From Farm to Fortune; or, Nat Nason's Strange Experience. Alger Horatio Jr.

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СКАЧАТЬ a stick over his shoulder. Once outside, he put on his shoes and then made his way from the house to the barnyard, and then along the lane leading to the pasture.

      The late moon was showing over the hills and the heavens were bright with stars, so it was by no means dark. As he entered the lane Nat looked back, to see if his departure from the house had been discovered.

      A sight met his gaze which caused his heart to jump. A man was crossing the dooryard and coming toward the barn!

      "It must be Uncle Abner!" he thought. "Perhaps he heard me leave after all!"

      He looked back again, but could not see the man now, and then broke into a run. Soon a row of trees in the orchard hid both the barn and the house from view. He continued to run, however, and did not slacken his pace until he reached the pasture where the cows were at rest.

      Jennie did not relish having her rest disturbed and had to be prodded several times before she would arise and move in the direction he desired. Some of the other cows wished to follow, but he drove them back.

      "I only want my own," he murmured half aloud. "I don't want a thing that belongs to Uncle Abner."

      Nat had expected to take to the highway which ran directly beside the house. But he was afraid that his uncle was watching for him from the barn, and so he drove Jennie along a back road, leading to another highway which was but little traveled and which had along it only a handful of farmhouses.

      "He shan't catch me if I can help it," the boy told himself. "Now I've left I'm going to stay away."

      Nat was still very much agitated in his mind, so no thought of sleep came to him as he trudged along, mile after mile, driving the tired cow before him. He met not a soul; and thus he progressed until three o'clock in the morning.

      Boy and cow had now been on the road six hours and Jennie refused to go further. Seeing this, he turned into a small patch of woods and there tied the creature to a tree. Then, finding a sheltered nook, he threw himself down to rest and was soon fast asleep.

      "Hullo, there, what are you doing here?"

      Such was the demand which aroused Nat several hours later, and he sprang up to find himself confronted by a farmer boy of about his own age.

      "Hullo, Sam," he answered. "I—I was driving the cow to market and I got so tired I thought I'd take a nap."

      "Going to sell the cow?" asked Sam Price.

      "Yes, if I can."

      "Where?"

      "Over to Brookville, if anybody will buy her."

      "Jackson the butcher was after cows only day before yesterday."

      "Then maybe I'll go and see him."

      "You must have got an early start," went on Sam Price.

      "I did. But I must hurry along," continued Nat, not caring to answer too many questions. "I slept too long."

      "You'd better hurry. Your uncle ain't the one to let you play, is he?"

      "You're right, Sam."

      "What does he want you to get for the cow?"

      "It isn't his cow. She belongs to me. I had her from the time she was a little calf, and I've a right to sell her."

      "Oh, yes, I remember now. Well, I hope you get a good price for her."

      "I'll get as much as I can."

      "Want me to go along?"

      "You can go along if you wish."

      "All right, I haven't anything else to do for a while."

      "But I want to tell you one thing, Sam. Can you keep a secret?"

      "Can I? Try me and see."

      "You won't tell a soul?"

      "I'll give you my word. But what's up?"

      "I'm not coming back."

      "What!"

      "It's a fact."

      "Do you mean that you are going to run away?"

      "That's the plain English of it, Sam. I'm tired of living with my uncle. He doesn't treat me fairly."

      "I believe that. My father thinks he is the meanest man in the State of Ohio."

      "Well, I don't know about that, but he is pretty mean, I can tell you that. I'm not going to stand it any longer."

      "Where are you going?"

      "I don't know yet. Most likely to one of the big cities. Somehow, I think I could do better in a city than on a farm."

      "Do you? Now I think a country boy has no show in a big city. He don't know the ways, and he is sure to get cheated out of his eyes—so my father says."

      "They won't cheat me," said Nat, decidedly.

      "Father says every big city is full of sharpers, on the watch for greenies."

      "Well, they shan't catch me for a greeny," answered Nat.

      Alas for poor Nat! Little did he dream of what was in store for him, and of the little trap into which he was to fall as soon as he arrived in New York City.

      CHAPTER IV

      ABNER BALBERRY'S DISCOVERY

      "Nat!"

      Abner Balberry uttered the name in a loud, clear voice and waited fully a minute for an answer.

      "Nat!" he repeated. "I want you to answer me, do you hear? Nat!"

      Still there was no reply, and now, in some alarm, Abner Balberry turned back into his bedchamber and donned part of his clothing.

      "If that boy is moving around this house I'm goin' to know it," he murmured to himself, as he felt his way toward Nat's room. Coming to the door, he threw it open and took a step toward the bed.

      As we already know, it was empty. The discovery was something of a shock to the farmer and for the moment he stood stock-still, gazing at the bed and feeling under the covers to make certain that his nephew was not really there.

      "Gone!" he muttered at last. "He must be downstairs. More'n likely he went down to git somethin' to eat. Wait till I catch him! I'll tan him well!"

      Hoping to catch Nat unawares, he tiptoed his way down the stairs and entered the living room. Then he passed to the kitchen and the shed, and came back to peer into the parlor. Not a trace of the lad was to be found anywhere.

      "I certainly heard him," he reasoned. "I certainly did."

      "Mr. Balberry!" The call came from the housekeeper. "Are you up?"

      "Yes, I am."

      "Oh, all right."

      "But it ain't all right! Nat's up too."

      "Is he down there СКАЧАТЬ