ll the way to the
slave-market; and when he took a seat one of them laid down at his
feet, and said, "Master, set your handsome feet on my back, that they
may be out of the dust."

"Don't be afraid of him," said the other hound; "he won't gnaw your
feet. He knows well enough that they are real ones."

"Are the other people's feet not real?" asked Jack.

"Of course not," said the hound. "They had a feud long ago with the
fairies, and they all went one night into a great corn-field which
belonged to these enemies of theirs, intending to steal the corn. So
they made themselves invisible, as they are always obliged to do till
twelve o'clock at noon; but before morning dawn, the wheat being quite
ripe, down came the fairies with their sickles, surrounded the field,
and cut the corn. So all their legs of course got cut off with it, for
when they are invisible they cannot stir. Ever since that they have
been obliged to make their legs of wood."

While the hound was telling this story Jack looked about, but he did
not see one slave who was in the least like his poor little friend,
and he was beginning to be afraid that he should not find her, when he
heard two people talking together.

"Good-day!" said one. "So you have sold that good-for-nothing slave of
yours?"

"Yes," answered a very cross-looking old man. "She was late again this
morning, and came to me crying and praying to be forgiven; but I was
determined to make an example of her, so I sold her at once to
Clink-of-the-Hole, and he has just driven her away to work in his
mine."

Jack, on hearing this, whispered to the hound at his feet, "If you
will guide me to Clink's hole, you shall be my dog."

"Master, I will do my best," answered the hound; and he stole softly
out of the market, Jack following him.

CHAPTER VII.

HALF-A-CROWN.

So useful it is to have money, heigh ho!
So useful it is to have money!

A. H. CLOUGH.

The old hound went straight through the town, smelling Clink's
footsteps, till he came into a large field of barley; and there,
sitting against a sheaf, for it was harvest time, they found
Clink-of-the-Hole. He was a very ugly little brown man, and he was
smoking a pipe in the shade; while crouched near him was the poor
little woman, with her hands spread before her face.

"Good-day, sir," said Clink to Jack. "You are a stranger here, no
doubt?"

"Yes," said Jack; "I only arrived this morning."

"Have you seen the to