belonged
to his father.

"I might sell the watch," he thought, but then decided that it would be
best to keep the heirloom.

Then he thought of Jennie, the white and brown cow. As a calf she had
been given to Nat by his mother, and she was now a part of the herd on
the Balberry farm.

"Jennie ought to be worth twenty or twenty-five dollars," he said to
himself. "That's a pile of money, for a start. Wonder how I could
manage to sell her?"

Thus speculating, Nat gradually drifted around to the point where he
decided that he would leave the farm at once. He had told his uncle that
he wanted his supper or he would not work for the man any more, and he
meant to keep his word.

By the time all was quiet around the house and he was certain both the
housekeeper and his uncle had retired, Nat had settled just what he was
going to do.

Making no noise, he slipped off his working clothes and put on his best
suit--something just a trifle better than the others. He also donned a
clean shirt and collar and necktie and got out his best hat and shoes.
Then, with his other possessions wrapped in a small bundle, and with his
shoes under his arm, he tiptoed his way out of the bedchamber, along the
hall, and down to the lower floor of the farmhouse.

Nat knew exactly where Mrs. Felton kept the things to eat, so it was not
necessary for him to light a lamp. The use of a match revealed as much
as he wanted to know, and in a short time he was devouring what was left
of the fish and also some bread and butter and a generous quarter of a
cherry pie, which the housekeeper had insisted upon baking the day
before, somewhat against Abner Balberry's will, for the farmer would
rather have sold the cherries at the store.

His meal finished, Nat hesitated for a moment, and then got out an old
newspaper. Into this he wrapped half a dozen slices of bread and butter,
along with a bit of cheese and two rather stale doughnuts.

"They'll come in handy for breakfast, along with an apple or two," was
the way he reasoned. "Especially if I don't happen to sell the cow."

The boy's next move was to leave the house, which he did after tying his
clothes and the lunch into one bundle, which he slung on 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 w