“Uncle Hambright must have meant for us to stop here,” said one.
“Maybe, he meant for us to stop and get some water,” said another.
One or two of the fox-hunters stopped and drank some water. Then the oldest one said,——
“Come on now, let’s look for another fox; I guess we are most through now.”
About twenty yards away from the spring, the children came to another open space that was well shaded. What was their delight and surprise to find there stretched out before them on a large white table cloth, laid on the bare ground, a sumptuous picnic-dinner. And in the middle of the table there was a true-true stuffed fox with a large red apple in his mouth. For a few moments the children stood around the table in bewilderment. But they were not to be kept in suspense a great while. Pretty soon, Uncle Hambright and mama and papa came out of the woods near by, and such a laugh as went around that picnic-dinner was never heard before or since!
At the close of the meal, the children all voted that that was the best game that Uncle Ham had played during the day.
“Mr. Slocum, good morning, sir; I came around to ask you to lend me five dollars.”
Mr. Slocum, Manager of the Harlem Steamboat Company, looked up from his desk in surprise when he heard this abrupt announcement.
“Lend me five dollars,” said the little boy who had first addressed him.
“I’m nobody,” said the boy,—“nobody, but I want you to lend me five dollars.”
Mr. Slocum, who was generally said to be a hard man to deal with, was surprised at the boy’s presumption, yet, nevertheless, he was secretly pleased at the boy’s frank and open manner.
“Do you know what borrowing money means?” asked Mr. Slocum, rising and looking down upon the diminutive figure standing before him. The boy was barefooted, held his hat in his hand, and his hair was nicely combed. Mr. Slocum continued: “Don’t you know when a person borrows money he is supposed to pay it back?”
“Oh, yes;” said the boy, “I know that. You lend me the money, and I’ll pay it back all right. I only want it for three months. I’ll pay it back.”
There was something about the boy’s face and general deportment that won Mr. Slocum’s favor. He ran his hand into his pocket, pulled out a five-dollar bill and handed it to the boy.