' hard after
this."

"Maybe he won't come back," suggested the housekeeper.

This thought startled the farmer and he lost no time in finishing his
washing.

"I'm goin' after him," he announced. "If he thinks to run away I'll put
a spoke in his wheel putty quick."

Taking another look around, to make certain that the fire was really
out, Abner Balberry brought out one of his horses and hitched the animal
to a buckboard, in the meantime sending the housekeeper back to the
house to get his hat and coat.

"Where do you suppose you'll find him?" asked Mrs. Felton.

"Somewhere along the road most likely."

"Maybe he'll hide on you."

"He had better not. If he does that, I'll call on the squire about him."

"Can you do that?"

"O' course I can. Didn't he try to burn down the barn? The squire can
make out a warrant for his arrest."

"It would be awful to have him arrested."

"Well, he brought it on himself," answered Abner Balberry, doggedly. "He
had no right to try to set the barn afire. Next thing you know, Mrs.
Felton, he'll be a-trying to burn us up in our beds."

"Oh, I don't think Nat would be as bad as that."

"You don't know thet boy as well as I do. He's sly an' stubborn, and
he'll do 'most anything when he's crossed. But I'll fix him! Jest you
wait an' see!"

"How far will you follow him?"

"As far as it's necessary. If he thinks he can git away from me he'll
find out, sooner or later, he is mistaken."

"You don't know when you'll be back?"

"No. It may be I'll have to wait in town till the squire opens his
office--that is, if I can't find Nat."

"But you are going to look for him yourself first?"

"Yes."

With this answer Abner Balberry drove off in the darkness. Mrs. Felton
watched him and heaved a long and deep sigh.

"Too bad!" she murmured. "If he catches Nat it will surely go hard with
that boy. Well, I didn't think he was bad enough to set fire to a
barn!"

CHAPTER V

THE SALE OF A COW

Totally unconscious of what had taken place at the farm after his
departure, Nat, in company with his friend, Sam Price, proceeded on his
way to Brookville.

On the journey Nat told his friend of many things that had happened to
him and of his uncle's meanness.

"I don't wonder you want a change," said Sam. "I'd want a change
myself."

At last they came in sight of Brookville, and Nat drove the cow to the
yard of Jackson the butcher.

The butcher was a fat, good-natured man of mi