party in general, Rocky passed a brief but not un- 

 friendly glance over me and said, " On'y the born fools 

 stays fools. You'll git ter learn bymbye ; you ain't 

 always yappin' ! " 



It was not an extravagant compliment ; but failure 

 and helplessness act on conceit like water on a starched 

 collar : mine was limp by that time, and I was grateful 

 for little things most grateful when next morning, as 

 we were discussing our several ways, he turned to me 

 and asked gently, " Comin' along, Boy ? " 



Surprise and gratitude must have produced a touch 

 of effusiveness which jarred on him ; for, to the eager 

 exclamation and thanks, he made no answer just 

 moved on, leaving me to follow. In his scheme of 

 life there was * no call to slop over.' 



There was a quiet unhesitating sureness and a 

 definiteness of purpose about old Rocky's movements 

 which immediately inspired confidence. We had not 

 been gone many minutes before I began to have visions 

 of exciting chases and glorious endings, and as we 

 walked silently along they took possession of me so com- 

 pletely that I failed to notice the difference between 

 his methods and mine. Presently, brimful of excite- 

 ment and hope, I asked cheerily what he thought we 

 would get. The old man stopped and with a gentle 

 graveness of look and a voice from which all trace of 

 tartness or sarcasm was banished, said, " See, Sonny ! 

 If you been useter goin' round like a dawg with a 

 tin it ain't any wonder you seen nothin'. You got 

 ter walk soft an' keep yer head shut ! " 



In reply to my apology he said that there was " no 



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