s
master, then I shall take it in hand again. It is ridiculous to suppose
that a human being cannot be as easily trained as a horse."

The more he considered the situation the better he liked it. The
possession of a healthy and vigorous youngster without encumbrances was
to him a novel and delightful sensation.

"I hope," he said to himself, "that when the country girl dresses it she
will find no label on its clothes, nor any sign which might enable one
to discover the original owners. I don't want anybody coming up to claim
it after we've got to be regular chums."

When the boat made its first landing the two men who had given advice
and assistance to Lodloe got off, and as the sun rose higher the forward
deck became so unpleasantly warm that nearly everybody left it; but
Lodloe concluded to remain. The little carriage had a top, which
sufficiently shaded the baby, and as for himself he was used to the sun.
If he went among the other passengers they might ask him questions, and
he was not prepared for these. What he wanted was to be let alone until
he reached his landing-place, and then he would run his baby-carriage
ashore, and when the steamboat had passed on he would be master of the
situation, and could assume what position he chose towards his new
possession.

"When I get the little bouncer to Squirrel Inn I shall be all right, but
I must have the relationship defined before I arrive there." And to the
planning and determination of that he now gave his mind.

He had not decided whether he should create an imaginary mother who had
died young, consider himself the uncle of the child, whose parents had
been lost at sea, or adopt the little creature as a brother or a
sister, as the case might be, when the subject of his reflections laid
down its stick of candy and began a violent outcry against circumstances
in general.

Lodloe's first impulse was to throw it overboard. Repressing this
natural instinct, he endeavored to quiet the infantile turbulence with
offers of biscuit, fresh candy, gingercakes, and apples, but without
effect. The young bewailer would have nothing to do with any of these
enticements.

Lodloe was puzzled. "I have got to keep the thing quiet until we land,"
he thought; "then I will immediately hire some one to go with me and
take charge of it, but I can't stand this uproar for two hours longer."
The crying attracted the attention of other people, and presently a
country woman appeared from