The Adventures of a Boy Reporter | Page 9

had
hard work to muster up enough courage to go in and ask for anything,
but finally he knocked timidly at the kitchen door, and was frightened
by a large dog which came barking around the corner. It seemed to him
that the animal would surely bite, but a large fat woman opened the
door just in time to let him in. "Hurry in, boy," she said, "fer there's no
tellin' what Tige might do ef he once gets a hold of ye." So Archie
stepped into the large kitchen, with its rafters overhead, and its
dining-table in the corner. "Sit down, boy," said the woman. "I reckon
you's thet new lad thet's come ter work over at Mullins's, ain't ye?"
"No'm," said Archie, "I don't work anywhere. I'm on my way to New
York, where I expect to find a position, and I thought perhaps you'd
allow me to do a little work here this morning to earn my breakfast."
Good Mrs. Lane, for that was the woman's name, was horrified to think
that any one was alive and without breakfast at eight o'clock in the
morning. "Goodness me!" said she. "Why, you must be half-famished
fer want of food, ain't ye?" And she bustled about the kitchen, putting
the kettle on to boil, and stirring up the fire. "You'll have some nice
ham and eggs, my boy, and then I have somethin' in mind fer you. I
reckon yer ain't in no hurry ter get ter the city, be ye? Well, even if ye
do be in a hurry, I reckon you'll be glad of the chance to earn four
dollars. I ain't goin' to ask ye no questions about how ye come to be
walkin' to New York, because I never wuz no hand ter meddle in other
folkses affairs, but ye look to be a likely lad, and a strong un, and ez
my sister's husband, what lives two miles down the pike, needs a boy to
drive a plough fer a week, I b'lieve ye'll suit 'im first-rate. So ez soon ez
ye have finished yer vittles, I'll walk down there with ye, and we'll see
the old man."

Archie hardly knew whether to be delighted with the prospect or not.
Of course four dollars would be nice to have, but he was anxious to get
to the city as soon as possible, and every day counted. But perhaps it
would be wrong, he thought, to throw away such a good chance to earn
some money, and he had decided to accept any offer the farmer made
him, long before he finished his breakfast. When he got up from the
straight-backed chair, he felt that he had never eaten a better meal in his
life, and when Mrs. Lane started off down the road, he gladly followed
her. A week on such a farm as this would be no unpleasant experience.
Such food was not to be had every day, he knew, and he of course
would have precious little that was good to eat when he reached the
city.
They soon covered the two miles, Mrs. Lane getting along very fast for
such a large woman, and at last they stood before Hiram Tinch, who
owned the farm. Archie was made to describe his intentions, and was
thoroughly examined by Mr. Tinch. He told the farmer that he knew
nothing about farm work, but Mr. Tinch said he would soon teach him,
and it was settled that Archie was to remain on the farm a week. Mrs.
Lane went inside the house to see her sister, who looked sick with too
much work, and the farmer told Archie that he might as well start in, as
there was no object in waiting. So the boy donned a pair of "blue jean"
trousers, and was taken into a field, where a one-horse plough was
standing. Archie knew how to hitch a horse, so he went to the stable
and secured his steed, and then harnessed him to the plough. The
farmer didn't see fit to give him any instructions about ploughing, and
the poor boy hardly knew what to do, but rather than ask he started off,
and tried to guide the animal in the right direction, as far as he knew it.
Of course the horse went wrong, and the plough refused to stay in the
earth, and altogether the attempt was a miserable failure. The farmer
leaned against the fence, picking his teeth with a pin, but when he saw
the horse going crooked, and the plough bounding along over the earth,
his face grew livid with anger. For a minute he seemed unable to speak,
but strode toward Archie with a fierce look in his eyes. Then he found
his tongue, and opened