time
after I am gone; and then, you see, mother, the bag which is found by
him, and the gun in the ditch, will make them think it is me who killed
him; but they will not be able to make out whether I killed him by
accident, and ran away from fear, or whether I did it on purpose. So
now, mother, that's my plan, for it will save father."

"And I shall never see you again, my child!" replied his mother.

"That's as may be. You may go away from here after a time, mother, when
the thing has blown over. Come, mother, there is no time to lose."

"Rushbrook, what say you--what think you?" said Jane to her husband.

"Why, Jane, at all events, the boy must have left us, for, you see, I
told Byres, and I've no doubt but he told the keeper, if he met him,
that I should bring Joey with me. I did it to deceive him; and, as sure
as I sit here, they will have that boy up as evidence against his
father."

"To be sure they will," cried Joey; "and what could I do? I dare not--I
don't think I could tell a lie; and yet I would not peach upon father,
neither. What can I do--but be out of the way?"

"That's the truth--away with you, then, my boy, and take a father's
blessing with you--a guilty father's, it is true; God forgive me. Jane
give him all the money you have; lose not a moment: quick, woman,
quick." And Rushbrook appeared to be in agony.

Jane hastened to the cupboard, opened a small box, and poured the
contents into the hands of Joey.

"Farewell, my boy," said Rushbrook; "your father thanks you."

"Heaven preserve you, my child!" cried Jane, embracing him, as the tears
rained down her cheeks. "You will write--no! you must not--mercy!--
mercy!--I shall never see him again!"--and the mother fainted on the
floor.

The tears rose in our hero's eyes as he beheld the condition of his poor
mother. Once more he grasped his father's hand; and then, catching up
the gun, he went out at the back door, and driving back the dog, who
would have followed him, made over the fields as fast as his legs would
carry him.

CHAPTER SIX.

"THE WORLD BEFORE HIM, WHERE TO CHOOSE."

We have no doubt but many of our readers have occasionally, when on a
journey, come to where the road divides into two, forking out in
different directions, and the road being new to them, have not known
which of the two branches they ought to take. This happens, as it often
does in a novel, to be our case just now. Shall we follow little Joey,
or