as alone in the wilderness, without a penny; and
he knew not what to do, or which way to turn. The moment he caught
sight of the teamster his heart yearned for sympathy. Tears moistened
his eyes, and hastening to the stranger, the friendless boy of but
thirteen years frankly told his whole story. The wagoner was a rough,
profane, burly man, of generous feelings. There was an air of sincerity
in the boy, which convinced him of the entire truth of his statements.
His indignation was aroused, and he gave expression to that indignation
in unmeasured terms. Cracking his whip in his anger, he declared that
Myers was a scoundrel, thus to rob a friendless boy, and that he would
lash the money out of him.

This man, whose name also chanced to be Myers, was of the tiger breed,
fearing nothing, ever ready for a fight, and almost invariably coming
off conqueror. In his generous rage he halted his team, grasped his
wagon-whip, and, accompanied by the trembling boy, turned back,
breathing vengeance. David was much alarmed, and told his protector
that he was afraid to meet the wagoner, who had so often threatened him
with his whip. But his new friend said, "Have no fear. The man shall
give you back your money, or I will thrash it out of him."

They had proceeded but about two miles when they met the approaching
team of Adam Myers. Henry Myers, David's new friend, leading him by the
hand, advanced menacingly upon the other teamster, and greeted him with
the words:

"You accursed scoundrel, what do you mean by robbing this friendless
boy of his money?" Adam Myers confessed that he had received seven
dollars of the boy's money. He said, however, that he had no money with
him; that he had invested all he had in articles in his wagon, and that
he intended to repay the boy as soon as they got back to Tennessee.
This settled the question, and David returned with Henry Myers to his
wagon, and accompanied him for several days on his slow and toilsome
journey westward.

The impatient boy, as once before, soon got weary of the loitering pace
of the heavily laden team, and concluded to leave his friend and press
forward more rapidly alone. It chanced, one evening, that several
wagons met, and the teamsters encamped for the night together. Henry
Myers told them the story of the friendless boy, and that he was now
about to set out alone for the long journey, most of it through an
entire wilderness, and through a land of strangers wherever there