soundly, and the only noises to be heard were the sound of their
breathing and the blood-curdling hoot of some owl perched on the
pillars of the old portico. The boy picked his way carefully between
the bodies of the sleeping men, and in a minute stood once more on the
grand flight of steps outside. He was trembling for fear some tramp
would awake and prevent his going, and when a bat brushed him in its
flight he almost screamed with terror. Far out beyond the trees and
the shrubby he could see the road glistening in the moonlight, and he
made his way as rapidly as possible out of the grounds, and was once
more on his way to the city.

It was lonesome work, walking along a country road at night, and
Archie remembered with longing his cosy bed at home. The feeling of
homesickness kept growing within him, despite his efforts to down it,
and when at last the glorious autumn sun rose over the eastern horizon
he was miserable with longing for mother and for home. But he was too
proud to even think of turning back. He must reach the city at all
hazards, homesick or not.

Archie did not think of breakfast this morning. His experience of the
night before seemed to have taken away his appetite entirely, and his
only thought was to walk as fast as possible, so that he could reach
the city soon. About nine o'clock he entered the outskirts of a busy
town, and while there he observed that the railroad going to the city
passed through the place. All at once a new idea occurred to him. He
had so often heard men and boys tell of how they had stolen a ride
from one town to another. Why shouldn't he be able to get a ride on a
freight train to the city. Would it be wrong? Archie thought not,
since so many men did it. And anyhow it didn't seem a wicked thing to
cheat the railroad. He had heard people say that the company ought to