could see that he'd drop over at much more. Those men kept crying
they were going to hang him; but mother went out and talked to them,
and said they mustn't kill a man for taking only money. She told them
how little it was worth compared with other things; she had Candace
bring Even So a cup of hot coffee, lots of bread, and sausage from the
skillet, and she said it was our money, and our lad, and we wanted
nothing done about it. The men didn't like it, but the traveller did.
He grabbed and gobbled like a beast at the hot food and cried, and
mother said she forgave him, and to let him go.

Then Mr. Freshett looked awful disappointed, and he came up to father,
with his back toward mother, and asked: "That's your say too, Mr.
Stanton?" Father grinned sort of rueful-like, but he said to give Even
So his money and let him go. He told all about getting ours back, and
having had him at the house once before. He brought the money Leon
took from him, but the men said no doubt he had stolen that, and Leon
had earned it bringing him back, so the traveller shouldn't have it.
They took him away on a horse and said they'd let him go, but that
they'd escort him from the county. Father told Mr. Freshett that he
was a little suspicious of them, and he would hold him responsible for
the man's life. Mr. Freshett said that he'd give his word that the man
would be safe; they only wanted to make sure he wouldn't come back, and
that he'd be careful in the future how he abused hospitality, so they
went, and all of us were glad of it.

I don't know what Mr. Freshett calls safe, for they took Even So to
Groveville and locked him up until night. Then they led him to the
railroad, and made him crawl back and forth through an old engine
beside the track, until he was blacker than any negro ever born; and
then they had him swallow a big dose of croton oil for his health.
That was the only KIND thing they did, for afterward they started him
down the track and told him to run, and all of them shot at his feet as
he went. Hannah Freshett told me at school the next day. Her father
said Even So just howled, and flew up in the air, and ducked, and
dodged and ran like he'd never walked a step, or was a bit tired. We
made a game of it, and after that one of the boys was Even So, and the
others were the mob, and the one who could howl nicest, jump highest,
and go fastest, could be "It" oftenest.

Leon grew all right faster than you would thin