aw' right,' said Chippy. 'Don't worry, mother. I'm off up the
town now, to look for another job. I seen two cards out th' other day
in Main Street, "Boy Wanted." I only come in now to mend me britches.'

When Mr. Blades flung Chippy out, the Raven had fallen on one knee, and
his trouser had split clean across. He now purposed to cobble up the
rent before he started on his quest for the precious work which means
the right to live.

He found a needle and some thread, took off his trousers, and stitched
busily away, for he was very handy with his fingers: his mother, too,
had no time for such work; she had got a washing job, and was hard at
it to help the family funds.

As Chippy stitched, his cheerfulness returned. Soon he was whistling
in real earnest. 'I'm goin' in for a rise,' he announced. 'I've
picked up a lot at old Blades' place. I'm goin' to ask five bob.'

'What made him sack yer?' asked his mother.

'Oh, I didn't suit,' said Chippy hastily. 'An' I done my best, too.'

He made haste to be off on his quest, for he was not anxious to
disclose why he had been sacked: in Skinner's Hole the reason would
sound too fantastic to be easily accepted.

CHAPTER XIX

A BROTHER SCOUT TO THE RESCUE

Nearly a fortnight passed, and one dull afternoon a very discouraged
Raven was perched on a capstan at the edge of Quay Flat. Chippy had
tramped the town end to end and street by street in search of those
cards marked 'Boy Wanted,' and had found none, or had failed to get the
place. There was so small a number of them, too. He was reflecting
that when he had been in a job he had seen two or three in a day as he
traversed the town; he was quite sure of it. Now they seemed to have
vanished, or, when he lighted on one, it meant nothing. The people had
just got a boy, and had forgotten to take the card down.

Suddenly he was hailed from behind. He glanced round, leapt down, and
came promptly to the full salute, which was promptly met by his brother
patrol-leader.

'Hallo, Chippy!' said Dick. 'Got a holiday?'

'Got nuthin' else,' said Chippy.

'How's that?' asked Dick. 'I thought you went to work.'

'So I did--once,' murmured Chippy; it seemed a hundred years since he
was pleasantly engaged in the task of earning the substantial sum of
four-and-sixpence a week.

Dick looked at his comrade, whom he had not seen since that eventful
afternoon on the heath. Chippy was thinner and whiter: Dick saw it