We dried his clothes at a fire we made, and have brought
him home. I wish you would send for his mother, and tell her not to
punish him. He's been very close to death, and has had a lesson he'll
never forget."

The old man took a look at the boy.

"Why, it's sure enough little Brutus!" he exclaimed, as though just
discovering this fact, for the boy had kept his face partly hidden,
through shame and fear; then turning to some of the wide-eyed
youngsters clustering around, the parson went on to say; "Here, you
Adolphus Smith, run like the wind over to Madame Pangborn's and tell
Sarah her boy needs her, because he's been in the pond; but be sure to
let her know Brutus is all right!"

The boy shot away like a flash, while Hugh turned and looked at Brutus
again; for now he knew that he had seen him over at the Pangborn
mansion.

CHAPTER XVII

LITTLE BRUTUS AND HIS "COLLECTION"

It was not long before they discovered a woman running like mad toward
the spot. Of course this was no other than Sarah, whose heart had been
chilled by the news fetched by Adolphus Smith, the truth being
considerably garbled, it is to be feared.

She arrived panting, and with her eyes full of horror, as though she
fully expected to find her darling Brutus lying there all wet and cold.

Upon discovering the shrinking little form, she seized him in her arms,
and dropping to the ground began rocking back and forth as she hugged
him tight, meanwhile covering his ebony little face with motherly
kisses.

"Hebben be praised, I ain't done lost my Brutus after all. Dat
'Dolphus he skeered me nigh to death wif his stuttering story as how my
chile be'n in de mill-pond. What's all dis row about, anyhow? I hopes
none o' you folks done play a joke on me, dat's right. It'd be de
wustest thing yuh eber done, let me tells yuh."

The parson thereupon proceeded to tell her the real facts. Sarah
hugged the rescued boy some more, and then on hearing how his life had
been saved by the actions of two white boys, she looked up at Hugh and
Thad.

"Why, it am de young Morgan boy, glory, if it ain't!" she ejaculated,
and Hugh was a little afraid the good woman, in her gratitude, might
want to transfer her embraces from Brutus to him, so he held out his
hand, with one of his smiles, saying:

"We were only too glad to be on the spot and give the boy a helping
hand, Sarah. I didn't know at the time he was your child, though that
wouldn't have made