ourney that very
night, or be willing to give a detailed account of his wrongdoing.

Immediately after the meal had been brought to a close Seth went out
with the little woman to begin the work of making ready for a garden.

When she had explained what was necessary to be done he labored at the
task with feverish energy, for it seemed to him as if the task must be
concluded before he would be at liberty to leave the farm, and go he
must, because each moment was it becoming more nearly impossible to
bring himself to confess why he and Snip were fugitives.

Some of the neighbors called upon Aunt Hannah that afternoon,
therefore she was forced to leave him alone after having described
what must be done in order to make a garden of the unpromising looking
land behind the barn; and he knew that Gladys and Snip would not
return until time for supper, because the girl had plainly given him
to understand as much during the conversation at the dinner-table.

His hands were blistered, and his back ached because of the
unaccustomed labor; but the work was completed to the best of his
ability before sunset, and then Aunt Hannah found time to inspect the
result of his toil.

"I declare you have done as well as any man I could have hired, an' a
good deal better than some!" she exclaimed, and a flush of joy
overspread Seth's face as he arose with difficulty from the grass
where he had thrown himself for a much-needed rest. "William Dean
tried to do the same thing, but when he had finished the ground looked
as if it had no more than been teased with a comb. You have turned it
up till it is the same as ploughed, an' we'll have a famous garden,
even though it is a bit late in the season."

"I'm glad you like it," the boy replied. "Of course I could do such
work quicker after I'd tried my hand at it two or three times."

"I didn't expect you'd more than half finish it in one day, an' now
there's nothing to be done but put in the seeds. We'll see to that in
the morning. I must go after White-Face now, or we shall have a late
supper. Have you seen anything of Gladys?"

"She hasn't been here. Say, why can't I get the cow?"

"I suppose you might, for she's gentle as a kitten; but you must be
tired."

"I reckon it won't hurt me to walk from here to the pasture." And Seth
started off at full speed, delighted with the opportunity to perform
yet more work, for there was in his mind the thought that Aunt Hannah
would think kindly of hi