himself by the thought that food would set him up, but
as he thought this his stomach rejected the idea with sickening
insistence. The more he thought of food the more his head ached and
his throat throbbed. Bob, unhampered by physical claims, jogged along
cheerfully. He was used to hope deferred, and he was appreciative of
the company he was in, and the absence of rough words and well-aimed
kicks and blows.

The few miles of The Way seemed doubled on the moist August morning;
the rising sun merely drew more dampness from the sodden earth; it did
not dry it; but at last Sandy saw the opening ahead which marked the
clearing around Smith Crothers' factory, he heard the buzzing and
warning of machinery--at first he thought it was the strange sensation
that was gaining force in his head, but presently he righted things and
plucked up courage. Two miles beyond the factory: two miles of lighter
woodland and then the sharp little hill at whose foot The Forge lay!

A busy day lay before Sandy. He must eat--the thought now was positive
agony--buy some necessary clothing and get into touch with some
inspired fellow creature who could give him information about
Massachusetts. Over and over Sandy repeated the magic word. For
nearly a year it had lain dormant in his consciousness. It was his
earthly heaven; the paradise of his longings and desires, but now it
had suddenly taken on earthly meaning and proportions. How was he to
get there? Had he money enough to carry him to that wonderland where
one could exchange work for an education?

So absorbed was the half-sick boy with the problem of his near future
that he passed Crothers' factory unheedingly, and was well down the
last sharp little hill before he realized it. A fever was gaining
control over him and making him light-headed and care-free.
Massachusetts lost its agonizing doubts--everything appeared to be
coming to him; even the inevitable parting with Bob became vague and
blurred. Why not take Bob along with him? Why not, indeed?

And so boy and dog, muddy and fagged, came to the end of the hill, to
the edge of the town and the first house, known as Stagg's Place, where
room and board could be obtained for a consideration!

Sandy, with that growing nausea, made his way toward it, and Bob, with
his sixth sense serving him well, pricked up his ears, put on more
style of carriage and estimated his chances at the back door. But at
that critical moment an excite