothing co do but to listen, like the other spec tators. There is a sort of public lawyer in every county, appointed for the purpose, whose busi ness it is to attend to the trial of any person ac cused of crime in his county. He is called the county attorney. It is his duty to collect the evidence against the prisoner, and to see that it is properly presented to the court and jury, and to prove that the prisoner is guilty, if he can. The prisoner, on the other hand, has an other lawyer, whose duty it is to collect all the evidence in his favor, and to try to prove hin innocent. The trial is always commenced b\ adducing first the evidences of the prisoner's guilt. Accordingly, when the jury were ready, the THE TRIAL. 19? The speech of the county attorney. judge called upon the county attorney to pro ceed. He rose, and spoke as follows : " May it please your Honor " Here the county attorney bowed to the judge " And you, gentlemen of the jury " Here he bowed to the jury. " I am very sorry to have to appear against so young, and, I may add, so innocent-looking a person as the prisoner before you, on a charge of so serious a nature as burglary. But I have no choice. However much we may regret that a person so young should become so depraved as to commit such crimes, our duty to the com munity requires that we should proceed firmly and decidedly to the exposure and punishment of them. I shall accordingly lay before you the evidence that the prisoner at the bar is guilty of the crime charged against him. It will be the duty of his counsel, on the other hand, to prove his innocence, if he can. I shall be very glad, and I have no doubt that you will be, to find that he can succeed in doing this. I fear, however, that it will be out of his power. "I shall prove to you, gentlemen of the jury, by the witnesses that I shall bring forward, that the prisoner left his home in a very mysterious R O D O I. P H L' 5. The county attorney's account of the circutistano-es of the robbery. manner on the Saturday when the robbery committed ; that he came to Hiburgh, and ar rived here about nine o'clock ; that he ther went to his room, as if to go to bed, and imme diately afterward went out in a secret manner. About half past ten the corn-barn was found to be on fire, and, on the people repairing to the spot, they found the prisoner there alone. He lied, and was pursued. He was taken, and, at length, finding that he was detected, and ter rified, perhaps, at the consequences of what he had done, he gave information of the place where the money which had been taken was concealed. " These circumstances all point to the pris oner as the guilty party, or, at least, as one ot the guilty parties concerned in the robbery. As to the fire, we lay no particular stress upon that, for it may have been accidental. We think it probable that it was so. The charge which we make against the prisoner is the robbery, and we are willing to consider the fire as an acci dent, providentially occurring as a means of bringing the iniquity to light." The county attorney then began to call in his witnesses. The first witness was James. THE TRIAL. 199 Antony is called as a witness. His testimony. James said that Antonio was well known to him ; that he came originally from Canada ; that he had lived for some time at Mrs. Hen ry's ; and that, on the Saturday in question, he said that he was going to Hiburgh, but would not give him, James, any explanation of the business that called him there. The next witness was Antony, the man who had brought Antonio in his wagon the last part of his journey. Antony testified that he overtook the prisoner 3n the road, and that he brought him forward tn his wagon. The prisoner, he said, seemed very anxious to get into town be fore nine o'clock, but he was very careful not to say any thing about the business which called him there. There was something very mysterious about him, Antony said, and he thought so at the time. The next witness was the tavern-keeper. The tavern-keeper testified that Antonio came to his house a little past nine ; that he seemed in a harry to go to his room ; that the tavern- keeper showed him the room, and left him there ; but that, on going up a few minutes afterward, to ask him what time he would have breakfast, he found that he was not there. That, about cOO Roi)OLPHU3. Mr. Kerber's testimony. Other proceeding. an hour afterward, he saw a light, and, run ning out, he found that the corn-barn was on fire. He cried " Fire !" and, with another man, ran to the corn-barn, and there saw some one running away. He and the other man pursued the fugitive, and finally caught him, and found that it was the prisoner the same young man that had come to his house as a traveler an hour before. The next witness was Mr. Kerber. Mr. Kerber testified that he left his office jare, with his money in the money-box, in the desk, on Saturday night, about half past eight. That on the Monday morning following he found that the office had been broken into, the desk open ed, and the money-box carried away. That he was present at the prisoner's examination be fore the justice, and that the prisoner then and there said that there was something buried un der where the corn-barn had stood, and that the company all proceeded to the place, and dug into the ground where the prisoner directed them to dig, and that there they found the money-box. The minutes of Antonio's examination beforo the justice were also read, in which he declined to give any explanation of the case. THE TRIAL. 201 Mr. Keen's witnesses. The speeches. The county attorney then said that his evi dence was closed. The judge then called upon Mr. Keep to bring forward whatever evidence he had to offer in the prisoner's favor. Mr. Keep had only two witnesses, and they could only testify to An- tonic's general good character. They were Franconia men, who said that they had known Antonio a long time, that he had always borne an irreproachable character, and that they did not believe him capable of committing such a crime. After the evidence was thus all in, Mr. Keep made a speech in defense of his client. He ad mitted, he said, that the case was a very extra ordinary one. There was a mystery about it which was not explained. Still, he said, it was not really proved, either that Antonio stole the money, or that he set fire to the barn. Many suppositions might be made to account for the facts, without implicating Antonio as really guilty. The county attorney then made his speech, ft was, of course, against Antonio. He said that the appearances were all against the pris oner, and that, if he were really innocent, it woulcj be easy for him to explain the case. His 2u2 R o D o L i> ii u s. The charge of the judge. The Jury. refusal to dc this, and his showing where the money was hid, ought to be considered as com pleting the proofs of guilt, furnished by thf: other circumstances of the affair. The judge then told the jury that it was their duty to decide whether it had been proved that Antonio was guilty. " You have heard all the evidence," said ne, ; and you must decide. If you are perfectly satisfied that the prisoner is guilty, then you must condemn him. If you are satisfied that he is innocent, then, of course, you must acquit him. And if you are uncertain whether he is innocent or guilty, then you must acquit him too ; for no one is to be condemned, unless it in proved positively that he is guilty." The jury were then conducted out by an of ficer of the court, to a small room adjoining, where they were to deliberate on the case. In about fifteen minutes they returned. The judge then called upon the prisoner to rise. Antonio rose and looked toward the judge. The jury were standing in their places, looking toward the judge too. " Gentlemen of the jury," said the judge " are you agreed upon the verdict?" The foreman of the jury said. t THE TRIAL. Verdict of the jury. Anl onio acquitted. " We are agreed." "Gentlemen of the jury," said the judge again, " what say you is the prisoner guilty or not guilty?" "Not guilty," said the foreman. There was a general smile of satisfaction about the room at hearing this decision. The clerk wrote down the verdict in the record. The judge directed the prisoner to be discharged, and then called for the case which came next on the docket.* Antonio went out with Mr. Keep, and got into a wagon which Mr. Keep had provided all ready for him at the door. They set out, counsel and client, on their return to Franconia. Mr. Keep was, of course, very much relieved at the result of the trial ; for, though he was himself perfectly satisfied of his client's inno cence, still the circumstances were very strong against him, and there was, in fact, nothing but his good character in his favor. He had been very much afraid, therefore, that Antonio would be condemned, for the jury are bound to decide according to the evidence that is placed before them. " You have got off very well, so far," said Mr * The docket is the list of causes. 204 K o D o L P H u s. Mr. Keep's instructions to Antonio. Keep. "Having been accused as an accom plice in the crime, it was your privilege to be silent. Should you, however, hereafter be call ed upon as a witness, you will have to give your testimony." "Why must I?" asked Antonio. " Your duty to your country requires it," said Mr. Keep. " Then," said Antonio, " I suppose I must, and I will." ANOTHER TRIAL. 205 Antonio forms plans to save Rodolphus. CHAPTER XL ANOTHER TRIAL. RODOLPHUS and his two confederates in crime were in a state of great anxiety and apprehen sion during the period which intervened be tween the committing of the crime and the trial of Antonio. Antonio did not attempt to hold any communication with Rodolphus during this interval, for fear that by so doing he might awaken in people's minds some suspicion of the truth. He had, however, a secret plan of do ing something to save Rodolphus from ruin, so soon as the excitement which had been occa sioned by the robbery and the fire should have passed by. All his plans, however, were de feated by an unexpected train of occurrences, which took place a day or two after his acquit tal, and which changed suddenly the whole aspect of the affair. One night, very soon after Antonio's trial, Ro dolphus, after he had gone to bed and was just falling asleep, was awakened by a loud knock ing at his door. 206 Rodolptius is arrested. RoDOLPII US. His " Rodolphus '." said a harsh voice outside, " Rodolphus ! get up and let us in." THE ARREST. Rodolphus was dreadfully terrified. He was always terrified by any unexpected sight or sound, as the guilty usually are. He got up and opened the door. Mr. Kerber and another man came in. " You are my prisoner," said the stranger. " You must put on your clothes and come with me." Rodolphus was in great distress and trepida- ANOTHER TRIAL. 207 ffe is put in prison. Mr. Keep visits him. tiou. He, however, put on his clothes. Ho did not dare to ask what he was arrested for. He knew too well. The officer informed hirr. that he was arrested on a charge of being con cerned in the robbery of Mr. Kerber, but that he need not say any thing about it unless he chose to do so. Rodolphus was so terrified and distressed that he did not know what to say or do. So the officer led him away, pale and trembling, to his house, and locked him up in the same room where Antonio had been con fined. There was a little bed in one corner of the room. Rodolphus went and sat down upon it, and sobbed and wept in anguish and despair. In a day or two his friends in Franconia heard of his arrest, and Mr. Keep went down to see him. Mr. Keep came as Rodolphus's coun sel and friend, in order to confer with him and to defend him on his trial ; but Rodolphus con sidered him as banded with all the rest of the world against him, and either could not, or would not answer any of the friendly questions which Mr. Keep proposed to him, but sat cry- ing all the time while Mr. Keep was there, and making himself very miserable. Mr. Keep saw at once that he was guilty, and despaired of be ing able to do any thing to save him. 208 RODOLPHUS. Rodolphus is very unhappy in prison. There was nobody to give bail for Rodolphus. and so it was necessary to keep him in close confinement until the time for his trial arrived In consideration, however, of his tender years, it was decided not to take him to the jail, but to keep him at the house of the officer, in the strong room where he was put when he was first arrested. The room itself was a very comfortable one, but Rodolphus spent his time in it very unhap pily. The people treated him very kindly, but nothing gave him any peace or comfort. They brought him books, but he could not read well enough to take any pleasure in them. Some times he would go to the window and look out upon the green yard, but it only made him more miserable to see the grass and the flowers, and the trees waving in the wind, and the birds flying about at liberty. Sometimes he saw Dorinda there playing with her kitten, and singing little songs ; but this sight made him more unhappy than all the rest. Rodolphus's mother came down to see him once, with Antonio. Antonio drove down with her in a wagon. The visit, however, did not give either Rodolphus or his mother any pleas- ure. They spoke scarcely a word to each othei ANOTHER TRIAL. 209 Mrs. Linn's anxiety. The trial comes on. while she stayed. When she got into the wagon to go home, Antonio, seeing how much she was distressed, tried to comfort her by saying that she must not be so troubled ; he hoped, he said, that Rodolphus would yet turn out to be a good boy. There had been a great many cases where boys had been led away when young, by bad company, to do what was very wrong, who were afterward sorry for it, and changed their courses and behaved well. This conversation seemed to make Mrs. Linn feel somewhat more Composed, but she was still very unhappy. At length the time for the trial drew near Rodolphus felt great solicitude and anxiety as the time approached. He did not know what evidence there was against him, for no one had been allowed to talk with him on the subject of the crime. Even Mr. Keep, his lawyer, did not know what the evidence was, for it is always customary in such cases for each party to keep the evidence which they have to offer as much as possible concealed. Antonio had, however, received a summons to appear as a witness, and Mr. Keep told him that if they insisted on exam ining him, he would be bound to answer all the questions which they put to him, honestly and truly, whatever his private fc.elings might be. 210 RODOLPHUS. The court. The proceedings. Mr. Kerbcr a witness. V/hen the day arrived, Rodolphus was taken by the officer to the court-room, and placed in the same chair where Antonio had sat. Antonio hat: looked around upon the proceedings with so frank and honest an expression of counte nance, and with such an unconcerned air, that every one had been impressed with a belief of his innocence. Rodolphus, on the other hand, sat still, pale, and trembling, and he manifest ed in his whole air and demeanor every indica tion of conscious guilt. The preliminary proceedings were all much the same as they had been in the case of An tonio. When these had been gone through, the judge called upon the county attorney to pro ceed. After a short opening speech, he said that his first witness was Mr. Kerber. Mr. Kerber was called, and took his place upon the stand. Mr. Kerber first gave an account of the rob- bery, describing the situation of his office, and of the two doors leading to it, and of the desk in the corner, and narrating all the circum stances relating to the appearance of his office on the Monday morning, and the discovery of the stronsr box under the rums of the corn-barn. o He then proceeded as follows : " For a time I considered it certain that An- ANOTHER TRIAL. 211 Mr. Kerber's testimony. Circumstantial evidence. tonio, the one who was first suspected, was the one really guilty, and made no effort or inquiry in any other direction, until he was tried. I was convinced then that he was innocent, and immediately began to consider what I should do to find out the robber. I examined the hole again which had been bored into the door, and the marks of the tools by which the desk had been broken open. I thought that I might, per haps, possibly find the tools that fitted these places somewhere about town ; and that, if I should, I might, possibly, in that way, get some clew to the robbers. So I borrowed the bits and the chisels of several of rny neighbors, but I could not find any that would fit. "At last I happened to think of some old tools that I had in a back room, and, on comparing them, I found two that fitted exactly. There was a bit which just fitted the hole, and there were some fibres of the wood which had been caught upon the edge of the bit, where it was dull, that looked fresh, and compared well with the color of the wood of the door. There was a large chisel, too, that fitted exactly to the im pressions made upon the wood of the desk, in prying it open. fi I could see, too, that some of these tools 212 RODOLPHUS. Rodolptms confounded. Hearsay evidence rejected had recently been moved, by the dust having been disturbed around them. There were marks and tracks, too, in the dust, upon a bench, where some boy had evidently climbed up to get the tools. I tried one of Rodolphus's shoes to these tracks, and found that it fitted exactly." While Mr. Kerber was making these state ments, Rodolphus hung his head, and looked utterly confounded. " Just about the time," continued Mr. Ker ber, " that I made these discoveries, a person came to me and informed me-" " Stop," interrupted Mr. Keep. " You are not to state what any other person informed you. You are only to state what you know personally, yourself." Mr. Kerber was silent. The county attorney, who knew well that this was the rule in all trials, said that he had noth ing more to ask that witness then, but that he would withdraw him for a time. He then called Antonio. Antonio took his place upon the stand. After the oath was administered as usual, the county attorney began to question Antonio as follows : "Were you in Hiburgh on the night of this robbery ?" ANOTHER TRIAL. 213 Antonio called. Ho asks to be excused. " I was," said Antonio. " At what time did you arrive there ?" asked the attorney. " I believe it was a little past nine," said Antonio. " Were you at the corn-barn when it took fire ?" " I was," said Antonio. " State now to the jury what it was that led you to go there." Antonio recollected that what first attracted his attention and led him to go out was seeing Rodolphus and the other boys going by with their lantern, and hearing their suppressed voi ces ; and he perceived that if he went any fur ther in his testimony, he should prove Rodolph- us to be guilty ; so he stopped, and, after a mo- ment's pause, he turned to the judge, and asked whether he could not be excused from giving any more testimony. " On what ground do you wish to be ex cused ?" said the judge. "Why, what I should say," said Antonio, to be very conclusive a connected story, but he made all his state ments in answer to questions put to him by the county attorney. He, however, in the end, told all. He explained how Rodolphus had first cut a hole in the partition, and then he narrated the conversation which the boys had held together behind the wall. He told about the tools, and the dark lantern, and the breaking in ; also about going to the corn-barn, burying the box, and then of the accidental setting of the straw on fire, and of Antonio's suddenly coming in among them. In a word, the whole affair was brought completely to light. Mr. Keep ques tioned Grilpin afterward very closely, to see if he would contradict himself, and so prove that the story which he was telling was not true : but he did not contradict himself, and finally he went away. There were no witnesses to be offered in favor of Rodolphus, and very little to be said in his de fense. When, at length, the trial was conclud ed, the jury conferred together a little in their seats, and then brought in a verdict of guilty. The next day Rodolphus was sentenced to ten days' solitary confinement in the jail, and, after that, to one year of hard labor in the state prison. 218 RODOLPHUS. Ellen forms a plan. She sets out to execute 15 CHAPTER XII. THE FLIGHT. Two or three days after Rodolphua's trial, Ellen, who had done every thing she could to cheer and comfort her mother in her sorrow, told her one morning that she desired to go and see her Uncle Randon that day. " Is it about Rodolphus ?" asked her mother. " Yes, mother," said Ellen. " "Well, you may go," said her mother ; " but I don't think that any thing will do any good now." After all her morning duties had been per formed about the house, Ellen put on her bon net, and taking Annie by the hand, in order that she might lead her to school, she set out on the way to her uncle's. She left Annie at school as she passed through the village, and she arrived at her uncle's about ten o'clock. Her uncle had been married again. His present wife was a very strong and healthy woman, who was almost all the time busily en THE FLIGHT. State of things at Mrs. Randon's. gaged about the farm- work ; tut she was very fond of Ellen, and always glad to see her at the farm. When Ellen arrived at the farm on this occasion, she went in at the porch door as usual. There was no one in the great room. She pass- ed through into the Iback entry. From thence she went into the back room the room where, in old times, she used to shut up her kitten. This room was now used as a dairy. There was a long row of milk-pans in it, upon a bench. Mrs. Randon was there. She seemed very glad to see Ellen, and asked her to walk into the house. Ellen said that she came to see her uncle. So her aunt went with her out into the yard where her uncle was at work ; he was mending a harrow. " Well, Ellen," said her uncle, " I am very glad to see you, but I am sorry to hear about poor Rodolphus." " Yes," said Ellen ; " but I have thought of one more plan. It's of no use to keep him from going to the state prison, even if we could, un less we can get a good place for him. Now what I wish is, that, if we can get him free, you would let him come and live here with you Perhaps you could make him a good boy." 220 RoBOLl'HUS. Mrs. Randon is willing te receive Rodolpbus. Mr. Randon leaned upon the handle of his broad-ax, and seemed to be at a loss what to say. He looked toward his wife. " Yes," said she, " let him come. I should like to have him come very much. We can make him a good boy." " Well/ 1 said Mr. Randon. " Well !" said Ellen. Her eyes brightened up as she said this, and she turned to go away. Mr. and Mrs. Randon attempted to stop her, but she said that she could not stay then, and so she went away. " She can not get him free," said Mr. Randon. "I don't know," said his wife. "Perhaps she may. Such a girl as she can do a great deal when she tries." Ellen \vent then, as fast as she could go, to Mrs. Henry's. She found Antonio in the garden. " Antonio," said she, " my Uncle Randon says that he will take Rodolphus, and let him live there with him, on the farm, if we can only get him out of prison." " But we can't get him out of prison," said Antonio. " It is too late now ; he has been con demned and sentenced." " But the governor can pardon him." said El len THE FLIGHT. 221 Antonio goes to see the governor. " Can he ?" said Antonio. " Yes," said Ellen. "Can he?" repeated Antonio. "Then I'll go and see if he will" Two days after this Antonio was on his way to the town where the governor lived. He met with various adventures on his way, and he felt great solicitude and doubt about the result of the journey. At last he arrived at the place. He was directed to a large and handsome house, which stood in the centre of the princi pal street of the village, enveloped in trees and shrubbery. There was a beautiful yard, with a great gate leading to it, on one side of the house. Antonio looked up this yard, and saw an el derly gentleman there, just getting into a chaise. A person who seemed to be his hired man was holding the horse. The gentleman stopped, with his foot upon the step of the chaise, when he saw Antonio coming, and looked toward him. " Is this Governor Dummer ?" said Antonio, us he came up. " Yes," said the gentleman, " that is what they call me." " I wanted to see you about some business," said Antonio, "but you are going away." 222 RODOLPHUS. Antonio takes a ride with the governor. THE GOVERNOR. The governor looked at Antonio a moment, and. being pleased with his appearance, he said, " Yes, I am going away, but not far. Get into the chaise with me, and we can talk as we ride." So the governor got into the chaise. Antonio followed him ; the hired man let go of the horse's head, and Antonio and the gov ernor rode together out of the yard. Antonio was quite afraid at first, to find him self suddenly shut up so closely with a gov ernor. He, however, soon recovered his self- THE FLIGHT. 223 Conversation about Rodolphus. possession, and began to give an account of Ro- dolphus's case. The governor listened very at tentively to all he had to say. Then he asked Antonio a great many questions, some about Rodolphus's mother and sister, and also about Antonio himself. Finally he asked what it was proposed to do with Rodolphus, in case he should be pardoned and set at liberty. Antonio said that he was to go to his uncle's, which was an excellent place, and where he hoped that he would learn to be a good boy. The governor seemed very much interested in the whole story. He, however, said that he could not, at that time, come to any conclusion in respect to the affair ; he must make some further inquiries. He must see the record of the trial, and the other documentary evidence connected with the case. He would attend to it immediately, he said, and write to Mr. Keep in respect to the result. About a week after this, Mr. Keep sent for Antonio to come and see him. Antonio went. < "Well, Antonio," said Mr. Keep, as Antonio tntered his office, " Rodolphus is pardoned. I should like to have you ask Mrs. Henry if she will let you go to-morrow, and bring him hcme. If she says that you may go, call here on you* 224. RODOLFHUS. Rodolphus is pardoned. Antonio goes Tor Hm. way, and I will give you some money to pay the expenses of the journey." Early the next morning, Antonio called at Mr. Keep's office, on his way after Rodolphus Mr. Keep gave him some money. Antonio re ceived it, for he thought it would not he proper to decline it. He had, however, plenty of his own. He had already put in his pocket six half dollars which he had taken from his chest that morning. Mr. Keep gave him a bank-hill. He put this bill into his waistcoat pocket, and pinned it in. He then proceeded on his journey. In due time he arrived at the place where Rodolphus was imprisoned. The pardon had already ar rived, and the jailer was ready to deliver up Ro dolphus to his friends. He told Antonio that he was very glad that he had come to take the boy away. He did not like, he said, to lock up children. Antonio took Rodolphus in his wagon, and they drove away. It was late in the afternoon when they set out, but, though Antonio did not expect to get to Franconia that night, he was anxious to proceed as far as he could. He in tended to stop that night at a tavern in a large town, and get home, if possible, the next day FLIGHT. 225 Antonio and Rodolphus set out on their return. They arrived at the tavern safely. They took supper ; and after supper, being tired, they went to bed. Antonio had done all that he could to make Rodolphus feel at his ease and happy, during the day, having said nothing at all to him about his bad conduct. He had talked to him about his uncle, and about his going there to live, and other pleasant subjects. Still Ro dolphus seemed silent and sober, and after sup per he seemed glad to go to bed. The two boys slept in two rooms which open ed into each other. Antonio proposed to have the door open between these rooms, but Ro- 7 ilphus seemed to wish to have it shut. An- onio made no objection to this, but at last, when he was ready to go to bed, he opened the M>or a little to say good-night to Rodolphus. Rodolphus, he saw, when he opened the door, was sitting at a little table, writing upon a piece of paper with a pencil. Antonio bade him good night and shut the door again. " I hope he is writing to his mother," sau" Antonio to himself, " to confess his faults, ano promise to be a good boy." The next morning Antonio rose pretty ear ly, but he moved softly about the room, so as not to disturb Rodolphus, who he supposed was P 226 R o D o L P ii u s. Rodolphus disappears. His letter. asleep, as his room was still. Antonio went down and ordered breakfast, and attended to his horses, and by-and-by he came up again to see if Rodolphus had got up. He listened at the door, and all was still. He then opened the door gently and looked in. There was no body there, and, to Antonio's great surprise, the bed was smooth and full, as if it had not been disturbed. Antonio went in. He saw a paper lying or. the table with his own name on the outside of it. He took this paper up, and found that it was in Rodolphus's handwriting. It was half in written and half in printed characters, and very badly spelled. The substance of it was this: "ANTONIO, I am sorry to go off and leave you, but I must. I should be glad to go and live at my uncle's, but I can't. Don't try to find out where I have gone. Grive my love to my mother and to Ellen. I had not any money, and so I had to take your half dollars out of your pocket. If I ever can, I shall pay you. " RODOLPHUS. "P.S. It's no use in me trying to bo a good boy." TIIK FLIGHT. 22', A.ntonio goes home. Antonio made diligent inquiry for Rodolphus in the town \vhere he disappeared, and in all the surrounding region, but no trace of the fu gitive could be found. He finally gavo up th search and went mournfully home. THE F * n. BOOKS BY THE ABBOTTS. ~ HABVER & BROTUERS will send any of the following works by mail, postage prepaid, to any address, on receipt of the price. THE FRANCONIA STORIES. By JACOB ABBOTT. In Ten Volumes. Illustrated. 16mo, Cloth, 75 cents per Vol. ; the set in a box, $7 60. 1. MALLEVILLE. 6. STUYTESANT. 2. MARY BELL. 7. AGNES. 3. ELLEN LINN. 8. MARY ERSKINE. 4. WALLACE. 9. RODOLPHUS. 5. BEECHNUT. 10. CAROLINE. MARCO PAUL SERIES. Marco Paul's Voyages and Travels in the Pursuit of Knowledge. By JACOB ABBOTT. Beautifully Illustrated. Complete in six Volumes, 16mo, Cloth, 75 cents per Volume. Price of the set, in a box, $4 50. 1. IN NEW YORK. 4. IN VERMONT. 2. ON THE ERIE CANAL. 5. IN BOSTON. 8. IN THE FORESTS OF MAINE. 6. 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Gentle Measures in the Management and Training of the Young ; or, The Principles on which a Firm Parental Au thority may be Established and Maintained without Vio lence or Anger, and the Right Development of the Moral and Mental Capacities be Promoted by Methods in Har mony with the Structure and the Characteristics of the Juvenile Mind. A Book for the Parents of Young Chil dren. By JACOB ABBOTT. Illustrated. 12mo, Cloth, $1 75. t^~ HAKPEB & BROTHERS will send any of the above, works by mail, postage prepaid, on receipt of the price. SCIENCE FOR THE YOUNG BY JACOB ABBOTT. WITH ILLUSTRATIONS. HEAT. 12mo, Cloth, $1 50. LIGHT. 12mo, Cloth, $1 50. WATER AND LAND. 12mo, Cloth, $1 50. FORCE. 12mo, Cloth, $1 50. Few men eujoy a wider or better earned popularity as a writer for the yonng than Jacob Abbott. His series of histories, and sto ries illustrative of moral truths, have furnished amusement and instruction to thousands. He has the knack of piquing and grati fying cariosity. In the book before us he shows his happy faculty of imparting useful information through the medium of a pleasant narrative, keeping alive the interest of the yonng reader, and fixing in his memory valuable truths. Mercury, New Bedford, Mass. Jacob Abbott is almost the only writer in the English language who knows how to combine real amusement with real instruction in such a manner that the eager yonng readers are quite as much interested in the useful knowledge he imparts as in the story which he makes so pleasant a medium of instruction. Buffalo Commer cial Advertiser. Mr. Abbott has avoided the errors so common with writers for popular effect, that of slurring over the difficulties of the subject through the desire of making it intelligible and attractive to un learned readers. He never tampers with the truth of science, nor attempts to dodge the solution of a knotty problem behind a cloud of plausible illustrations. .V. T. Tribune. HABFER & BROTHERS will send any of the above icorks by mail, postage prepaid, on receipt of the price.. POPULAR HISTORIES BY JOHN S. 0. ABBOTT. HISTORY OF FREDERICK THE GREAT. The History of Frederick the Second, called Frederick the Great. By JOHN S. C. ABBOTT. Elegantly Illustrated. 8vo, Cloth, $5 00. THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. The French Revolution of 1*789, as Viewed in the Light of Republican Institutions. By JOHN S. C. ABBOTT. With 100 Engravings. 8vo, Cloth, $5 00. NAPOLEON BONAPARTE. The History of Napoleon Bonaparte. By JOHN S. C. ABBOTT. With Maps, Woodcuts, and Portraits on Steel. 2 vols., 8vo, Cloth, $10 00. NAPOLEON AT ST. HELENA. Napoleon at St. Helena ; or, Interesting Anecdotes and Re markable Conversations of the Emperor during the Five and a Half Years of his Captivity. Collected from the Memorials of Las Casas, O'Meara, Montholon, Antom- marchi, and others. By JOHN S. C. ABBOTT. With Il lustrations. 8vo, Cloth, $5 00. ' HABPEB & BBOTHTIBB will send any of the above works by mail, postage prepaid, on receipt of the price. BY JOHN S. C. ABBOTT. CHILD AT HOME. The Child at Home ; or, The Principles of Filial Duty famil iarly Illustrated. By JOHN S. C. ABBOTT. Woodcuts. 16mo, Cloth, $1 00. The duties and trials peculiar to the child are explained and il lustrated in this volume iu the same clear and attractive manner in which those of the mother are set forth in the "Mother at Home." These two works may be considered as forming a com plete manual of filial and maternal relations. MOTHER AT HOME. The Mother at Home ; or, The Principles of Maternal Duty familiarly Illustrated. By JOHN S. C. ABBOTT. Engrav ings. 16mo, Cloth, $1 00. This book treats of the important questions of maternal respon sibility and authority ; of the difficulties which the mother will experience, the errors to which she is liable, the methods and plans she should adopt ; of the religious instruction which she should impart, and of the results which she may reasonably hope will fol low her faithful and persevering exertions. These subjects are illustrated with the felicity characteristic of all the productions of the author. . PRACTICAL CHRISTIANITY. Practical Christianity. A Treatise specially Designed for Young Men. By JOHN S. C. ABBOTT. 16mo, Cloth, $1 00. It is characterized by the simplicity of style and appositeness of illustration which make a book easily read and readily understood. It is designed to instruct and interest young men in the effectual truths of Christianity. It comes down to their plane of thought, and, in a genial, conversational way, strives to lead them to a life of godliness. Watchman and Reflector. It abounds in wise arid practical suggestions. JV. Y. Commercial Advertiser. ^ Kg- HAIU>EB & BROTHERS will send any of the above works by mail, postage prepaid, on receipt of the price. lJUITiJUlT s u s ^ -* ? - %OJIWO-JO^ JP> O ei. ^Cs l J5Jui 3 UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL UBRARYWCILITY^ ^ A 001372169 1 ^^i rf