THE FARM-HOUSE.
"Where are we going to stop to-night?" asked Tony ten minutes later.
"There," answered Rudolph, pointing out a farm-house, a little to the
left.
"Suppose they won't let us."
"They will admit us into their barn, at least, if we play our cards
right. Listen to what I say. You are to be my son."
"But I am not your son."
"Be silent!" said the other tramp, "and don't you dare to contradict
me. You have been sick, and are too weak to go farther."
"That is a lie, Rudolph."
"That doesn't matter. If they believe it, they won't turn us away.
Perhaps they will let you sleep in the house."
"Away from you?"
"Yes."
Tony was puzzled. It seemed as if Rudolph wanted him to be more
comfortably provided for than himself, but the boy knew him too well
not to suspect that there was some concealed motive for this apparent
kindness.
"Well, what are you thinking about?" demanded Rudolph, suspiciously, as
he observed the boy's earnest gaze.
"Why do you want me to sleep in the house?" he asked.
"I will tell you. When all the family are asleep, I want you to steal
down stairs, open the back door, and let me in."
"What for?" asked the boy, startled.
"Never you mind. Do as I tell you!"
"But I don't want to do it. You never asked me to do that before."
"Didn't I? Well, I had no occasion. I ask you now."
"What are you going to do? Are you going to harm any one?"
"No. I'll tell you what I'm going to do, but mind you, if you breathe a
word to any being, I'll cut your tongue out."
Tony looked troubled, but not frightened.
"Go on," he said.
Rudolph continued in a rapid tone.
"I want money to carry out a plan of importance. This farm belongs to a
farmer who is rich, and who keeps a part of his money in the house."
"How do you know that?"
"A friend of mine stopped there last week, and found out. He put me on
the scent. The old man keeps from two to three hundred dollars in his
desk. I must have that money."
"I don't want to help you in this, Rudolph," said Tony. "I won't betray
you, but you mustn't compel me to be a thief."
"I can't get along without you, and help me you must."
"Suppose we fail?"
"Then we must take to our legs. If we're caught we're both in the same
box. I don't ask you to take any risk that I don't run myself."
Tony was about to remonstrate further, but it was too late. They had
already reached the farm house, and caught sight of the owner standing
under a tree in the front yard.
"Remember!" hissed the older tramp. "Follow my lead, or I'll beat you
till you are half dead. Good evening, sir."
This last was said in a humble tone to the farmer, who advanced to the
gate.
"Good evening," said the farmer, ingeniously.
He was a man of sixty, roughly dressed to suit his work, with grizzled
hair, a form somewhat bowed, and a face seamed with wrinkles. He had
been a hard worker, and showed abundant traces of it in his appearance.
"We are very tired and hungry, my boy and I," whined Rudolph. "We've
traveled many miles since morning. Would you kindly give us some supper
and a night's lodging?"
"My wife'll give you something to eat," said the old man. "Thank
Heaven! we've got enough for ourselves and a bit for the poor besides.
But I don't know about lodging. I don't like to take in strangers that
I know nothing about."
"I don't blame you, sir," said Rudolph, in a tone of affected humility.
"There's many rogues going round the country, I've heard, but I'm a
poor, hardworking man."
"Then why are you not at work?"
"Times are hard, and I can get nothing to do. I am in search of work. I
can do almost anything. I'm a carpenter by trade."
Rudolph knew no more of the carpenter's trade than the man in the moon,
but that would do as well as any other.
"Where are you from?"
"From Buffalo," he answered, with slight hesitation.
"Is business dull there?"
"Nothing doing."
"Well, my friend, you haven't come to the right place. There's nothing
but farming done here."
"I don't know anything about that," said Rudolph, hastily, for he had
no disposition to be set to work in the fields.
"I don't need any extra hands," said the farmer.
"I am glad of that," thought the tramp.
"Go round to the back door, and I will speak to my wife about supper,"
said the old man.
"Come, Tony," said Rudolph, motioning to take the boy's hand, but Tony
did not see fit to notice the movement, and walked in silence by his
side.
A motherly-looking old woman made her appearance at the back door.
"Come in," she said. "Come right in, and sit down to the table. Abner,
make room for the poor man and his son."
Abner was a stalwart youth of eighteen, hard-handed and muscular. He
was the only permanent "hired man" employed on the farm. In haying
time there were others transiently employed.
A farmer's table is plentiful, though homely. The two tramps made an
abundant meal, both doing justice to the homely fare. The farmer's wife
looked on with hospitable satisfaction. She could not bear to have
anybody hungry under her roof.
"You'll excuse our appetite, ma'am," said Rudolph, "but we've had
nothing to eat since breakfast."
"Eat as much as you like," said she. "We never stint anybody here. Is
that your son?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Tony bent his eyes upon his plate, and frowned slightly. He wanted to
deny it, but did not dare.
"He don't look a bit like you," said the woman. "He's light, and you're
very dark."
"His mother was light," said Rudolph. "He takes after her."
"How old is he?"
"Tony, tell the lady how old you are."
"Fourteen."
"He is well grown of his age."
"Yes; he will make a good-sized man. He's been sick."
"Has he? What has been the matter?"
"I don't know. Poor folks like us can't call in a doctor."
"He don't look sick," said the farmer's wife, thoughtfully.
"He's delicate, though he don't look it. It's sleeping out in the open
air, I expect."
"Do you have to sleep out in the open air?"
"Yes; we can't afford to pay for lodgings, and people won't take us
into their houses. I don't mind myself--I'm tough--but Tony can't stand
it as well as I can."
While this conversation was going on, Tony fixed his eyes upon his
plate. He was annoyed to have such falsehoods told about him; but if he
should utter a word of objection he knew there would be an explosion of
wrath on the part of his guardian, and he remained silent.
The farmer's wife was a simple-minded, kind-hearted woman, and though
Tony did not look at all delicate, she never thought of questioning
the statement of Rudolph. Indeed she was already revolving in her mind
inviting the boy to sleep in the house. She was rather prejudiced in
favor of Rudolph by his show of parental solicitude.
When supper was over, having in the meantime consulted her husband, she
said to Rudolph:
"My husband says you may sleep in the barn, if you don't smoke. We can
find a bed for your son with Abner. You won't mind taking him into your
room?"
"He can come," said Abner, good-naturedly.
So it was arranged. At half-past eight, for they retired at that early
hour in the farm house, Rudolph left the fireside, and sought the barn.
As he left the room he looked suspiciously at Tony, and shook his head
warningly.