vers 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 with you?"

"No, I don't know at all where he is. I'm a-lookin' fer him."

By this time Mrs. Felton's curiosity was aroused and she lost no time in
slipping on her wrapper. When she came down she brought with her a lamp.

"Where do you suppose he went?" she asked.

"How do I know?" snarled Abner Balberry.

The housekeeper happened to glance into the pantry. She was about to
utter an exclamation, but checked herself.

"What did you say, Mrs. Felton?"

"I--I didn't say anything."

"He ain't in there, is he?"

"No."

"Has he been at the victuals?"

"Not--not very much," stammered the housekeeper.

"Humph! I guess he ate as much as he wanted. Jest wait till I catch
him--I'll tan him harder than he was ever tanned before!"

"Maybe he went to bed again."

"No, I jest looked into his room."

Abner Balberry unlocked the kitchen door and stepped out into the
dooryard. As he did this he caught sight of somebody running swiftly
down the road.

"Hi! Stop!" he yelled. "Stop, Nat, do you hear?"

To this there was no answer, and the fleeing individual merely ran the
faster.

"Was it Nat?" asked the housekeeper.

"To be sure it was. Oh, wait till I lay my hands on him!" And the farmer
shook his fist at the figure that was fast disappearing in the gloom.

"What's that light in the barn?" demanded Mrs. Felton, an instant later.

"Light? Where?"

"Up in the haymow."

Abner Balberry gave a glance toward the structure.

"The barn's afire!" he screamed. "Thet good-fer-nuthin' boy has set the
place on fire!"

"Oh! oh!" screamed the housekeeper, and began to tremble from head to
feet, for to her mind a fire was the most dreadful thing that could
happen.

"I've got to git thet fire out," said the farmer, and ran toward the
barn with all speed.

"Be careful