Wouldn't you
think--if a man wrote anything at such a time--that he'd 'a' wrote
something that had some sense to it--something that one could get hold
of, and find out who the boy is?"

There was no answering this. The assembled men could only grunt and nod
in agreement, which, after all, was no real help.

CHAPTER V

DISCORDS

The dead man found in Farmer Holly's barn created a decided stir in the
village of Hinsdale. The case was a peculiar one for many reasons.
First, because of the boy--Hinsdale supposed it knew boys, but it felt
inclined to change its mind after seeing this one. Second, because of
the circumstances. The boy and his father had entered the town like
tramps, yet Higgins, who talked freely of his having given the pair a
"lift" on that very evening, did not hesitate to declare that he did
not believe them to be ordinary tramps at all.

As there had been little found in the dead man's pockets, save the two
notes, and as nobody could be found who wanted the violins, there
seemed to be nothing to do but to turn the body over to the town for
burial. Nothing was said of this to David; indeed, as little as
possible was said to David about anything after that morning when
Higgins had given him his father's letter. At that time the men had
made one more effort to "get track of SOMETHING," as Higgins had
despairingly put it. But the boy's answers to their questions were
anything but satisfying, anything but helpful, and were often most
disconcerting. The boy was, in fact, regarded by most of the men, after
that morning, as being "a little off"; and was hence let severely alone.

Who the man was the town authorities certainly did not know, neither
could they apparently find out. His name, as written by himself, was
unreadable. His notes told nothing; his son could tell little more--of
consequence. A report, to be sure, did come from the village, far up
the mountain, that such a man and boy had lived in a hut that was
almost inaccessible; but even this did not help solve the mystery.

David was left at the Holly farmhouse, though Simeon Holly mentally
declared that he should lose no time in looking about for some one to
take the boy away.

On that first day Higgins, picking up the reins preparatory to driving
from the yard, had said, with a nod of his head toward David:--

"Well, how about it, Holly? Shall we leave him here till we find
somebody that wants him?"

"Why, y--yes, I suppose so," hesit