"You can mount the horse going."

"I guess fifty cents'll about pay me."

Mr. Holden took out his pocketbook and paid the required sum.

"By the way," he said, as if incidentally, "who is the chairman of the
selectmen in the village of Waverley?" "You ain't thinkin' of takin'
that boy, be you?" said the other, curiously.

"I've had enough to do with him; I don't want ever to lay eyes on him
again."

"Well, I dunno as I should, if I was you," said the countryman, rather
slyly.

"You haven't answered my question yet," said Holden, impatiently.

"Oh, about the cheerman of the selectmen. It's Captain Joseph Ross."

"Where does he live?"

"A leetle this side of the village. You'll know the house, well enough.
It's a large, square house painted white, with a well-sweep in front."

Without a word of thanks for the information, Abner Holden turned, and
began to walk toward Waverley. Perhaps his object in making these
inquiries has been guessed. It happened that he needed a boy, and, for
more reasons than one, he thought he should like to have Herbert bound
to him. Herbert, as he had noticed, was a stout boy, and he probably