"You see he don't want to come. He'd rather ride. You know he's been sick," said Abner, with a grin, "and he's too delicate to walk. He ain't tough, like you and me."
"He'll need to be tough," muttered the tramp, as he thought of the flogging he intended to give Tony.
"Oh, I don't mind," said Abner. "You can say what you want to. This is a free country, only you can't do what you've a mind to."
Rudolph wished that he had a double stock of strength. It was very provoking to be laughed at and derided by Abner without being able to revenge himself. A pistol or a knife would make him even with the countryman, but Rudolph was too much of a coward to commit such serious crimes when there was so much danger of detection and punishment.
The hay was to be delivered to a speculator, who collected large quantities of it, and forwarded over the railroad to a large city.
It had to be weighed, and Abner drove at once to the hay scales.
"Now," thought Rudolph, with exultation, "the boy must come down, and I shall get hold of him."
"I guess you'd better slide down," said Abner. "I can't sell you for hay, Tony."
There was a movement, and then the boy slid down, Abner catching him as he descended.
Rudolph's face changed ominously when he saw that it wasn't Tony who made his appearance.
"What does this mean?" he demanded furiously.
"Come to look at him, it isn't," said Abner, with a twinkle in his eye.
"Didn't you say it was Tony?" asked the tramp, exasperated.
"I guess I was mistaken, squire," said Abner, grinning.
"I don't know, I'm sure. It seems he didn't come. Guess he must have given us the slip."
The tramp, unable to control his rage, burst into a volley of execrations.
"Hope you feel better, squire," said Abner, when he got through.
The tramp strode off, vowing dire vengeance against both Abner and Tony.
[Illustration: "What does this mean?" demanded the tramp furiously. "This isn't Tony."--(See page 45.)]
From the upper window in the farm house, which was situated on elevated ground, Tony saw his old guardian follow Abner. Thus the way was opened for his escape. He waited, however, a short time to make sure that all was safe, and then bade farewell to the farmer and his wife, thanking them heartily for their kindness to him.