Part 27 (1/2)
”Do you think he's a thief?”
”I think he's willing to be He heard us whistling, and thought we'd found so”
”We are safe from robbery for the present” said Harry
”Yes, there's that advantage about being poor It ree”
”What about him?” asked Harry
”He read in the paper one day that a certain bank had burst So he went home in a hurry to see if he had any bills on that bank He found that he had no bills on that bank or any other--and then he felt better”
Harry laughed
”It was a poor consolation, I think,” he said ”I re a sermon froreat responsibility, but I don't think I shouldthe responsibility”
”That's my idee, Harry I a that responsibility, but there's one thing we can do if we don't make the claim pay”
”What's that, Obed?”
”We can join the bushrangers”
”Will you set us the exa
”I'h yet We'll try the claio and get soain”
They repaired to their cabin, and solaced themselves with food Then they threw themselves down in the shadow of the cabin to rest, and Obed pulled out his pipe This was a solace which the boys didn't enjoy They were sensible enough to know, that, whatever may be said of men, boys only receive injury from the use of tobacco In the resolution to abstain, they were upheld and encouraged by Obed, who, veteran s
”You're better off without it, boys,” he said ”It won't do you no good
I wish I could leave it off”
”Why don't you?” asked Harry
”Easier said than done, my boy Let me see, I was only turned of thirteen when I used to slink off to the barn and smoke, for I knew father wouldn't let ht it was makin' a man of me, and I kept on Well, the habit's on me now, and it's hard to break It don't hurt a ood, either Jack, did you ever save me a piece of tobacco to chew once I didn't like it and spit it out”
”The best thing you could do I wish all boys were as sensible”
In their hours of rest the three often chatted of hoenerally of one tenor They liked to fancy the with plenty of money, and planned how they would act under such pleasant circu which they were encamped, familiar scenes and faces rose before them, and the picture was so attractive that it was hard to come back to the cheerless reality
”Well, boys,” said Obed, at the end of an hour, ”we old's waitin' for us”
It was an old joke, and scarcely elicited a s tiold It was not, therefore, with a very hopeful feeling that they obeyed the suuine disposition, they began to doubt seriously whether their efforts would ever be rewarded They had pretty much lost the stimulus of hope