THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Rare Book Room GIFT OF John W. Beckman COMPANY. Ill WASHINGTON STREET. 1854. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1850, by WM. CROSBY AND H. P. NICHOLS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. CAMBRIDGE: STEREOTYPED AND PRINTED BY METCALF AND COMPANY, PRINTERS TO THE UNIVERSITY. CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE I. THE HAPPY CIRCLE . 1 II. THE GOOD-HEARTED FELLOW , 7 III. LAW AND ORDER 15 IV. FROLIC THE FIRST .... . 18 V. A RAPID DECLINE 21 VI. FROLIC THE SECOND . 26 VII. A SUDDEN START 37 VIII. A COARSE BREAKFAST . . 49 IX. AN ENCAMPMENT IN THE WOODS 56 X. EVERY MAN HIS OWN MASTER . 64 XI. SHOOTING A BEAR 73 XII. TWINGES OF CONSCIENCE . 80 XIII. SQUIRRELS AND WOODCOCKS 90 XIV. FREDERIC ALLAN'S STORY . * . 95 XV. FIRE IN THE WOODS . 102 XVI. THE ESCAPE . 110 XVII. ETTA HALLOWDAY 117 XVIII. SEEKING THE LOST . 124 XIX. 127 XX. 132 XXI. PLANS FOR THE FUTURE 139 XXII. PICTURES FROM REAL LIFE , 147 A STRIKE FOR FREEDOM. CHAPTER I. THE HAPPY CIRCLE THE sixth boy was yet to arrive. A happy circle it was, that gathered around the table of Mr. Manley, at Nut Hill. There was but one vacant seat at the round table, at which they were taking their breakfast, and that was reserved for the sixth pupil. Mr. and Mrs. Manley had no children of their own, and they devoted themselves to the education of these boys with a zeal and enthusiasm worthy of the noble cause. Mrs. Manley presided at the table. Be fore her stood a large tea-tray, the cups were white as snow, and the silver brightly 1 Z THE HAPPY CIRCLE. polished. The lady herself was the very pattern of neatness and refinement. A sweet, natural smile came readily to her in telligent face, and her manner towards the boys was that of a perfect lady, softened by maternal tenderness. Mr. Manley sat opposite, a tall and remarkably elegant man, dressed with scru pulous propriety. Easy and affable in his conversation, the boys listened" to him with evident pleasure. And they evinced not less pleasure as he bountifully supplied their plates from the nice beefsteak before them. A happier set of boys one would not desire to see. At the right of Mr. Manley sat Meredith Long, or, as he was usually called by the boys, Merry Long, a fat, chubby little fellow, with rosy cheeks, and hair as soft and curling as that of a blue-eyed doll. Ah ! it was a great trial to his fond mother to send her pretty pet away from her ; but she knew there were few such schools as Mr. Manley's, and, for her Merry's good, she submitted to the trial. THE HAPPY CIRCLE. ' 6 Next to Meredith Long sat Percy Dobbs, the dark-haired Percy, the little beau, neat and prim as a new pin. The next was a pale-faced, ' thin lad, with large, gray eyes and a broad, fair fore head. He was at the left hand of Mrs. Manley, and evidently she was well pleased to have him there. Frederic John Milton Allan was the name he bore, but he was quite contented to be called Fred Allan. At the right hand of Mrs. Manley was Mark Brady, the tallest, stoutest boy in the school. He was fifteen years old ; all the others were somewhat younger. The fifth was Israel Putnam Holley, a lad who could eat more sugared peaches, within a given time, than any boy of the same age that ever was known. Mark Brady once said, that Put Holley always reminded him, at meal-times, of a toad in a mud-puddle after a shower of rain. It was a very inelegant comparison, but Mr. Man- ley himself could scarcely refrain from smil ing at its aptness. The seat at Mr. Manley's left was vacant. 4 THE HAPPY CIRCLE. Obliging reader, please to form in your "mind's eye" a perfect picture of Mr. Manley, Merry Long, Percy Dobbs, Fred Allan, Mrs. Manley, Mark Brady, Put Hoi- ley, and the vacant seat, at the breakfast table. The picture would not be complete with out the black waiter, Tom Nolins, with his white apron, and, if possible, still whiter teeth, teeth, by the way, which were too apt to be exhibited when any thing droll was said at table. Just as they were about rising from table, Tom was called out of the room, and soon returned with a letter for Mr. Manley. " Stay a moment, if you please," said he, opening the letter. After reading it, he passed it across the table to Mrs. Manley, and said, " Our sixth will be here to-morrow. You may leave the table, boys." The five left for the play-ground, or gymnasium, where they passed an hour every morning after breakfast, and another hour before supper, THE HAPPY CIRCLE. 5 Mrs. Manley read as follows : "To MR. ARCHIBALD MANLEY, " Nut Hill, Brantonville. "Sept. 4th. " Dear Sir, I am happy to be allowed the privilege of placing my son Nicholas in your family. Providence permitting, we shall arrive at Nut Hill on the 7th instant. "As to my boy, he is a good-hearted fel low, nobody's enemy but his own. I hope you will be so successful with his education as to render him one of the first men in the country. It is my ambition to have him become a very distinguished politician. I shall confer more fully with you when I have the honor to see you. " Respectfully, &c. " THOMAS BOLTON." With a slight ominous shake of the head, Mrs. Manley handed back the letter, say ing, " Our boys are now so good and obe dient, I almost dread to have another come among them." " They are remarkably obedient to the THE HAPPY CIRCLE. rules of the school and the family ; a good and sufficient reason for the order and the happiness that we at present enjoy," re plied Mr. Manley. CHAPTER II. THE GOOD-HEARTED FELLOW. THE 7th of the month arrived, and with it Mr. Bolton and his son. " This is my son Nick, Mr. Manley," said Mr. Bolton, giving the boy a hearty slap on the back; "somewhat of a rogue, but a good-hearted fellow as ever lived. He has been much indulged, and you must not be too hard upon him at first. I can get along with the scamp well enough, but he gives his mother some trouble, and for her sake I place him here ; and he will be much better taught than he could be at home. But, my dear Sir, do not break the boy's spirit. I would not have him come back to me a broken-down, mean-spirited, milk-and-water character." 8 THE GOOD-HEARTED FELLOW. " Excuse me, Sir," said Mr. Manley, sur prised at this peculiar introduction ; " had we not better discuss this subject by our selves ? " The boy's dark eyes twinkled, and a meaning smile played about his handsome mouth during the introductory speech of his father ; he could scarcely maintain re spectful gravity as Mr. Bolton replied, " Just as you say, Sir. I have no objec tions to the fellow's knowing that I do not wish him to be held in, at first, with too tight a curb-rein. Young colts will cut up sometimes. But Nick, my boy, you may go and make yourself acquainted with the boys we saw playing in the yard, while 1 have some further conversation with Mr. Manley. Stay a moment, though. Here is your mamma's parting present," contin ued Mr. Bolton, taking out a green and gold purse, richly ornamented. " She has been a long time manufacturing it, and it seems to be well filled." " None the worse for that ; I shall know how to reduce it," replied the boy, as the purse glided very naturally into his pocket. THE X GOOD-HEARTED FELLOW. 9 As he left the apartment, Mr. Bolton said, with a look of extreme satisfaction, " You see, Sir, he is not a tame calf." " Few boys are wanting in what we usually term smartness," replied Mr. Manley. " Well, Sir, that smartness is just what I like," added Mr. Bolton. While the gentlemen pursued their con versation at some length, Nicholas found his way to the play-ground. " Well, fellows, what 's the fun ? " de manded the stranger ; "I suppose you all know I am Nick Bolton, quite at your ser vice for any sport on foot." So saying, he extended his hand to the first boy he met. "And what may I call you, Sir," he asked, as the boy timidly returned the salu tation. " Frederic John Milton Allan," stam mered out the possessor of that weighty and responsible name. " Stay, stay a bit ! " exclaimed Nicholas. " How many are there of you rolled into one ? You don't look able to bear such a burden on your narrow shoulders." 10 THE GOOD-HEARTED FELLOW. " Do you mean to insult my friend ? " fiercely demanded Mark Brady, stepping forward and doubling up a pair of large, red fists. " Your frind, Paddy ! and shure I did not know he was your frind, my darlint," said Nicholas, with the broadest Irish brogue. "My name is Mark Brady, and Fred Al- ian is my friend, and shall not be insulted by you, Sir." " Mr. Brady is somewhat hasty," said Percy Dobbs. advancing with a mincing gait, and making a very low bow to Nicho las. "Mr. Brady is a kind of self-elected protector to Mr. Allan." " And who elected you to settle my af fairs, Percy Dobbs ? tell me that ! " ex claimed Mark Brady, now in a raving pas sion. " Is this a comedy or a tragedy, boys ? " asked Merry Long. " My motto is, < Never fight when you can play ; never cry when you can laugh.' Come, now, let us turn up a copper, heads, fight and cry; tails, THE GOOD-HEARTED FELLOW. 11 laugh and be friends." As he said this, he threw up a bright red cent. " Tails, I de clare ! Now let us shake hands all round." So saying, he took Nicholas by the hand, u Welcome, long-expected sixth ! my name is Merry Long." " I should not think you could be merry long among these quarrelsome fellows," said Nicholas, giving him a hearty shake of the hand. " We are not quarrelsome," said Putnam Holley, scraping the sand with his right foot, in lieu of a bow. "This is the friendly manner in which I would have made your acquaintance at first," said Percy Dobbs. "Allow me to introduce Israel Putnam Holley, from the West, Mr. Bolton." Holley stood scraping his foot, quite abashed at this formal introduction. " Come forward, Put," said Merry Long. "You would come quick enough if you were called to supper." " Glad to 'see you here," said Holley, awkwardly extending his hand. 12 THE GOOD-HEARTED FELLOW. "And I, too, wished to welcome you kindly," said Fred Allan, timidly. " Well, you are a nice little pair of tweez ers, Fred Allan. Place my first rudeness to the account of John Milton," replied Nicholas, grasping the extended hand. " Tweezers ! why do you call my friend tweezers ? " demanded the yet unpacified Mark Brady. " Because he happens to enjoy very short, crooked legs, and a very long body, giv ing him a striking resemblance to a pair of tweezers. No disrespect is intended to Mister Allan ; on the contrary, I quite fancy your friend." " Come, come, Mark Brady, you can take a joke as well as any one ; hold out your hand and be friends with our sixth," said Merry Long. " Not till he makes a formal apology to our third," persisted Mark. " But if the principal is satisfied, the sec ond ought to be ; I take it that is the rule in all honorable quarrels," said*Percy Dobbs. " Certainly, Mr. Dobbs," replied Nicholas, THE GOOD-HEARTED FELLOW. 13 with an exceedingly low bow, the very counterpart to the one he had received from Percy. " But, upon my word, boys, I did not mean to quarrel with you," continued Nicholas, with a frank, good-natured smile. " Let us be friends." " Now you speak like a gentleman," said Mark Brady, spreading out his broad palm, and then giving Nicholas so hearty a shake fhat his very shoulder ached for ten minutes after. " There goes the supper-bell," exclaimed Holley, clapping his hands. " Which sound always reaches your long ears two seconds before it does mine," re marked Percy Dobbs, in a very consequential manner. " I am sorry your extremely short ears serve you no better," said Mark Brady, laughing heartily. This was followed by a general laugh at the would-be-elegant Dobbs, who, happen ing to have an enormous pair of red ears, wore his hair very long to cover them. 14 THE GOOD-HEARTED FELLOW. "You are not polite at all, Sirs," said Percy, as he followed the other boys from the play-ground. " No, we are not," said Allan, putting his arm around his companion's neck, as they walked together to supper. " I beg your pardon, Percy." Boys are frequently rude to each other in this way, although they well know that personal defects are not proper subjects for ridicule. CHAPTER III. LAW AND ORDER. THE next morning, after breakfast, Mr. Manley took Nicholas into his private study. "Sit down, Nicholas, I have several things to say to you," said he, kindly. " It is expected that every member of our little community pay great respect to the laws by which it is governed. These laws are for our mutual benefit, and shall be fully made known to you. They are all founded upon the broad, general principle, ' Do unto oth ers as you would have others do unto you.' It is impossible, you know, my boy, for any well-conditioned community to exist with out laws. If they have none, they must be in a state of anarchy and confusion, or be governed by a despot." 16 LAW AND ORDER. Nicholas began to look rather impatiently at Mr. Manley, as though he thought this was the beginning of a tedious lecture. "I will detain you but a short time," continued Mr. Manley. " The community into which you have now entered is a civilized, an intellectual, and a Christian community. We expect to keep the laws of the land, the laws of the school, and the moral law, the law of the ten command ments. " In obedience to law and order, you will find your highest good. Love to God, and love to man, should be your motives for obedience. Pray to God, daily, to assist you in keeping his commandments, and ask his forgiveness if you should be so unhap py as to break them, ask his forgiveness, for Christ's sake. I will leave you here for half an hour, to study carefully the laws or rules of the school and the family, that you need not err through ignorance." So saying, Mr. Manley placed a paper on the table before Nicholas, and left him to digest the laws for himself. LAW AND ORDER. 17 They were brief and simple. The hours for study and recreation were mentioned, and certain hours specified when the boys must not be off the grounds belonging to Nut Hill. Neatness and order were to be ob served in dress, rooms, and in school. Politeness, under the better name of Chris tian kindness, was recommended as the gov erning principle in all the intercourse of the boys with their friends, Mr. and Mrs. Man- ley, and with each other. After Nicholas had glanced over the paper, he threw it aside, saying to himself, " Pretty stiff place this ; but I reckon I shall get along swimmingly." CHAPTER IV. FROLIC THE FIRST. AFTER the very unpromising introduction of Nicholas Bolton to his school-fellows, it would scarcely seem probable that he could become a general favorite. Yet so it was. He had not been more than a week at Nut Hill, before his companions thought there was nobody equal to Nick Bolton. His in timacy was considered the most desirable thing in the world. He was quick to learn his lessons, and as quickly forgot them. But his quickness gave him time to help others, which he readily did. His well-filled purse afforded him the means of " treating " to fruit and confection ary, from the tiny shop of a Frenchman who FROLIC THE FIRST. 19 had lately established himself not far from the gate at Nut Hill. Mrs. Manley, who had shaken her head so ominously at the introduction of the good- hearted fellow into the family, was begin- ning to like him, in spite of his faults. Mr. Manley wrote to Mr. Bolton that Nich olas was going on bravely with his studies, and he trusted that the favorable anticipa tions which his parents had formed would not be disappointed. Put Holley, whose fondness for eating often led him astray, proposed to Nicholas, one Saturday evening, to rob the orchard of a neighbouring farmer. Now, Nicholas did not care a straw about the apples, but he had heard that robbing orchards was capital fun. Moreover, by some surprising mistake with regard to the rights of others, boys at school, and older boys at college, have long considered robbing orchards and hen-roosts a very pardonable offence, quite different from robbing the mail, or a money-drawer; yet they are equally trangressions of the commandment, " Thou shalt not steal." FROLIC THE FIRST. Nicholas consented to go, and coaxed Merry Long to be of the party. They slyly escaped from Nut Hill at eight o'clock in the evening, filled a pillow-case which they had taken for the purpose, and, unmo lested by man or dog, escaped with their booty. It was, on the whole, a very tame affair, quite different from what Nicholas expected. The three boys hid the apples under the carriage-house and went to their beds, with out having been suspected of absence from the premises of Nut Hill. The next day was Sunday. The three boys felt guilty and ashamed, although no one but themselves knew of the theft. Merry Long whispered to Nicholas, as he went to church arm in arm with him, " I feel cheap as dirt, don't you ?" "No," replied Nicholas, "for I will not eat one of the apples." " But Holley will," replied Merry. " He is a mean fellow, then," was the re sponse ; " his whole soul might be shut up in a cream-cake." CHAPTER V. A RAPID DECLINE. ON Monday morning, for the first time since he had been at Nut Hill, Nicholas could not recite his Latin lesson ; for a very good reason, he had not studied it. And yet he was angry, most unreasonably angry, with Mr. Manley, for giving him a mark of disgrace. This one fault, as is often the case, ren dered him careless, and throughout the morn ing he was guilty of several others. He up set a bottle of ink all over the floor. Then, when he found that he was blamed for what he considered an accident, he tore all the history lessons, which he had carefully writ ten, entirely out of his book. Not satisfied 22 A RAPID DECLINE. with this mischief, he wrote some imperti nent sentences in his composition exercise, an exercise which was to be read aloud. One of these sentences was, "If re quested to define a despot, I should say, a tyrant ; for example, the master of a school." Another was, "It is dangerous to place power in the hands of a man who does not know how to use it." After reading these specimens of imper tinence, Mr. Manley quietly and calmly or dered Nicholas to go to his own room, and stay there till he summoned him to his pri vate study for an explanation. Nicholas left with a haughty stride, and when he reached the door of the school room he turned round and said, with a su percilious nod, " Not so much your hum ble servant, Sir, as you would wish me to be." Mr. Manley went on with the exercises of the school as if nothing uncommon had disturbed the usual order and tranquillity. Before dismissing the boys, however, he forbade their holding any communication with Nicholas Bolton. A RAPID DECLINE. 23 At dinner-time he sent up a tray amply supplied with food to the room of the delin quent. Apparently, he had a good appetite, for it came down empty, excepting that there was upon it a saucy note for Mr. Manley. Mr. Manley replied to the note in a calm, dignified manner, setting before Nicholas in a strong light the impropriety of his conduct, and begging him, for the sake of his parents and for his own sake, to examine the whole matter dispassionately. " When you have come to a right and honest decision with regard to your misconduct, I have no doubt," concluded Mr. Manley, " that you will make 'the amende honorable, by begging my par don." "Not yet, old fellow," said Nicholas to himself. He then employed an hour in writing playful, friendly notes to all his companions ; which they were silly enough to value highly, so silly, as to think themselves honored by a correspondence with a boy deservedly in disgrace. The notes Nicholas tied together and 24 A RAPID DECLINE. threw out of the window ; he entreated that his friends would answer them, tie their notes to a stone, and send them through the same window. They did so. Their notes were short and characteris tic : " I could have fought the old Gov., that I could, with right good-will. " Yours to command, "MARK BRADY,'' "I am afraid, dear Nicholas, you have done wrong, but I am very sorry for you. " Your true friend, " FREDERIC ALLAN." "You are, Mr. Bolton, a bold fellow, and I believe you frightened Mr. Manley out of his wits. I should not wonder if he proved himself a real coward. I have always be fore this considered him a perfect gentleman. " Very respectfully, "PERCY DOBBS." A RAPID DECLINE. 25 " Why, old Nick, what a hullabaloo you have kicked up. I did not think you had so much spunk in you. Hold out strong ; it will be all the better for us. " MERRY LONG." " Meet me, my dear boy, just after dark, at Ribeau's shop. JL'OU can steal out at prayer-time. I have something droll to tell you. "ISRAEL PUTNAM HOLLEY." CHAPTER VI. FROLIC THE SECOND. MONSIEUR RIBEAU was reported to be the funniest of little Frenchmen, and was known to be a skilful confectioner. The little shanty in which he had established himself contained but one room, which served the quadruple purpose of parlour, bedroom, kitch en, and shop. The front window, it had but one, a large bow-window, was filled with an enchanting array of cakes, candies, and colored tissue-paper. A white curtain was so arranged in the back side of the win dow as to exclude all impertinent gazers from viewing the interior. But if eyes could de vour, as they are sometimes poetically ac cused of doing, little Monsieur Ribeau would FROLIC THE SECOND. 27 not have had a sweet morsel left in that at tractive bow-window. When any thing was wanting from the shop, the customers were obliged to lift a ponderous knocker upon the door. A slid ing pannel in the door was then cautiously opened, and the applicant made known what it was that he wished to purchase. But, alas for the child who had but a penny or two in his pockets ! the Frenchman would receive only silver. Nothing of this singu lar being was ever seen, excepting the thin, white hand which was reached out with confectionery, and into which the silver was dropped. This mystery excited a deal of wonder and curiosity in the*village and at Nut Hill. Mr. Manley and his excellent wife ap peared to be the only persons who knew any thing about Monsieur Ribeau, and what ever the secret was, they c'arefully kept it to themselves. Nicholas escaped from his room at the time named by Putnam Holley, and got be yond the gate without being observed. He 28 FROLIC THE SECOND. had not been there five minutes before he 4p was joined by Holley. " A hard day you have had of it, Nick ; 1 thought you would like something good by this time," said he. " I have had a good dinner and supper ; I am not hungry. Was that all you wanted ?" replied Nicholas, half provoked that his friend had cajoled him into this place, merely that he might gratify his own well-known taste for the Frenchman's confectionery. " Now do not be displeased, my dear, good fellow. I have something to tell you. This Frenchman, who pretends to be the Man in the Iron Mask, the Wandering Jew, or some such strange, fhysterious personage, is sus pected to be a woman, or rather a young lady." " Nonsense ! " exclaimed Nicholas, " I do not believe a word of it." " Well, I do. You know Monsieur will receive nothing but silver." . " That may be very provoking to you, when you have only coppers to spend, but does not prove that it is a woman," replied Nicholas. FROLIC THE SECOND. 29 " But have you not remarked how very white and small the hand is into which we drop the silver ?" " I have thought it looked like the hand of a gentleman, and perhaps he may be an emigrant of distinction." " You may be as incredulous as you please ; but Tom Nolins says the only person he has ever seen go into the shop, or come out of it, is a small woman, with a close bonnet and a veil over her face." " That looks a little more like an argu ment," Nicholas replied, becoming more in terested in the matter. " It would be somewhat dangerous to rap with that tremendous knocker, which, you know, we always hear at Nut Hill, but I will tap upon the sliding panel." And he did tap upon it, again and again, without receiving an answer. "A pound of vanilla candy is wanted," he said, as loud as he durst under the circumstances. Still no answer, although there was a bright light in the bow-window. " Let us contrive some way to smoke out 30 FROLIC THE SECOND. the object, and see how it looks," said Hoi- ley. " I will jump over the fence and go around to the back-door ; perhaps there is a window on the other side of the house not so care fully curtained." Nicholas was over the fence in a moment, but scarcely had he alighted upon the ground before he heard a shriek from his companion. Holley, whose mouth watered for some delicious cocoanut-cakes temptingly near, dashed the glass out with his elbow, and put in his hand to seize the cakes. A strong cord, with a slipper-noose, was instantly thrown around the pilfering hand, and made fast within. The shriek brought Nicholas back again as quickly as he went over. " O, my hand ! my hand ! Let go ! ; ' screamed the terrified Holley. " Let go there, you vile old Frenchman," shouted Nicholas. " Let go, I tell you, or I will smash your window to atoms." In spite of the threat, the hand was not released. Nicholas snatched up stone after FROLIC THE SECOND. 31 stone from the ground, and threw them until not a whole pane was left in the window. Smash went the glass vases, and lozenges and sugar-plums rattled like hail upon the ground. Smash went china plates, scatter ing the cakes in every direction. Still the hand was held fast. " Here is my knife," said Holley. taking it from his pocket with his left hand ; " here, take it, and cut the cord, quick, for mercy's sake." Nicholas reached in his hand to cut the cord, but as he did so a noose was thrown round it, and he, too, was made prisoner. They both set up a fearful yell, and kicked and thumped with all their might. The lamp in the window had escaped the general destruction, and was burning brightly. It shone upon the distorted faces of the boys, who were writhing with agony. " What is all this ?" inquired Mr. Manley, stopping in front of the shop, with Mrs. Man- ley leaning on his arm. " Nicholas Bolton and Putnam Holley! What does all this mean ? What are you doing here ?" 32 FROLIC THE SECOND. " O, my wrist, my wrist ! O, my hand, my hand !" exclaimed Holley. Nicholas bore the torture, like a Spartan, in silence. " But how came the hands there ?" asked Mrs. Mauley, laughing at the ridiculous ap pearance of the boys thus adroitly caught in a trap. " We could not make the old Frenchman open the door," yelled out Holley. " Oh ! oh ! " " That is no reason why you should break his window ; every man's house is his cas tle. He has, besides, been requested not to let my boys purchase any thing of him at forbidden hours. You have broken the laws of the land and the laws of the school, and must be severely punished." The cords were now suddenly cut, and the boys stood wringing their aching hands. " Perhaps they have received sufficient punishment," suggested the kind-hearted Mrs. Manley. " That was an indirect punishment ; they must pay a heavy penalty for their mischief FROLIC THE SECOND. 33 Law and order must be respected. Go di rectly home to Nut Hill, and do not come out of your rooms again till to-morrow morn ing. We should return with you, but we have an engagement which we must fulfil, and shall not be home till half-past ten to night." Nicholas during all this time had not spoken a word, but anger was burning fiercely within his bosom. As soon as he was out of Mr. Manley's hearing, he ex claimed, " Law and Order ! Ridiculous catchwords ! I wish I might never hear them again. We should be a thousand times happier if there were no such restrictions upon us. I do not doubt the savages were happier and better men than these sticklers for Law and Order." " Those must have been perfectly de lightful times, when every body helped themselves to what every body wanted," said Put Holley. " I do not see the use, now, of our being imprisoned, and tormented with study for the best part of our lives. I should like, 34 FROLIC THE SECOND. of all things, freedom to range where 1 please." "That would be glorious! But where i would we go ? " " Anywhere, anywhere, rather than stay here and be punished severely without suffi cient reason." Just as Nicholas uttered these words, a large wagon, drawn by four stout horses, came rumbling along. They were now at the gate of Nut Hill. A lamp upon a post shone into the face of the wagoner, a jolly-looking young man, apparently about twenty years old. " Holloa, Mister, which way are you driving ?" asked Nicholas. " Right t' other way, master." " What do you mean by that ? " " I mean I am going down to the Wash ington Tavern to bait self and horses, and then I am going to drive off again in that quarter," said he, pointing in the opposite direction to the way in which he was going. " Is not that ' bock agin Sawney ' ? " A sudden thought struck Nicholas. "What load hafe you got ? " he asked. FROLIC THE SECOND. 35 "Just nothing at all; I am going fifty miles farther, to get a load of rags for our famous factory down in Dunstanville. I dare say you youngsters have blotted over reams of our paper." "You are going to stop at yonder tav ern ? " " Yes, where they hang out that awful morichature (caricature) of Washington. But you ask a great many questions, stran ger, for a man of your size j what are you driving at ? " " I will meet you before the great stable- door, at the tavern yonder, in half an hour, and tell you why I ask so many questions. One more only at present. Do you go far ther to-night?" " Hey ! you are a queer 'un. I go thirty miles before daylight." " I will be at the place I name in half an hour, and tell you something that will be for your advantage. Ask no questions at the tavern." The wagoner drove off. "What do you want with this man?" asked Holley, eagerly. 36 FROLIC THE SECOND. " I want to make a bargain with him to take us all off on a spree." Holley was startled at the boldness of this reply. "What, all six?" he eagerly asked. "Yes, all six. We will depart from abominable Law and Order this very night, and leave Manley to take care of his pets by himself. Will you go ? " " If the other boys will," replied Holley, timidly. " But the other boys must I Remember, it was for you, to-night, that I got into all this trouble. Besides, I have all the other boys' notes in my pocket, and could show Manley that they, too, have broken the laws. Of course, I would not, if I could help it, do such an ungenerous thing. But hurry, hurry ! We have a mighty deal of business to do in a precious little time." So saying, they hastened to the school room, where the boys were assembled to study their lessons for the morrow. CHAPTER VII. A SUDDEN START. ALTHOUGH it was only a little chilly in the evening at this season, a bright wood- fire was burning upon the hearth, giving a cheerful air to the school-room. Around a table covered with green baize and bril liantly lighted sat the four boys. " Look at our hands ! " exclaimed Nicho las as he entered, extending his red and swollen hand, and holding Holley by the arm with the other. A deep red mark, with some blood, was upon the wrists of both the boys, and the hands were purple and swollen. The boys started from their seats. " How did it happen ? Tell us at once." 38 A SUDDEN START. Nicholas, with the eloquence of a young Demosthenes, told the story of their wrongs, as he called them, and ended with a violent philippic against Mr. Manley. " He and his wife will not be home till half past ten to-night, and fortune favors us wonderfully. Let us go and have a rare frolic. There is a nice empty wagon down at the tavern, that will take us all. You know Mr. Manley will be so glad to get us back, that he will easily forgive and receive us again. Come, boys, we will have capi tal fun ! " " I am the man for you," said Mark Bra dy, throwing his book across the room. " Life in the woods for me." " Go, then, and pack up as many things as you can find of your own that we shall want." " I will go, too," said Merry Long. " Then, pack my carpet-bag, and your own, and when you have done so, throw them out of the window, run down, pick them up, arid make your way to the tavern as quick as possible. Put, you run and pack, A SUDDEN START. 39 " Come, Fred Allan, my man," continued Nicholas, slapping him on the back ; " we shall not take any comfort without you and Percy ; come along, we shall have the rarest sport in the world." " Are we at liberty to come back when ever we please ? " asked Percy Dobbs. "Just when you please. We go for free dom. Nobody is obliged to go or stay, unless they choose." " How much money can we muster," said Percy. " There is mine," replied Nicholas, emp tying the contents of his purse upon the table. " One five-dollar piece, a three-dol lar note, and some change. I dare say the others have, all together, quite as much." " I have but three dollars ; but, Fred, I dare say you have more ; you are as rich as Croesus." " But I do not know that I shall go. I am afraid you are rushing into dreadful mis chief." " Now, do not be so cowardly and mean. You surely would not stay behind to report 40 A SUDDEN START. us. I believe it is because you are so stingy that you will not spare your money. We will not ask a penny of you, if you will go yourself." " I am not stingy," said Frederic Allan, throwing a ten-dollar gold-piece and some change upon the table. Nicholas swept all the money into his purse, saying triumphantly, "Now we are all agreed, we shall have a glorious time ! Hurry, hurry ! and meet me in the stable- yard. Remember, we are all perfectly free to return." It was a beautiful starlit night. Nicholas hurried on to the tavern. The wagoner had taken his own bait, as he called it, and, with a lantern in his hand, was just giving his horses some oats as Nicholas entered the yard. " Well, Mr. what may I call you ? here I am," said he. " So I see. Moses Mason is the name my mother gave me, and I go by it still, when they do not, for shortness' sake, call me Mo Ma. And what is your name, young Sir?" A SUDDEN START. 41 " Young Nick, my mother calls me ; Old Nick, the boys prefer. But I have impor tant business with you. Will you take six of us as far as you go to-night ? " "Six!* What, six boys?" " Yes, six jolly boys on a spree." " I like fun as well as any body, but I cannot take you, unless you can pay well for it." "I will give you six dollars." "Say ten, and I will carry you as far as I go before morning, and that is thirty good miles." " It is too much, but you shall have it, 1 " said Nicholas, handing him the bright gold- piece he had just received from Fred Allan. The wagoner held it before the lantern, and turned it overhand over. "Good, I declare," said he, slipping it into his pocket, and thrusting his tongue into one cheek. " Where are your six ? " " Here they are," said Nicholas, as Mark Brady appeared, laden with baggage, and followed, at no great distance, by Merry Long, with a carpet-bag on each arm. 4 4x2 A SUDDEN START. " Be quiet, and stow yourselves upon the bottom of the wagon," said Moses ; " there is plenty of soft straw there. It is well," he added, " that all the people of the tavern are just now at supper." Percy Dobbs and Fred Allan now came into the yard, and soon all five were snugly stowed in the bottom of the wagon. Put nam Holley had not yet appeared. The wagoner grew impatient. "All ready!" he exclaimed, snapping his long whip. " We must go without the sneak, if he does not soon appear," said Nicholas ; " but wait one minute longer." The minute was gone, the wagoner started, and had got outside the yard, when Holley came, dragging^.a pillow-case of ap ples with one hand, and with his valise under his arm. " Here comes the last of the troop," said the wagoner; "crawl in behind." " What kept you so long ? " demanded Nicholas, impatiently. " The bag of apples," he whispered, as he hoisted them in. A SUDDEN START. 43 %c Just like you. Jump in. You would run the risk of breaking your neck for an apple." . Moses had now got fairly started ; but a man came out of the tavern, and cried out, "Stop! stop!" " Drive on," said Nicholas. "No, no, let us see what the fellow wants," said Moses. Moses stopped, and the man said, "I want to go about six miles down the road. I will give you half a dollar to carry me." " Climb up on the high seat with me, then," replied Moses, who, now he was in the way of it, was for making the most of the carrying trade. Greatly to the consternation of the boys, their fellow-traveller proved to be Tom No- lins, Mr. Manley's black waiter. He had taken the advantage of his master's absence, and had gone to the tavern before Nicholas started from Nut Hill. The successful es cape of the boys was owing to his having deserted his post, Mr. Manley having charged him to keep a strict watch at Nut Hill. 44 A SUDDEN START. The runaways kept as quiet as lambs, only they trembled not a little when they heard the well-known voice of the waiter. They had not gone more than three miles, however, before the monotonous motion of the wagon had lulled them all to sleep, excepting Frederic Allan. He was wide awake, and in tears. Already he regretted the hasty step he had taken. Regret, how ever, did not produce genuine repentance. He half resolved to escape, and return to Mr. Manley. He even went so far as to whisper, "Moses, Moses," but his courage failed him. A want of moral courage was Frederic Allan's greatest fault, or, more properly speaking, the cause of all his faults ; for he knew what was right, and his intentions were good ; but through this weakness, he sometimes acted in opposition to the dictates of conscience. " What load have you got to-night ? " asked the waiter. "I am going for a load. I often go empty when I am sent for a load of rags," was the equivocal reply. A SUDDEN START. 45 "Your wagon moves heavily," said Tom. "It is a heavy, rumbling old concern. They say we are going to have a railroad, one of these days, right through the woods. I do n't know where they won't send them locumfocums next, if they get to blazing through these out-of-the-way parts." " Why, now, you see thdt would be a great 'commodation to me, when I want to be off on a spree." " There 's both rhyme and reason in that," as my grandmother used to say. "So you are off on your own hook ! Where do you live ? " " At Mr. Manley's of Nut Hill. A gen tleman he is, who is eddicating six boys," was the answer. Moses thrust his tongue farther into his cheek than usual, as he said, " And what do these six boys do of an evening ? " " Sit in the school-room and study. I see them now, I 'magine, hard at it. But after all, they are the cornfortablest boys in the land, have all that heart can wish." Frederic Allan sighed deeply, when he 46 A SUDDEN START. thought how much more comfortable it wa* studying hard at Nut Hill, than jolting alon^ over a rough road, crowded in with sleeping boys, lying upon the bottom of a wagor upon straw ; above all, running away frorr friends and duty. Again, he was about t( call out to the wagoner to stop. " But,' thought he, " I can get out when Tom does and go back with him to-night." Afte] this good resolution, he fell soundly asleep The sudden stopping of the wagon to le Tom get off awakened some of the sleep ers, but not Frederic Allan. " Where am I? " muttered Percy Dobbs "Hush! hush! That is Tom Nolins'i voice. Glad am I that he has got to the end of his journey." "Good night!" hallooed Tom to the wagoner. " Good night ! and a safe voy age to your old empty wagon." Moses gave the lash to his horses, anc they started at full speed. " Success tc your spree, and a good scolding from youi master to-morrow morning," he shouted oui to the waiter. The latter part of the salu- A SUDDEN START. 47 tation was not heard by the person to whom it was addressed. " I am sorry that Tom will be blamed," said Nicholas. " How do you get on there, youngsters ? " asked Moses. " Nicely," said Nicholas. " Wake us be fore you get to the tavern where you intend stopping." " It is not much of a tavern, only a kind of baiting-place." " But you can get us some provisions." " They do not have much to spare." " Buy us a ham, a bag of potatoes, and some salt." " Give me the money when we stop, and I will do the best I can for you. Was n't it a capital joke to have that black fellow mizzled ? " " Capital," replied Merry Long. ''Here, let me get at the apples," said Put Holley, dragging away at the pillow case, and finally getting his hand in. " Well thought of, Holley ; pass them round." The scruples of Nicholas about 48 A SUDDEN START. eating stolen fruit had vanished. Thus the conscience becomes weakened by being tampered with. Be guilty of one sin, and a hundred more are likely to be the conse quence. Before the apples were completely dis cussed, the boys were again all asleep. CHAPTER VIII. A COARSE BREAKFAST. IT was two o'clock in the morning before Moses arrived at the stopping-place, where he was to sleep till daylight. Then he was to awaken the boys, and give them some directions. It was a lonely place, in the midst of the forest. The only sound that disturbed the stillness of the night was the barking of a watch-dog. This continued for some time after their arrival. " Are you not afraid of being robbed ? " whispered Percy Dobbs to Nicholas. "Not in the least," replied the latter, bravely. " I am thinking about our en campment in the woods. What a lucky thing it was, that Mark Brady brought off a 5 50 A COARSE BREAKFAST. quantity of bed-clothes. Here, boys, just get out, all of you, and let us spread the blankets over us, for the' night is getting chilly.' This being accomplished, the sleepy run aways were soon dreaming again of far-dis tant scenes. When Moses awakened the sleepers, a few stars still lingered in the sky, but the east was glowing with the light of morning. " Pack up your rattletraps and away," said Moses. The boys, aroused from their hard bed, rubbed their eyes, and looked about for a while, amazed and troubled. " Have you brought us the provisions ? " said Nicholas. "I have, but I had to beg for them like a man on the point of starvation." " Here, Mark Brady, you are the strong est ; take this ham, will you ? " "I can't. I have Put Holley's gun to carry, and all the bed-clothes," said he, wrapping the blankets and sheets around the gun, and shouldering the immense bun dle. A COARSE BREAKFAST. 51 " I am glad you brought the gun. Well, Percy Dobbs, you can carry the ham." " No, Sir ! I have a large carpet-bag to carry. Why do you not carry it yourself." " Simply, because I have to tote the potatoes," replied Nicholas, throwing * the heavy bag across one shoulder. " I will take the ham, then," said Merry Long ; " if somebody will carry my valise." " I will," said Nicholas, putting it under the left arm, with which he carried his own carpet-bag. " Do n't stand here parleying," exclaimed Moses. "You had better be off, for the people of the house will soon be stirring. Have you any matches ? If you have n't, I will give you a box." " Now, that is very kind in you, Moses," said Nicholas, pocketing the box, with great satisfaction. " I am afraid you will get yourselves into a heap of trouble, my lads. I advise you, after you have had a little sport, to turn your faces towards your nice home at Nut Hill. Old Nick, you are a good-hearted fellow. 52 A COARSE BREAKFAST. but rash. Now, march on, till you come to a white post ; jump over the fence, and you will find a footpath that will lead you right into the woods. There is not another house on this road, but the one we left, for seven mils. The footpath leads across the for est to another turnpike, about six miles off. The folks here sometimes go to meeting that way. Good by ! " " Good by ! good by ! " returned the boys, as they trotted off as fast as they could, laden as they were with luggage. It was not long before they came to the white post. They found the footpath with out difficulty, and after walking Indian file about a mile through the woods, they came to an open space, or clearing, of two or three acres. Here they stopped. Merry Long threw down the ham, ex claiming, "I declare, this is the hardest morning's work that I ever did in my life." A few old stumps remained about the clearing. One of them was large and char red. It had, on some former occasion, served for a fireplace. A COARSE BREAKFAST. 53 " Here we will have our breakfast," said Nicholas, throwing the bag of potatoes down near the old charred stump. u Let us get brushwood and build a fire." It was a bright, clear, September morn ing. The sky of serene blue was their can opy ; a curtain of dark woods, gayly em broidered by an early frost, surrounded their spacious breakfast-parlour. The party began to look quite cheerful, as the fire blazed up in the old stump, and preparations were making for their morning meal. " We can broil ham on the coals, and roast potatoes in the ashes," said Holley, clapping his hands and shouting for joy. " Gather more wood, my boys ; we have not coals enough yet," said Nicholas, as he worked away at the ham, endeavouring to cut off some slices with a jack-knife. The fire was replenished ; the ham was at length broiled ; but the potatoes were still hard. " How shall we get the ham off the coals, without burning our fingers?" 54 A COARSE BREAKFAST. " O, if I only had brought my silver fork ! " exclaimed Percy Dobbs. "Cut some sticks and sharpen them at the end. Quick, or the ham will be burnt." The boys cut the sticks, and thrust them into the ham ; and so keen was the appetite that the morning air had given, that they could not wait for the potatoes to be done, but devoured the relishing morsel of ham by itself. "Now, Nick, I will take the jack-knife and cut some more ham, to eat with the po tatoes, when they are done," said Mark Brady. "Very well," replied Nicholas, who had been so anxious to provide for others, that he had not yet tasted a morsel himself. " Very well, and I will look about to find the path out of this open space, for we are too near human beings for comfort." Nicholas explored the ground, discovered the path, and then came back to partake of the breakfast. " I never enjoyed a meal so much in my A COARSE BREAKFAST. 55 life," said Merry Long. " What does make it relish so, I wonder ! " " Carrying the ham a mile before you eat it is the best sauce in the world to make it relish," said Frederic Allan. " I am glad to hear you speak once more," replied Merry, u I thought you had lost the use of speech, and that you surely could never smile again, you have been looking so awfully glum all the morning." " Really, now, is it not a delicious break fast ? " said Put Holley, as he threw away the skin of his seventh potato. " It would have been, if I had only had my silver fork to eat it with," replied Percy Dobbs. " Fudge ! " exclaimed Mark Brady, "fin gers were made before forks." "And savages before gentlemen," was the reply. " I beg your pardon, Mr. Dobbs ; I think Father Adam was as much of a gentleman as any of his descendants, but I do not think it was a silver fork that made him so." CHAPTER IX. AN ENCAMPMENT IN THE WOODS. " WE are too near the road for an en campment ; let us march on till we come to another opening. It would not do to fire a gun here, and we shall want some variety for our dinner," said Nicholas, shouldering again the potatoes, and marching forward. The boys followed without a murmur, excepting Frederic Allan. He began to remonstrate against going farther, saying, "For my part, I should prefer returning to Mr. Manley." " By no means ; we cannot possibly spare you to-day," interrupted Nicholas. "And yet," he continued, with his kindest man ner, " Freedom is our watchword, go, if you like." AN ENCAMPMENT IN THE WOODS. 57 " It would be abominably mean for you to return and report us. I will not give my consent," said Mark Brady. " Nor I," added Holley. " Come, Fred, let us take up our rattle traps, as Moses calls the luggage, and march on. We shall have a jolly time to-day, and to-morrow we will talk about returning. Come, be obliging, and help me carry the provender. I have slung the diminished ham across a stick ; you take one end and I the other, and we shall get on finely." Thus urged, Allan took hold of the stick and followed his companions. The path became more narrow as they advanced, showing that it was seldom trodden. Oc casionally they made their way, by breaking off the boughs of hemlock and pine which obstructed their progress. " It is well to leave our trail in this way ; we shall easily find the path out of the woods," whispered Allan to Merry Long. " I do hope, even if the others should not consent, that you will return with me to- 58 AN ENCAMPMENT IN THE WOODS. Merry Long did not reply to Allan, but called out to the boy before him, "Percy Dobbs, how long have we been on this path?" " Five hours," was the reply. " Are we never coming to the end ? " im patiently demanded Put Holley. " Yes, you may halloo now, for we are out of the woods," said Nicholas, who went ahead. "Hurra! hurra, boys! " exclaimed Mark Brady ; " a beauty of a place it is for an en campment. The nuts will drop into our very mouths." "And crack themselves in falling," added Merry Long. It was, indeed, a beautiful spot. The warm glow of a September sun gave a bright and cheerful aspect to the opening. The grass had not lost its summer verdure, and the tall chestnut and walnut trees which surrounded the open space were only here and there touched with the footprints of Autumn. " This is a real campus, made exactly AN ENCAMPMENT IN THE WOODS. 59 for our purpose," said Nicholas. " Throw down your invaluable load here, Mark Bra dy. This is the very spot for us to pitch our tent. See, there is a clear little brook not far distant." " And, I declare, there is a flat rock that will just do for a table," exclaimed Put Holley, placing the few apples which still remained in the pillow-case near the natural table. The apples had been Put's solace the whole way, and Nicholas had occasion ally given the wink to Mark, as he saw Holley munching them without passing any to his companions. " Let us go to work and make our tent," said Nicholas. " No, no, it is dinner-time ; we will make a fire first, and have something to eat," re plied Holley. Mark Brady laughed heartily. "You have done nothing but eat ever since break fast. You are for having your meals join together all the day through. I will go and shoot some birds before dinner." " It is my gun," exclaimed Holley. 60 AN ENCAMPMENT IN THE WOODS. " You have insulted me, and you shall not use it. Give it to me, this instant!" " Take it, then ! But you have no per cussion-caps, nor powder either, they are mine, and safe in my pocket." " Come, Mark and Put, don't let us have any quarrelling ; we have enough else to do. We must cut down some poles for our tent. Those straight young maples, just touched by the frost a bright red, they will do nicely. Let us take our knives, Mark, and cut them down. You and I will make the tent, while the others gather wood, make up a fire, and cook the dinner." "Agreed, agreed," shouted Merry Long. The poles were, after much labor, cut and fastened in the ground. They were about six feet tall, and had a crotch where the limbs of the trees first branched out : and thus they supported the crosspole for the tent. When the bed-quilt was thrown over, it was found too short to come to the ground. " We must splice it with a blanket." "A very goo'd idea; but how?" asked Nicholas. AN ENCAMPMENT IN THE WOODS. 61 "Come to your dinner. It is fit for a king," shouted Merry Long. " It is three o'clock, a very genteel hour," said Percy Dobbs, carefully taking up the skirts of his coat, as he seated himself upon a large stone by the table-rock. " Here is your place, Nick ; and here is yours, Mark," continued Merry. " I had the honor to set the table, and place the chairs." " And I to cook the dinner." " And a first-rate waiter and cook you are, Holley," exclaimed Nicholas, as he saw the ham and potatoes laid upon clean pieces of bark, and the apples and nuts spread upon green leaves. Novelty, the country air, and hard labor, gave the runaways ravenous appetites, and their dinner was soon devoured. " Now, what can we do about splicing the bed-quilt, the blanket, and the sheets, for the tent ? " questioned Nicholas. " I have needles and coarse thread in my valise," said Percy Dobbs. " Indeed ! Well, you are more useful 62 AN ENCAMPMENT IN THE WOODS. than I supposed a long-coated gentleman could be," replied Mark Brady. The needles and thread were produced, and the boys soon sewed the tent covering together. They then fastened it down at the sides with wooden pegs, which they sharp ened for the purpose. The ends they filled up with branches of hemlock and oak, the door itself being a large branch of oak, which they moved aside when they entered, and replaced after they were inside. When they had completed the tent, the sun had gone down. "We must keep up a bright fire," said Percy Dobbs, "to drive away the wolves." " Wolves ! " exclaimed Holley ; " wolves ! " "Yes, wolves. There may be both wolves and bears in these woods." " No danger of their coming near us. But. you are right about keeping up the fire. We will have only some potatoes for our supper. How well it is that we thought of salt ! " " You are the royal we, Nicholas," re marked Frederic Allan, laughing. VN ENCAMPMENT IN THE WOODS. 63 Nicholas took no notice of this remark, but went with Mark and Merry Long to gather wood for the night. When they re turned, supper was ready. They rekindled their fire, and, removing their stones from the table, sat around it. Tired they were, with the hardest day's work they had ever done, and glad to go to sleep immediately after supper. They laid themselves down in the tent, disposing themselves as comfortably as they could, and soon fell asleep. CHAPTER X EVERY MAN HIS OWN MASTER. THE sun was far on its day's journey, when the sleepers awoke. They were stiff from lying upon their hard bed, after a day of such violent exercise, and many groans and " O dears," followed their attempts to rise. The fire had gone out, and the wood they had collected was burnt up. The lazy grumbled, because they had to go farther into the forest to collect the fallen branches, and the hungry and thirsty grumbled, be cause they were hungry and thirsty. " O dear ! O dear ! I wish I had a wash basin, and a towel, and a toothbrush," said Percy Dobbs, as he stooped over the brook and washed his face and hands. EVERY MAN HIS OWN MASTER. 65 When he had finished his ablutions, he seated himself upon a rock, pulled out a hair-brush and a pocket-mirror, and arranged his pet locks over his ears. He then took out a clothes-brush and began brushing it, but finding some difficulty in removing the dirt it had contracted, he called out, " Come here, Put Holley, and brush my coat." " Not I," said Put. " Every man is his own master here, and his own servant, too ; I cook my own breakfast this morning, and leave every body to do the same." And every body had to cook their own, and there was squabbling, and scolding, and a very unsatisfying meal. " I am going out to hunt this morning," said Mark Brady. "And as it is my gun, I shall go with you," replied Holley. " Do not go far from us," was the caution Nicholas gave as they departed. "Now, boys, we have enough to do," he continued. "Let us make the tent more comfortable, by spreading the ground over with dry leaves. We will then arrange for our din- 6 66 EVERY MAN HIS OWN MASTER. ner, so that we may have it in comfortable order." " Order ! I thought there were to be no such things as Law and Order here," ex claimed Merry Long. " I do not choose to go picking up dry leaves, and bringing them by handfuls to the tent." " Nor I, either," said Put Holley. " Well, I shall tie up one end of a shirt, and thus make a bag of it," said Nicholas, suiting the action to the word, " and you, Frederic Allan, can take the pillow-case and the potato-bag, and we will fill one of them with leaves and the other with nuts." There was something quite irresistible in the good humor of Nicholas. He was, too, so ready to take even more than his share of labor, and so generous in yielding the best of every thing to others, that he retained his influence over Frederic Allan. Although Allan bitterly regretted that he had yielded to that influence, again his courage failed, and he did as Nicholas re quested. Merry Long and Percy Dobbs sat lazily EVERY MAN HIS OWN MASTER. 67 by the fire. But as they occasionally heard the gay voices of Nicholas and his compan ion, they at length concluded that it would be better to assist them. As Merry Long made his way through some thick bushes towards the place whence the voices came, he stumbled over some ob struction and fell flat upon the ground. He started up and turned round, in his senseless anger, to give the object, whatever it might be, a hearty kick. It was an old iron ket tle, which had once stood on three legs, but, having had the misfortune to lose one, it had been thrown aside by the owner, and now was discovered as a treasure. " Come here, Nick," bawled out Merry Long, raising up the kettle and exhibiting the prize he had stumbled upon. " That is, indeed, a prize more precious than gold. Now, we will have our dinner cooked in style. It is rusty, but never mind ; we can boil some of the fat of the ham in it, and it will soon be fit for use." The boys were wonderfully delighted with their acquisition. They soon brought 68 EVERY MAN HIS OWN MASTER. the kettle into order, and boiled the chest nuts they had gathered, but they preferred to roast the potatoes, the last, unfortu nately, that they possessed. They had finished their dinner, and Mark and Put Holley had not arrived. Night was coming on, and they began to be alarmed, lest the wanderers had ventured so far into the forest that they would never find their way out again. A threatening cloud had been for some time gathering in the west ; it now spread rapidly over the sky. The wind moaned through the trees dolefully, and the darkness increased so suddenly, that the boys became fearfully alarmed for their companions. " We will build up a large fire to guide them to the campus," said Fred Allan, heaping on the wood. " What was that ? " exclaimed Percy Dobbs, starting up wildly; "is it not the howl of a wolf?" "It is only the wind," replied Nicholas. "I hear something besides the wind," said Frederic Allan. "Listen a moment," EVEKY MAN HIS OWN MASTER. 69 They held their breath and listened. "Help! help!" The cry came from a distance, but they could not decide from what direction it came. Again they listened, with intense eager ness. " Nick ! Nick Bolton ! " The sound came more clearly, a prolonged cry. " "It is Mark Brady's voice," said Nicho las; "I must go to him. But listen once more, that I may know what course to take." " Fred ! Fred Allan ! " now sounded clear and loud, among the trees to the left of the tent. Then came a feebler, but a piercing cry, " O, help ! " " Something is the matter with Put Hoi- ley ! " exclaimed Nicholas, rushing into the woods, followed by Fred Allan. " Don't go ! Pray, don't go and leave us ! " implored Merry Long. " Coming ! coming ! " yelled Nicholas, at the highest pitch of his voice. " I am afraid to stay without you," urged Percy Dobbs. 70 EVERT MAN HIS OWN MASTER. " Keep up a bright fire," was the com mand of NicholaSj as he penetrated into the wood. "Now, Fred, you must keep watch, so that we do not lose sight of the fire.' 1 Nicholas and Frederic had not gone far before they heard distinctly the voice of Mark Brady, saying, " Keep up good courage ; they hear and answer us. Nick Bolton ! " "Look out for the fire, and direct your course towards it," shouted Nicholas. " We see it, we see it," was the almost instant reply. " Then come on." "I cannot. Put Holley is badly hurt, and cannot walk a step farther." " We will come to you, then " ; and Nich olas made a crashing among the branches, as he pushed his way among them to the place where the voices came from. By the dim light, they could just distin guish the two boys. Mark had stuck tight to the gun, or, rather, he had tied his hand kerchief to it and slung it across his back, while he partly carried and partly dragged his companion along. EVERY MAN HIS OWN MASTER. 71 " What ails Put ? " eagerly asked both the boys at once. " Hurt, hurt. Carry him to the campus, and I will tell you all about it." Nicholas and Frederic placed their hands firmly together, to make a seat for the suffer ing boy. Mark lifted him upon the seat thus made ; he put his arms around the necks of his friends, and thus they carried him safely to the campus. "Now, how glad I am that we spread the leaves in the tent," said Nicholas, as they laid Holley down upon them. " O dear ! O dear ! " exclaimed Put as they carried him along ; " O dear ! O dear ! " as they put him down. " Where are you hurt ? " asked Frederic, kindly. " O dear ! O dear ! " was the only reply. Nicholas and Frederic hastened to the fire, where Mark Brady was telling his story. " So you see, I shot the bear " " How is that ? Shot a bear ! " exclaimed Nicholas and the rest of the hearers. 72 EVERY MAN HIS OWN MASTER. " Yes, shot the bear," continued Mark. " O for a drop of water ! " cried out Put from the tent. The boys had hitherto filled their hands and drank from them at the brook, or they had stooped down and lapped up the water - like dogs. Now, how could they bring it to their suffering companion. " The kettle, the kettle ! " cried Merry Long, exultingly, as he ran to fill it at the brook. It was an awkward vessel to drink from, and Merry was obliged, when he had carried it into the tent, to dip the water out with his hand and give it to Holley in that manner, as well as he could ; but it must be confessed that very few drops found their way into the mouth of the sufferer. CHAPTER XL SHOOTING A BEAR. WHEN Merry returned to the group around the fire, Mark was going on with his narrative of the day's adventures. " We went on, and on, without seeing a bird or even a squirrel. ' Since we can find no game,' says I, 'let us shoot at a mark.' I placed the leaf of an old Latin grammar on a tree, fired the shot out of my gun, and then placed in it two bullets. I had scarcely done so, when Put yelled out, l A bear ! a bear ! ' pointed his finger towards it, and made for the nearest tree. The bear stood perfectly still ; I fired, and hit him in the throat. Just as I did so, crash went the limb of a tree, and down tumbled Put upon the , 7 74 SHOOTING A BEAR. ground. I ran to him and helped him up. ( Let us run for our lives,' said he, ' for there are a dozen more bears behind the one you shot.' We did run as fast as we could, till Put's strength gave out, and he could go no farther; then I carried and dragged him until my strength gave out." "Hark!" exclaimed Percy Dobbs ; "I hear a bear growling." " Very likely," said Mark, " it is the bear's wife coming after me." "It is only the wind," said Nicholas; "but tell me, where was Put hurt ? " " All over," he says ; " fortunately he has not broken a bone. He said he was killed. I told him that would do for me to say, but not for a full-born Yankee." " Boys, boys, have n't you something for me to eat ? " cried out Put, from the tent. " I am half starved to death." They had only some boiled chestnuts and a small piece of ham to divide between Mark and Put for their supper. "Well, I shall go for some bear's meat in the morning, and we will have a nice steak for breakfast," said Mark. SHOOTING A BEAR. 75 " But suppose I do not choose to have you go off and leave us again," remarked Nicholas. " You might get lost, as you did to-day." " You don't choose ! " retorted Brady. " Who made you our captain ? You brought us away from our nice, comfortable home, but that is no reason why you should set up your authority over us here." " I say again, you shall not go away from us without my permission." " I shall not ask it of you, Nick Bolton," replied Brady, fiercely. " We came here for freedom." " To get away from Law and Order," re marked Merry Long, with a laugh. " But we do need some one to take the command," said Frederic Allan. " Suppose you were to become our leader, Brady." "Not with my consent," haughtily replied Nicholas. " Brady has courage enough, but no brains, no, not brains enough to fill a nut-shell." " Say that again if you dare ! " exclaimed Brady, starting from the ground and doub ling up his fists. 76 SHOOTING A BEAR. Nicholas rose, and saying, " Well, if you will fight, take it then ! " gave Mark such a blow on the head as made him reel for a moment. Just as he recovered himself, and was about to return the blow, there came a vivid flash of lightning, followed almost instantaneously by a tremendous clap of thunder. Horrible it was to see the angry, distorted faces of the combatants, as revealed by the lightning. They were startled for an in stant, but not appeased. Mark raised his hand again for another blow. As he did so, the lightning came, with a burst of thunder at the same instant, so loud and dreadful that the boys all fell to the ground. A large tree just by them had been shiv ered and splintered by the stroke. The rain immediately fell in torrents. The boys recovered from the shock, and fled dismayed to the tent. There they cowered together, trembling and weeping. The storm howled around them like demon voices, and the thunder shook the earth upon which they lay. Conscience, SHOOTING A BEAR. 77 that truth-telling accuser, which some times remains silent or unheeded, now did its office. Merry Long clung closely to Fred Allan, and whispered in his ear, " I am afraid to die, I am so wicked." " So am I," replied Allan ; " let us say our prayers." "Did not somebody speak of prayers," said Nicholas ; " we had better pray, for there never was such a storm since the deluge." " And who but old Nick tempted us here to enjoy it ? " bitterly replied Mark Brady. "Forgive me, Mark; forgive me, all of you. I did very wrong." The voice of Nicholas trembled, and the tears gushed from his eyes, as he thus hum bly asked forgiveness. Put Holley had been so overcome by weariness that he fell into a profound sleep, from which he now awoke, so stiff and lame that he could not turn himself over. " Strike a light ! strike a light ! " he ex claimed. u I am dying ! I am dying ! " 78 SHOOTING A BEAR. " We have no means of striking a light, my dear fellow," said Nicholas. Then came a peal of thunder, so loud and long that it seemed the blast of the last trumpet. " gracious goodness ! 1 shall die ! I shall die ! " continued Holley. " I wish I could pray ; but I am in such agony that I cannot think what to say. Will not some body pray ? " " Frederic Allan, you are the best among us ; please say the Lord's prayer, will you ? " asked Nicholas. Allan fell upon his knees and fervently repeated, " Our Father which art in heav en," &c., and then, most earnestly, from the very depth of his soul, cried, " God be mer ciful to me a sinner ! " All the boys reverently joined, and when the petitions were uttered, they were some what calmed. The storm subsided, but the rain still fell, and the thunder muttered in the distance. As they lay in their miserable tent, cold and trembling, drenched with rain, Memory was not, as described in the SHOOTING A BEAR. 79 Sailor-Boy's Dream, "half covered with flowers, showing every rose, but secreting the thorn." She did her office faithfully, hut severely. The sins they had com mitted came vividly before them, their ingratitude to their parents and teachers, their disregard of the word of God, and contempt for his laws. Then came the recollection of their comfortable homes, contrasted with the miserable tent, and the hard earth for their resting-place, the kindness of dear friends, the tender love of a mother^ all these came rushing over their minds, subduing and softening them. There was not one among them who did not that night form good resolutions for the future. The storm at length subsided, the night became still as death, and the wearied wan derers exchanged the realities of memory for the visions of sleep. CHAPTER XII. TWINGES OP CONSCIENCE. IT was. a bright and beautiful morning ; the rain-drops glittered in the sun, birds were singing in the trees, and the serene sky bore no traces of the recent storm. "What time is it, Percy Dobbs?" in quired Nicholas, starting up and rubbing his eyes. "My watch has stopped. I forgot to wind it up yesterday. I wish we were within sound of the church-clock, that I might set it again. I am sure, if I ever get within reach of that sound, I shall never desire to go out of it again." "There is one comfort, Percy, all our spare clothing has been kept dry ; we can TWINGES OF CONSCIENCE. 81 make our toilettes in our Sunday best, and put our wet clothes in the sun and by the fire to dry. "And what are you going to do about breakfast? " muttered Put Holley. " I am glad you have an appetite this morning. It is a good sign," said Nicholas, laughing. " I think it is a misfortune when there is nothing to eat," grumbled Holley. " Plenty of nuts blown off by the wind," said Nicholas, cheerfully, "and birds and squirrels to shoot." The other boys, all but Holley, soon fol lowed Nicholas out of the tent. A discon solate-looking set they were ; as unlike the neat, trim, young gentlemen who started from Mr. Manley's, as a shattered, dismasted ship after a storm is to the full-rigged, gay vessel that sailed out of port. But they washed in the brook, put on their " Sunday clothes," and looked like themselves again. Nicholas was overflowing with kindness and good humor. He it was who collected 82 TWINGES OF CONSCIENCE. the wood and made the fire. He gathered chestnuts under the trees and put them in the kettle to boil, for Put Holley. " Come, Mark Brady, let us shake hands and be friends. There is plenty