pleasantly,
but just before nine o'clock, when all had thought of retiring, a
great outcry came from the tent of the cook.

"I've got him, I've caught the young thief," shouted the cook,
dragging into view a small boy who was sobbing and trembling with
grief.

"What's the row?" inquired one of the workmen.

"Why, I've missed eatables for a week or more at odd times, and I just
caught this young robber stealing a ham."

"I didn't steal it," sobbed the detected youngster. "I just took it.
You'd take it, too, if you was in our fix. We're nearly starved."

"Who is nearly starved?" asked Ralph, approaching the culprit.

"Me and dad. We were just driven to pick up food anywhere. You've got
lots of it. You needn't miss it. Please let me go, mister."

"No, the jail for you," threatened the cook direfully.

"Oh, don't take me away from my father," pleaded the affrighted
youngster. "He couldn't get along without me."

"See here, cook, let me take this little fellow in hand," suggested
Ralph.

"All right," assented the cook, adding in an undertone, "give him a
good scare."

Ralph took the boy to one side. His name was Ned. His father, he said,
was Amos Greenleaf, an old railroader, crippled in an accident some
years before. He had become very poor, and they had settled in an old
house in The Barrens a few miles distant. Ralph made up a basket of
food with the cook's permission.

"Now then, Ned," said Ralph, "you lead the way to your home."

"You won't have me arrested?"

"Not if you have been telling me the truth."

"I haven't," declared the young lad. "It's worse than I tell it. Dad
is sick and has no medicine. We have nearly starved."

It was an arduous tramp to the wretched hovel they at last reached.
Ralph was shocked as he entered it. It was almost bare of furniture,
and the poor old man who lay on a miserable cot was thin, pale and
racked with pain.

"I am Ralph Fairbanks, a fireman on the Great Northern," said the
young railroader, "and I came with your boy to see what we can do for
you."

"A railroader?" said Greenleaf. "I am glad to see you. I was once in
that line myself. Crippled in a wreck. Got poor, poorer, bad to worse,
and here I am."

"Too bad," said Ralph sympathizingly. "Why have you not asked some of
your old comrades to help you?"

"They are kind-hearted men, and did help me for a time, till I became
ashamed to impose on their generosity."

"How were you injured, Mr. Greenleaf?" as