me time ravenously hungry. The first
two ailments wore away as I started again on my journey, but the latter
increased until I determined to brave anything rather than suffer any
longer.

The first house I came to was a small yellow frame, close to the road,
with a yellow dog chained on the porch, and a woman frying ham in the
kitchen.

"Please, ma'am," said I.

"G'way!" said she. "Here, Tige!"

"Please, ma'am--"

"G'way, I say! We don't want no tramps hookin' everything they kin lay
their hands on!"

"Please, ma'am," I persisted, mildly, "I am not a tramp. I want
something to eat"--the woman started to unchain the dog--"for which I am
willing to pay."

"Come right in," said the woman, with a broad smile. "I declare I
couldn't have the heart to turn anybody away hungry. Tramps bother a
person so that I get kinder suspicious, but I could see right away you
were different from the general run."

While she was talking she was busily engaged in setting the table with
fried ham, potatoes, bread and butter and coffee, and I lost no time in
falling to. I paid a quarter for it when I had finished, and got away as
quickly as possible, as I feared the arrival of some of the men folks,
who might have their suspicions aroused.

All that night I traveled on and slept in the woods again. Not to enter
into particulars, it is sufficient to say that I kept this up for a
week, until I found myself in the vicinity of Williamsport, and by that
time I judged myself to be reasonably safe.

So I boldly entered that city in broad daylight, had a bath and my hair
cut, a complete change of underclothing, and enjoyed a day of rest.

When I started out again, the next morning, I had recovered my usual
spirits, and took to the road, determined to keep going as long as my
money and strength held out. I had twenty-five dollars of the former and
an unlimited supply of the latter.

All that day I tramped on steadily enough, buying both my dinner and
supper for trifling sums; and, when night came on, I thought it would be
just as well to camp in the woods again.

For that purpose I left the road, and, plunging into the forest on my
left, I soon came to a secluded spot, near a ravine or gully, and there
I made myself a bed of dry leaves.

On this I lay down, and was fast drifting into the Land of Nod, when I
was aroused by a sound something like the rattling of tinware.

I promptly sat up and listened. Again I heard the rattling, and