of $* (gtocgfe* 



he was gone for good. Although I followed for 

 several hours, I did not even catch sight of him. 



This little boy had three days of runaway 

 life, and then concluded to return. Hunger 

 drove him back. I saw him coming and went to 

 meet him; but kept out of sight until he was 

 within twenty feet, then stepped into view. 

 Apparently a confused or entangled mental 

 condition followed my appearance. His first 

 impulse was to let me know that he was hungry 

 by standing erect and outstretching his arms; 

 this he started hastily to do. 



In the midst of this performance, it occurred 

 to him that if he wanted anything to eat he must 

 hurry to me; so he interrupted his first action, 

 and started to carry his second into instant 

 effect. These incomplete proceedings inter- 

 rupted and tripped one another three or four 

 times in rapid succession. Though he tumbled 

 about in comic confusion while trying to do two 

 things at once, it was apparent through all that 

 his central idea was to get something to eat. 



And this, as with all boys, was his central 

 idea much of the time. I did not find anything 



210 



