iled-up cars. From there he ran along smoothly
on the ties, turning out once for a train of coal cars to pass him,
but stopping for nothing. A man at work in a field by the track asked
him what the matter was up the line; the boy answered him in as few
words as possible, walking while he talked, and then ran on again.
After he had gone a mile or more he came to a wagon-road crossing, and
wondered if, by following it, he would not sooner reach his journey's
end. He could see, in the distance, the smoke arising from a hundred
chimneys where the city lay, and the road looked as though it would
take him more directly there. He did not stop long to consider. He
plunged ahead down a little hill, and then along on a foot-path by the
side of the wagon-track. The day had grown to be very warm, and Ralph
removed his jacket and carried it on his arm or across his shoulder.
He became thirsty after a while, but he dared not stop at the houses
along the way to ask for water; it would take too much time. He met
many wagons coming toward him, but there seemed to be few going in to
the city. He had hoped to get a ride. He had overtaken a farmer with
a wagon-load of produce going to the town and had passed him. Two or
three fast teams whirled by, leaving a cloud of dust to envelop him.
Then a man, riding in a buggy, drove slowly down the road. Ralph
shouted at him as he passed:--

"Please, sir, may I have a ride? I'm in a desp'ate hurry!"

But the man looked back at him contemptuously. "I don't run a stage
for the benefit of tramps," he said, and drove on.

Ralph was discouraged and did not dare to ask any one else for a ride,
though there seemed to be several opportunities to get one.

But he came to a place, at last, where a little creek crossed the
road, a cool spring run, and he knelt down by it and quenched his
thirst, and considered that if he had been in a wagon he would have
missed the drink. The road was somewhat disappointing to him, too. It
seemed to turn away, after a little distance, from the direct line to
the city, and to bear to the west, toward the river. He feared that
he had made a mistake in leaving the railroad, but he only walked the
faster. Now and then he would break into a run and keep running until
his breath gave out, then he would drop back into a walk.

His feet began to hurt him. One shoe rubbed his heel until the pain
became so intense that he could not bear it, and he sat down by the
roadside and remo