CHAPTER IV. 

 RUNS AWAY FROM HOME. 



AT last Edward determined to run away from home, 

 and from Charlie Begg's cruelty, and to visit his 

 wonderful uncle at the Kettle. The village is situ- 

 ated nearly in the centre of the county of Fife, 

 about a hundred miles from Aberdeen. Edward did 

 not know a step of the road ; but he would try and 

 do his best to reach the far-off place. 



The first thing that he wanted was money. All 

 his earnings had gone into the family purse, and 

 were used for family expenses. One day, when his 

 mother had gone out, leaving Edward to rock the 

 cradle, he went to look at the money box, and found 

 only a solitary sixpence in it. He wanted seven- 

 pence in all, that is, a penny to get across Mon- 

 trose bridge, and sixpence to cross the Tay at Dun- 

 dee. He took the sixpence from the box, and fancied 

 that he might be able to raise another penny by 

 selling his knife. He took two quarters of oat-cakes, 

 put some oatmeal into a parcel, and bundling his 

 things together, and giving the cradle a final and 

 heavy rock, he left the house, and got away unseen. 



He ran up Deeside until he came to a high bank, 



