The Gold-Stealers A Story of Waddy

led vegetation miscalled a garden, and Dick loitered in the shadow of the back fence to consider what manner of entrance would be most politic. He was shrewdly aware that his mother might b

maternal beatings occasioned very little physical inconvenience; but the

s cogitations he felt himself seized from behind in a pair of long, strong arms. With the quick i

e!' gasped the boy, strugg

was bundled unceremoniously into the kitchen. Then Ephraim Shine-for it was the superintendent who had fallen up

boy, m

the door noiselessly after him,

I was comin' home, an' he grabbe

bly gentlemanly little boys whose acquaintance he made in the books provided by the chapel library. At the table sat Gable, the grey, chubby-faced third-class scholar whom Joel Ham had forgiven because of his extreme youth. The old man had a circular slab of bread and jam in his

rd, Henry,' sa

ppertop?' said the young m

y,' said Di

good enough gu

ould she have peeped into the drive of the Mount of Gold, where was scrap-food enough to victual a small regiment, not to mention pillage from Wilson's orchard, she might have been more at her ease-or have found fresh occasion for uneasiness. Dick had none of his mother's apple-like roundne

t was one of profound interest to Dick, and from his retreat at the far end of the table, where he sat disregarded, his crimes tacitly ignored for the time being, he listened eagerly. When Gabl

he society of children, and was regarded by them, without question and without surprise, as one of themselves. He was sent to school because it pleased him to go, and it kept him out of mischief, and every day he learned

of action. For his own part he had thought of a desperate band, with Harry at its head and himself in a conspicuous position, raiding the gaol at Yarraman under a hail of bullets,

thing to go on. Was there nobody, no one at all,

on shook

a disgrace that all the men at the Stream should be marked as probable thieves because of one or two rogues; an' he was always e

t he have had a

n't seem likely.

is somebody. If I only knew the m

chair, with a sinewy arm thrust down between his knees, and his

gence you have-only that can help. If we can save poor Fra

aint. I hate my enemies, an' it is maddeni

er, the true culprits may be near you while you are seeking; do nothing to set them on their guard

ve him

r a doubt as to his guilt, and these men have their own ideas as to the morality of such crimes. Many

a thief's brother; Frank is a convict,

unning, if we wish to prove we are

hand caressingly upon the small hand upon his knee. 'My fist always moves

s duty he did, an' that's true. We know Frank's not guilty, because-because we're fond of him'-here the little widow wiped her eyes, and her voice trembled-' an' know him better than others, but th

the billy hanging in a dark drive whe

box-place made in the heel

left in the boiler-hou

water-worn gold to

at gold in his crib bag an' faked his boot-heel salted Frank's puddling-tub. It was easy done. He on'y worked there now'n again when

e to prove it. To do that we m

s found I hope I may have the handling of him

ewhat diffidently, li

about this b

ded his hea

hat dirty trick on my brot

matter in that light, but he

ribs, I

ed Mrs. Haddo

ck?' queried

ty at the hands of the superintendent, and was not in a frame of mind to form a just estima

Copper-top, old man, if you rush at conc

an impressive for

g to anybody of our

word given to Mrs. Hardy was a sa