Adventures of a Boy Reporter

by Alfred Elwes

  CHAPTER V.

  THE NIGHT AMONG THE RUINS--THE CAMP-FIRE OF THE TRAMPS.

  IT seemed to Archie that he had just fallen asleep when old Hiram Tinchwas shaking him awake. "Git up out o' here now, ye lazy beggar, andgit to the field and finish that there ploughin'," he growled, and thefrightened lad awakened from a horrible nightmare, only to find a worseexperience awaiting him in the light of day. He hastily drew on histrousers, and didn't wait to don either shoes or stockings, for if hewas to spend the day ploughing in a field, he knew he would be morecomfortable in his bare feet. When he reached the kitchen, he foundthat Farmer Tinch had already eaten his breakfast, though it was notdaylight. Archie was glad that he was out of the way, and good Mrs.Tinch was glad of it, too, for she was able to give the boy a goodbreakfast, and some good advice with it. "Don't you pay no attention towhat my man says, laddie. He's a powerful man to swear and carry on, butI don't think he'll have the meanness to strike you. Ef he does, ye mustcome to me, and I'll see thet he doesn't do it no more."

  Archie was grateful for this spirit of friendliness, but in his hearthe thought that cruel words were often more painful than lashes, and heheartily wished that his week was over.

  All this day he spent on the farm, without once going into the road.Farmer Tinch had warned him that if he saw him making for the road atany time, he could go and never come back, and he would forfeit whatmoney he had already earned. So Archie ploughed the field from daylighttill dark, with a half hour at noon for a hurried dinner. He was gladwhen darkness came, and after another supper of mush and milk he wasthankful to have a corn-husk bed to sleep on, and was soon in a stuporwhich was so sound as to be almost like death.

  Again the next morning he was awakened at daylight, and he was madeto work even harder than on the second day. He had by this time becomesomewhat used to the labour, however, and stood it better. He was moresuccessful in his work, too, and Farmer Tinch had less opportunity forcursing him. But at night he seemed more tired, even, than before, andhe longed for his home again. He thought of the cosy bed he would nowbe enjoying if he had only taken his mother's advice, and he felt almostlike getting up in the night and stealing away on the road to the north.But, always a sensible lad, Archie realised that this discouragementcould not last, and he lost himself in sleep, looking forward threedays, when his week should be up, and he would be on his way to thecity, with four dollars more to add to his slender store.

  The three days passed slowly, but at length the Saturday night came, andhe prepared to be off. But good Mrs. Tinch entreated him to remain withthem over Sunday, and, as Archie wasn't sure that it would be quiteright for him to travel on Sunday, he decided to do so. So the next dayhe brushed his only suit of clothes, and drove with his late employer tochurch, where Farmer Tinch sat in a front seat and passed the breadand wine at communion. Archie's heart rose to his throat as he sawthis paragon so devout in church. He felt like rising in his seat anddenouncing him before all the people as a tyrant and a hard-heartedwretch. But he kept quiet, though he found it impossible to partake ofthe communion under such circumstances.

  The Tinches had brought their dinner with them, and at noon they all saton one of the grassy mounds in the churchyard, to take some refreshmentbefore the afternoon service began. When they had finished, Archiewandered off, and came to a crowd of boys who were romping behind thechurch. When they saw him approach, they all stopped their noise,and looked at him wonderingly. Evidently they were not used to seeingstrange boys. The silence was soon broken, however, by one of the boyscalling out, "Why, fellers, thet's the chap what's been workin' ferHiram Tinch." This announcement was enough to make Archie an evengreater object of interest than before, for the boys seemed to thinkthat any person who could work for Farmer Tinch, and come out of theordeal none the worse for wear, must be something wonderful. Archie wassoon on good terms with them all, however, and told them of his plan ofgoing to New York. The boys were all attention, and soon he was the heroof the occasion. When the bell rung for the afternoon service he wasstill telling them of the things he was going to do, and none of themwanted to go into the church. Archie persuaded them to enter, however,but he was not surprised to meet them all along the road when he leftTinch's early Monday morning.

  It was almost time to go to bed when they reached the farmhouse thatnight, so Archie went at once to his attic, being anxious to start freshon his journey the next day. He was now determined to push on as rapidlyas possible, hoping to reach the city within three or four days. He wassomewhat afraid that he wouldn't be able to do this, but he was going totry, anyhow.

  At daylight Monday morning he was on the way, and when the various boyshe met the day before said good-bye to him and wished him good luck,he felt that his stay at Tinch's had not been without benefits of somesort. He had made some boy friends, and he was four dollars richer,Archie was sensible enough, too, to realise that his experience would bea valuable one to him in the future. He knew now what hard work was, atany rate.

  The morning walk was delightful. The September weather was perfect, andall along the road were fruit-trees laden with every sort of goodthing to eat a boy could wish for. And as the trees were on the publicthoroughfare, Archie did net hesitate to help himself freely as he wentalong, so that he didn't require any meal at noon.

  As night drew near, however, he began to wonder what he would do for abed, and the question became more important with every hour. He had cometo no towns since morning, and knew that he couldn't expect to reachone of any size until the next day, anyhow. There were farmhouses, ofcourse, but after his experience of the past week the lad felt that hewould rather remain outdoors all night than risk being thrown in withanother Hiram Tinch. He didn't know enough of farmers to know that fewof them resemble Mr. Tinch in nature, and he did what he thought wasbest in keeping away from farmhouses after this.

  It was five o'clock in the evening, and Archie was beginning to feelvery tired and hungry, when he came to the ruins of an old colonialmansion, which lay far back from the road, surrounded by trees, andalmost hid with shrubbery. "How interesting," he thought to himself. "Itlooks just like the pictures of old ruins we see in geographies. I thinkI must go up and see what they look like at close range." And, firedwith a spirit of adventure, and making believe that he was an explorerin an ancient country, the boy made his way through the trees andshrubbery. The ruins looked more and more interesting as he advanced.This had evidently been a magnificent estate at one time. There weremassive pillars which had once supported a stately portico at the frontof the house, and above all there rose a massive chimney, whichseemed to be exceedingly well preserved. As Archie came nearer, he wassurprised to notice a thin column of smoke rising from the top of thechimney, and for a moment he stood still with fright. What could thismean? Who could be building a fire in the midst of these ruins. It wasalmost like what one reads about in books, he thought.

  For some time he could not decide what to do, whether he had better keepon, or whether the wisest policy would be to get back to the road asquickly as possible. Finally, his curiosity and thirst for adventurepersuaded him to go on, and he continued to push his way through theshrubbery until he stood before the ruins. He then climbed a flight ofsteps, and stood in what had once been the main entrance to thismassive palace. Before him he saw a scene which was almost weird in itsunusualness. A fire of pine-knots was blazing in the ruins of the greatfireplace, and seated in a semicircle around the fire were several menof picturesque appearance, whose faces looked up angrily when they weredisturbed.