heir outside doors on the
latch. The door of my uncle's house was on that night particularly free
of egress, for, it being summer, and the weather extremely hot, it had
been left "on the jar." I could have slipped out without causing it
even to creak.

But though so very young, I was not without some powers of
ratiocination; and I reasoned that if I ran away in the night, I should
be missed at an early hour of the morning, and consequently sought for.
The searchers, or some portion of them, would be pretty certain to
follow me to the seaport town, and find me there as a matter of course.
I should be in no better position than if I had given John the slip on
the preceding day. Moreover, it was but five or six miles to the town--
I should go over the ground in two hours at most--I should arrive too
early, before the people of the ship would be stirring--the captain
would be a-bed, and therefore I could not see him to offer myself as a
volunteer in his service. These were the considerations that induced me
to remain at home until morning, although I waited impatiently for the
hour.

I ate my breakfast along with the rest. Some one observed that I looked
pale and "out of sorts." John attributed it to my journey of the
preceding day, under the hot sun; and this explanation seemed to satisfy
every one.

After breakfast I was afraid I should be ordered to some work--such as
driving a horse, from which I might not easily get off--some one might
be set to a task along with me, who might report me too soon if I should
absent myself. Fortunately there was no work fit for me on that
particular day, and I was not ordered about anything.

Taking advantage of this, I brought out my sloop, which I was
occasionally in the habit of amusing myself with during hours of
leisure. There were other boys who had sloops, and schooners, and
brigs, and we used to have races over the pond in the park. It was
Saturday. There was no school on Saturday, and I knew that some of
these boys would repair to the pond as soon as they had breakfasted, if
not sooner. This would be a capital excuse for my going there; and with
the sloop ostentatiously carried I passed through the farmyard, and
walked in the direction of the park. I even entered the enclosure, and
proceeded to the pond, where, as I had conjectured, I found several of
my companions with their little ships going, in full sail.

"Oh," thought I, "if I were to declare my intention