y him so faithfully, that he did
not feel tempted to resort to any irregular means of obtaining a
subsistence. If work did not pay, it was only because he could not
obtain it. He had not yet struck a productive vein. He had been a
fishing a great many times; but when he had no success, he neither
concluded that fish were not good, nor that there were no fish in the
river.

There was a train to arrive, after dark, from New York city, and he
determined to make one more effort to improve his fortunes. As the
passengers came out of the station with small parcels of baggage in
their hands, he offered his services to them. His heart almost leaped
with rapture when a gentleman handed him a small carpet-bag, and told
him to follow to the Delavan House. He took the bag, and then, to his
horror, he discovered that the gentleman was Mr. Grant!

What had brought him to Albany? As Noddy's sphere of observation was
confined to the little world of his own affairs, he concluded that the
owner of Woodville must be there for the purpose of arresting him.
Probably some of those smart constables had traced him to the town where
he had embarked for Albany. Again the horrors of the court-house, the
jail, and the tinker's shop were present to his mind. He had taken the
valise, and was now following Mr. Grant to the hotel. It was dark at the
place where he had received the carpet-bag, otherwise he would have been
recognized.

Noddy had no doubt in regard to the correctness of his conclusions; and
he could not help thinking that a great man, like Mr. Grant, was taking
a good deal of pains to capture a poor boy, like him. His arrest was a
matter of a great deal more consequence than he had supposed, which made
it all the more necessary to his future peace and happiness that he
should escape. The bag tied him to his persecutor, or he would have run
away as fast as he could. He could not carry off the baggage, for that
would subject him to another penalty, even if he had been dishonest
enough to do such a thing. He decided to follow Mr. Grant to the hotel,
drop the bag, and run.

"Boy, do you know where the police office is?" said Mr. Grant, suddenly
turning round upon him.

"No, sir," replied Noddy, whose natural boldness prompted him, when
fairly cornered, to face the danger.

"What! Noddy?" exclaimed Mr. Grant. "I came to look for you."

"Thank you, sir," replied Noddy.

"You were a foolish fellow to run away. I'm not going to hurt yo