aven't either!" cried Tom, in some exasperation. "I don't have to
steal money--or anything else, I hope. I showed her that I had some
money, so that she would believe I could pay you for some work I wanted
done----"

"What work?" interposed the farmer.

Tom told him about the stalled auto and what he wanted.

"How much'll ye give?" shot in the farmer, right to the point.

"What do you ask to drag the machine to town--to the Corners, I mean?"

"If it's where ye say it is, ten dollars!"

"All right," agreed the boy. "Your wife knows I have the money. I'll pay
you when we get to the Corners."

"I know ye got the money," said the woman. "But I don't know _how_ ye
got it. And if you've got an ortermobile, too, I bet ye stole _that_!"

"You hesh up, Sairy," advised Mr. Blodgett. "No need of your sp'ilin' a
trade. Gimme my supper. I'll hafter eat b'fore I go with ye, young
man."

"Oh, all right," sighed Tom, remembering how the girls must be very much
frightened by this time.

The man tramped into the house with the milk and the lantern. Neither he
nor his wife asked Tom inside--or mentioned supper to him. The woman put
it steaming on the table and Tom--like the dog--might stand and look on.

At last the farmer was finished. "Guess the team's eat by now," he
remarked, and came out with the lantern hung on his arm. All this time
the dog had had "fits and starts" of wanting to get at Tom and eat him
up. Now he slipped past his master and ran at the visitor with a savage
growl.

The boy had no idea of being made the supper of the brute, no matter how
hungry Fido might be. So he kicked out and barely touched him. Instantly
the brute set up a terrible "ki-yi-ing!" and shot off the porch and
disappeared into the darkness. Evidently the Blodgetts kept the animal
for its bark, for it did not have the pluck of a woodchuck!

"Come on," advised Sam, as the woman began to rail again. "She's wound
up an' ain't likely to run down again for a week. You sure you wanter
pay ten dollars for this job?"

"I'm sure I _will_ pay that for it, whether I want to or not," declared
Tom, with confidence.

"Aw right. We'll be movin'. Maybe another shower by'm'by, an' I sha'n't
wanter be out in it."

"We'll go just as fast as you want to," said Tom, hobbling along to the
stables. "I won't keep you back, Mr. Blodgett."

"You're lame, I see," said the man, not unkindly. "You kin straddle one
of the hosses if you like."

Tom was glad en