"You got away," he said, smiling.
"Yes, thanks to you," said Walter. "Here is what I promised you."
"I don't know as I ought to take it," said the boy, hesitating, though he evidently wanted it.
"You will do me a favor by accepting it," said Walter. "You got me out of a bad scrape. Besides, you had a chance to earn some money from Jack Mangum."
"I wouldn't have done anything for him, at any rate. He's a thief."
Finally Peter, for he was named after his father, accepted the dollar, and, sitting down by Walter, asked him about his adventure in the wood, listening with great interest to the details.
"I wouldn't have dared to do as you did," he said.
"Perhaps you would if you had been obliged to."
By this time the tea was steeped, and Walter's breakfast was before him. He made so vigorous an onslaught upon the bread and meat that he was almost ashamed of his appetite; but Mrs. Holcomb evidently felt flattered at the compliment paid to her cookery, and watched the demolition of the provisions with satisfaction.
"You had better stop to dinner," she said. "We shall have some roast meat and apple-pudding."