"Look here!" said Grandpa Brown. "You haven't been a bad boy; have you?"

"No--no, sir. I've tried to be good. But the--the people I worked for
made it hard for me. They wanted me to do things I couldn't, and they
beat me and didn't give me enough to eat. So I just ran away. They may
come after me--that's why I don't want to tell you. If you don't know
where I ran from, you won't know what to tell them if they come after
me. But I'll go now."

The boy got up from the table, as though to go out into the night. It
was raining now.

"No, I won't let you go," said Grandpa Brown. "And I won't give you up
to the people who beat you. I'll look into this. You can stay here
to-night. You can sleep in the room with Bunker Blue. He'll look after
you. Now I hope you have been telling me the truth!"

"Oh, yes, sir. It's all true. I did work for--for some people, and they
half starved me and made me work very hard. I just had to run away, and
I hope they don't catch me and take me back."

"Well, I hope so, too," Grandpa Brown said. "I can't imagine what sort
of work you did. You don't look very strong."

"I'm not. But I didn't have to be so very strong."

"Not strong enough to work on a farm, I guess."

"Oh, I'm strong enough for that--yes, sir! Feel my muscle!" and the boy
bent up his arm. Grandpa Brown put his hand on it.