"What are you going to do with so much money?" asked a mischievous acquaintance; "buy a farm, or go in partnership with Vanderbilt?"
"I'm going to give every cent of it to my mother," replied Tom, with a compression of his fine lips and a flash of his eye.
"That's right!" commented an elderly gentleman; "you couldn't put it into safer hands, and I mean that for all of you youngsters."
It was at this juncture that the two tramps rose to their feet, and slouched down the road in the direction of Tom Gordon's home. In the flurry of the moment no one noticed their departure, which indeed might not have attracted attention at any time.
"You've got a loaded gun in your house?" was the inquiring remark of the same gentleman.
"Yes, sir; we always keep one. I fired at the tiger with it, but I didn't hurt him much," remarked Tom with a laugh.
"Well, tigers aren't the only creatures you've got to look out for in these times. There are plenty of people that would break into your house and murder you and your mother and aunt for the sake of that money."
Tom blanched a little at these words, and one of the bystanders said,--
"I don't think we have such people about here, Uncle Jed."
"I hope not, but you can't be too careful; I've been robbed myself when I hadn't any more thought of it than that boy there."