The throng of pedestrians, each intent only on his own business or pleasure, bewildered the boy, and the rattle and rumble of vehicles served to increase his helplessness.
Surrounded though he was by human beings, never before had he felt so truly alone.
Involuntarily his mind went back to the time when he lost his way in the woods at Berry’s Corner; but there even the birds seemed friendly, and sang and twittered about him as if to share his grief, while here no one paid the slightest attention to his sorrow, save the group of boys on the opposite side of the street, who were making merry at his expense.
Now, even more than when he caught the last glimpse of Towser’s short tail at the railroad station, he wished he had never been tempted to leave the farm.
For the second time tears came very near his eyelids; but the sight of his tormentors across the street served to hold them in check, for he did not intend to allow those boys to know of the sorrow in his heart.
It was the feeling of resentment, that others should have taken advantage of his helplessness, which aided him in controlling his feelings, and he said resolutely as he walked toward Printing House Square:—
“They know I’m green as grass; but they sha’n’t see me cry.”
Then turning toward the shop windows on the left in the hope of seeing one which looked familiar and thus give him some idea of his whereabouts, he pushed resolutely on until accosted by a second stranger.
“Are you the Shindle feller Tom an’ Bob are lookin’ for?” the boy asked.
Josiah’s short experience in the city had taught him to be suspicious, and he replied quite sharply:—