ht?" asked the farmer.

"I don't know, sir."

"I was thinkin' that I'd give you a night's lodgin' in place of the
fifteen cents I agreed to pay you. Money's very skeerce with me, and
will be till I've sold off some of the crops."

"I shall be glad to make that arrangement," said Carl, who had been
considering how much the farmer would ask for lodging, for there seemed
small chance of continuing his journey. Fifteen cents was a lower price
than he had calculated on.

"That's a sensible idea!" said the farmer, rubbing his hands with
satisfaction at the thought that he had secured valuable help at no
money outlay whatever.

The next morning Carl continued his tramp, refusing the offer of
continued employment on the same terms. He was bent on pursuing his
journey, though he did not know exactly where he would fetch up in the
end.

At twelve o'clock that day he found himself in the outskirts of a town,
with the same uncomfortable appetite that he had felt the day before,
but with no hotel or restaurant anywhere near. There was, however, a
small house, the outer door of which stood conveniently open. Through
the open window, Carl saw a table spread as if for dinner, and he
thought it probable that he could arrange to become a boarder for a
single meal. He knocked at the door, but no one came. He shouted out:
"Is anybody at home?" and received no answer. He went to a small barn
just outside and peered in, but no one was to be seen.

What should he do? He was terribly hungry, and the sight of the food on
the table was tantalizing.

"I'll go in, as the door is open," he decided, "and sit down to the
table and eat. Somebody will be along before I get through, and I'll pay
whatever is satisfactory, for eat I must."

He entered, seated himself, and ate heartily. Still no one appeared.

"I don't want to go off without paying," thought Carl. "I'll see if I
can find somebody."

He opened the door into the kitchen, but it was deserted. Then he opened
that of a small bedroom, and started back in terror and dismay.

There suspended from a hook--a man of middle age was hanging, with his
head bent forward, his eyes wide open, and his tongue protruding from
his mouth!

CHAPTER VIII.

CARL FALLS UNDER SUSPICION.

To a person of any age such a sight as that described at the close of
the last chapter might well have proved startling. To a boy like Carl
it was simply overwhelming. It so happened that he had but twice s