g money from their stern-looking uncle was rather slim.

"But it doesn't make any difference to you boys whether slavery is
voted up or down in Kansas, I suppose," he continued, less sternly.
"You will live to see the day when, if you live in Kansas, you will
own slaves and work them. You can never clear up a wild country like
that without slave-labor, depend upon it. I know what I am talking
about." And Uncle Oscar stroked his chin in a self-satisfied way, as
if he had settled the whole Kansas-Nebraska question in his own manner
of thinking. Sandy's brown cheeks flushed and his eyes sparkled. He
was about to burst out with an indignant word, when Charlie, alarmed
by his small brother's excited looks, blurted out their troubles at
once, in order to head off the protest that he expected from Sandy.
The lad was silent.

"Eh? what's that?" asked the formal-looking merchant. "Busted? And
away from home? Why, certainly, my lads. How much do you need?" And he
opened his pocket-book at once. Greatly relieved, perhaps surprised,
Charlie told him that they thought that fifty dollars would pay all
their bills and get them back to Dixon. The money was promptly handed
over, and Charlie, emboldened by this good nature, told his uncle that
they still owed for their passage down the river from Leavenworth.

"And did they really trust you three boys for your passage-money? How
did that happen?" asked the merchant, with admiration.

Charlie, as spokesman, explained that Sandy had "sparred" their way
for them; and when he had told how Sandy still owed for a pack of
cards, and how it was his honest face and candid way of doing things
that had brought them thus far on their homeward journey, Uncle Oscar,
laughing heartily and quite unbending from his formal and dry way of
talking, said, "Well done, my little red-hot Abolitionist; you'll get
through this world, I'll be bound." He bade the wanderers farewell and
goodspeed with much impressiveness and sent messages of good-will to
their parents.

"How do you suppose Uncle Oscar knew I was an Abolitionist?" demanded
Sandy, as soon as they were out of earshot. "I'm not an Abolitionist,
anyhow."

"Well, you're a free-State man; and that's the same thing," said
Charlie. "A free-State boy," added Oscar.

With a proud heart the cashier of the Boy Settlers paid their bill at
the hotel, and reclaimed their valise from the porter, with whom they
had lodged it in the morning before going out. T