em low, lazy skunks "Al-f-u-r-d"
a-never teched a thing in this house. They never had nothin' to eat at
home. Their folks is too lazy to fry a doughnut or put up pickles.
"Al-f-u-r-d" jes pitied 'em, that's why he took things to 'em to eat."

This reasoning mollified the parent, besides Lin had a gleam in her eyes
that intimidated him. Lin had threatened to skedaddle, as she put it,
several times of late, and one like her was not often found.

Therefore Lin's reasoning decided the father to wreak vengeance on those
who, through "Al-f-r-u-d's" generosity, had depleted the pickle barrel.
Grabbing his heaviest cane he stalked toward the door, vowing he would
wear out every last one of the boys who had made him so far forget
himself as to punish one whose age and inexperience made him their dupe.

[Illustration: Hold On! Hold On!]

The mother and Lin, thoroughly frightened at the anger displayed by the
man, used their strength and arguments to prevent him doing something
terrible. The mother pointed out the danger of the law and the disgrace
attached to an arrest by the borough constable.

Lin reminded him that he might do something rash, that all the boys had
papas and several men might jump on him if they caught him abusing their
off-spring. The father swore he could lick the daddies of all the boys
one at a time.

Meanwhile "Al-f-u-r-d" made his escape to the garret to ruminate upon
the unreasonableness of parents in general and his father in particular.

Uncle Bill was even more obdurate than when he first declared Charley
must "dig for himself." Cousin Charley was looking for work, fearing he
would find it, and secretly hoping his father, under pressure of the
mother, would soon open the door of home to him. But Cousin Charley was
compelled to look the world in the face in a serious manner for the
first time in his life.

Captain Lew Abrams, a retired steamboat man, big of frame, kind of heart
and fond of a joke, informed the exile that he would give him an
opportunity to follow his father's advice literally, namely, to dig for
himself.

"I have a big potato patch, the crop is a heavy one and it don't seem my
boys will ever get the potatoes dug. I will give you a job digging
potatoes by the bushel or on shares."

The Captain did not care to hire by the day. Cousin Charley figured
mentally that digging potatoes on shares, a custom prevalent in those
days, would bring quicker returns.

Charley began to "dig