they give you enough to eat."

"I would rather be starved than treated like a dog. My brother Clarence
is going to take us away in the fall; but I don't think I can stand it
till that time."

I took off my coat, and showed him one of the wales of the cowhide which
my tyrants had left upon my arm.

"But they give you all you want to eat," he replied, pulling away the
rags from his shoulder, and exhibiting some marks like my own. "I don't
mind them things much if they will only let me have something to eat."

Sim was a puzzle to me. He was all stomach. Blows were nothing; food was
everything.

"Where have you been since yesterday?" I asked.

"Laying round, looking for something to eat."

"Sim, we must build a raft," I added.

"What for?" he inquired, opening his eyes, as he always did when his
muddy brain seized an idea.

"To run away on. Do you see those logs and boards?"

"I see them."

"Well, Sim, we can build a big raft, with a house on it,--a place to
live in,--where we can cook, and sleep, and eat."

"Eat!" exclaimed he, opening his mouth wide enough to take in a
good-sized leg of bacon.

"Of course, if we live on the raft, we must have something to eat."

"Can we get enough?" he asked, incredulously.

"You shall have all you want."

"Goody!" shouted he.

"You must keep still about it, and not say a word to any one."

"I don't see nobody. I have to keep out of sight, or Barkspear will
catch me. I'm bound to him. I shan't tell nobody."

"In a few days we will have the house ready for you to live in; and I
will bring you all you need to eat."

"That's all I want."

"You can work on the raft, and I will help you all I can."

"I will work from daylight till dark, if I only get something to eat."

I pushed the raft over to the pile of lumber. I was quite excited as
soon as the idea had taken full possession of my mind. I was not
satisfied that the plan of leaving Torrentville with Flora, on a raft,
was practicable; but I could have the fun of planning and building it;
and really this was all I expected to do. If worse came to worst, I
could get away from the town with my sister better by the way of the
swamp than by the road. I explained to Sim more clearly what I intended
to do, and how to construct the raft. He was even more enthusiastic than
I was, for the scheme would enable him to help me, and thus pay for the
provisions he consumed. He wanted to go to work at once; but nothing
could b