s. He wished that everybody he knew would ride by and find him
sitting there in charge; but no one else came for more than an hour. It
had seemed as long as ten hours, with nothing to do but slap at the
flies and talk to the sleepy hound. John Jay grinned when he saw the
arrival, for it was a man whom he knew.

"Good evenin', Mistah Boden," he called, eagerly. The man stopped his
horses.

"Hello!" he said. "You're in charge, are you? Where's the rest of the
folks?"

"Mars' Nat, he's gone to town to-day," answered John Jay, proudly. "I'm
keepin' toll-gate this evenin', Mistah Boden."

"So!" exclaimed the man, with a cunning gleam in his little eyes.
"That's the lay of the land, is it?"

Instead of taking out his pocket-book, he threw one foot over his knee,
and began to ask questions in a friendly manner that flattered John Jay.

"Let's see. Your name's Hickman, hain't it?"

"Yessa, John Jay Hickman," answered the boy.

"Yes," drawled the man, gnawing at a plug of tobacco which he took from
his pocket. "I know all about you. Your mammy used to cook for my wife,
and your gran'mammy washed at our house one summer. How is the old
woman, anyhow?"

"She's well, thank you, Mistah Boden," was the pleased answer.

"And then there's that brother of her's--Billy! old Uncle Billy! How's
he getting on?"

"Oh, he's mighty complainin', Mistah Boden; he's got such a misery in
his back all the time that he say he jus' aint got ambition 'nuff to get
out'n his own way."

"Is that so?" was the reply, in a tone of flattering interest. The man
beckoned him with his whip to step closer.

"Look here, boy," he said, in a confidential tone, "it's a mighty lucky
thing for me that Nat Chadwick left you here instead of a stranger.
Every penny of change I started with this morning dropped out through a
hole in my pocket somewhere. I didn't find it out until I got within
sight of the place; then, thinks I to myself, 'oh, it won't make any
difference. Nat and I are old friends; he'll pass me.' I guess you can
do the same, can't you, being as you're in his place, and I'm an old
friend of your family? You needn't say anything about it, and I'll do as
much for you some day."

John Jay looked puzzled. Before he could reply George walked out on the
porch and stood beside him. He bowed to the man politely. "I'll take the
toll, if you please, Mr. Boden. Put up the bar, John."

The man hesitated a moment, then tossed him the change, and gav