6 The Story of Scraggles 



me, until, all at once, I heard quick foot- 

 steps behind me. Turning, I saw that 

 it was a large, tall man, with black hair 

 and a black beard, and he walked so 

 quickly that I grew afraid and chirped 

 out to my mother to come and help me. 

 But she paid no attention whatever, and 

 my loud cries arrested the attention of 

 the man. He suddenly stopped, looked 

 at me, and then began to talk to him- 

 self. I did n't understand then what he 

 was saying, but I know I was des- 

 perately scared, for my parents had 

 taught me always to keep out of the 

 way of human beings especially of the 

 little human beings that they called boys 

 and girls. Girls, they said, were not so 

 bad as boys, but it was safest to keep 

 away from all of them. Had I known 

 this big man as I afterwards grew to 



