FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59  
60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   >>   >|  
you and Bill take them down cellar and leave them there with the rats." "That don't scare me none," said Xury. "I never saw no rats yet I was afraid of. What will you do with us in the mornin', mister?" "I intend to break up these midnight plundering expeditions, by making an example of you. I shall take you before 'Squire Thompson." "What do you reckon he'll do with us?" "He will put you in the House of Refuge for three or four years, most likely, and I think that would be a good place for you. Take them away, boys." Josh lighted a candle and led the way into the cellar, followed by Tom and his mate, Bill bringing up the rear. While the young farmers were examining the windows and door, to make sure that their prisoners could not escape, Tom took a hurried survey of his quarters, which he found to be cheerless in the extreme. Three sides of the cellar were supplied with windows--narrow apertures, placed about as high as his head from the floor, and protected by stout iron bars which were set into the walls. On the fourth side was a heavy door, secured by a padlock. Tom took these things in at a glance, and quite agreed with Josh, when he said, "Now, then, you young robbers, you are secure for the night." "And I would advise you to keep quiet, and not go to kicking up any fuss down here," chimed in Bill. "If you feel like going to sleep, you can lie down on those boxes." Josh and Bill took their departure, and the Crusoe men were left to their meditations, and to the companionship of the rats. Tom heard them close and lock the door at the head of the stairs, and, groping his way to a box in one corner of the cellar, he sat down to think over his situation; while Xury, whistling softly to himself, began an examination of the windows. This coolness and indifference amazed Tom, who could not understand how a boy, with the prospect before him of serving out a term of years in the House of Refuge, could take matters so easily. "O, now, quit that whistling," drawled Tom, who found it hard work to keep back his tears. "What fur?" demanded Xury. "There's no use of bein' down in the mouth, cap'n. Scoldin' an' frettin' won't help us none." "Did any body ever see so unlucky a boy as I am? Other fellows get along through the world without any trouble, but something is always happening to bother me. To-morrow morning I shall be taken back to the village." "Well, I sha'n't. I aint goin' back to Newport till
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59  
60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

cellar

 

windows

 

Refuge

 
whistling
 
examination
 

coolness

 
softly
 

indifference

 

serving

 

understand


prospect
 

amazed

 

Crusoe

 

Newport

 

departure

 
meditations
 

companionship

 

corner

 

matters

 
groping

stairs

 
situation
 

trouble

 

frettin

 

Scoldin

 

unlucky

 

morning

 
drawled
 

easily

 

fellows


village

 

morrow

 

demanded

 

happening

 

bother

 

lighted

 

candle

 

prisoners

 

escape

 

examining


farmers

 

bringing

 

afraid

 

mornin

 

mister

 

intend

 
Thompson
 

reckon

 

Squire

 

midnight