n, which soon took Jack's attention. The miller's son
was urging upon the squire's son the importance of a correct
understanding of the Bible. But the squire's son only insisted that "_It
doesn't matter what a man believes, if he is only sincere_."

Jack was a vain, foolish fellow, and felt very much pleased with the
rattling off-hand speech of the squire's son, and he only wished that
_he_ could talk as well; then he would put his old grandfather to
confusion--indeed he would.

"_It is no matter what a man believes, provided he is sincere_,"
muttered Jack, bracing his conscience against the godly conversation of
his relatives; "I'll fix 'em now," he said to himself, with a decided
nod of the head.

Late in the afternoon the boys' grist was ready; then the old horse was
brought out of the shed, the bag of meal placed across her back, and
Jack and David both mounted; boys, horse, and bag, all homeward bound.

"You have a longer ride ahead than I wish you had, boys," said the
miller, casting his eyes toward a dark cloud which was rising and
darkening the western sky; "there's plenty of water up there for my
mill."

But they set off briskly, and were soon lost to sight among the windings
of the forest road. But the gloom gathered faster than the horse
trotted, so that it was quite dark when they reached a fork in the road
where it might make considerable difference which road they took. One
was the main road; this way there was a good bridge over Bounding Brook,
a mountain stream which was often dangerously swollen by the spring
rains. It was the safest, though the longest way home.

The other was a wood path through the pines, which was the one often
taken by farmers living east of the town, to shorten the distance to The
Corner. In this road, Bounding Brook was crossed by fording.

"Father told us to be sure to take the traveled road if it was late,"
said David.

"Going to," asserted Jack, as he drew rein for a moment, at the division
of the roads.

But really, Jack was confused; the windings of the road, with nothing
but woods on each side, and, of course, no distinct landmarks to direct
them, together with the gloom of the night and their small acquaintance
with the roads, puzzled the boys not a little. But Jack, being the
older, wished to impress his brother with a sense of his superior
wisdom, and would not admit his confusion.

Quickly deciding which road he would take, he whipped up, exclaiming
conclus