he man was Dan Pickley.

"What brings you, Pickley?" asked Ralph, after the latter had been watching
him for some time.

"Came down to get the run of things," returned Pickley.

"Then you are to have the job after I leave?"

"Reckon I am. The squire said as much."

"The squire and you are rather thick," remarked the young bridge tender,
coolly.

"Oh, I don't know," returned the man, uneasily. "He knows a good hand to
hire when he wants him."

"It was you who were at the squire's house when I called, a few nights
ago."

"Yes; I had an errand for him."

As he uttered the last words, Dan Pickley looked at Ralph closely. He was
wondering if the boy had overheard much of the conversation which had
passed between Squire Paget and himself that night in the library.

Pickley sat down on the end of the bridge, and began to count the folks as
they passed over. Ralph saw that he was keeping track of the toll, but said
nothing.

"Let me help you turn the bridge," said Pickley when a horn sounded for the
draw to be opened.

"No, thank you; I can do it alone," replied Ralph.

"Don't you want me to take hold?"

"It is not needed. You will get enough of the work after I leave."

"You don't want to be a bit sociable," growled Pickley, and he turned away,
but still kept on counting the passengers as they crossed.

"I suppose he wants to make sure that I am not going to cheat the bridge
board out of its cash," mused Ralph, somewhat bitterly. "No doubt Squire
Paget fancies that, now I have my walking-papers, I will steal every penny
I can!"

During his odd moments Ralph threw several fishing-lines over, and the
catching of a mess of fish served to occupy his thoughts to a considerable
extent.

Pickley watched him fish for a while, but did not offer to resume the
conversation. But he kept a close tally of every cent taken in as toll.

At noon Bob Sanderson brought over Ralph's lunch.

"Well, I'm lucky anyway," he said. "I've got a job at building hot-bed
frames for Mr. Ford that will give me steady work for nigh onto three weeks
at good pay."

"I am glad to hear it," replied Ralph, with a smile. "Three weeks is a long
time, and something is sure to turn up in the meantime."

"I'm glad you have a job, too," put in Pickley, "for I am going to have
Andy Wilson help me."

"Then you've got the job?" said Sanderson.

"Yes, I go on as soon as Ralph quits."

While the young bridge tender was eating his lunch a steam