Walter Sherwood's Probation, Jr. Horatio Alger [best pdf reader for ebooks txt] 📗
- Author: Jr. Horatio Alger
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Had Walter lost his position two months earlier it would have been a serious matter to him, but now, with a capital of nearly a thousand dollars, he could afford to be independent. As he expressed it, he could afford to be idle for a few weeks. Still, he didn't wish to remain unemployed for a long time. He felt happier when at work, but wished to secure some employment that would be congenial.
“Mr. Snodgrass,” said the professor, “I think you are making a mistake in not employing Walter Sherwood.”
Nahum Snodgrass shrugged his shoulders.
“I don't mean to pay away all my profits to an assistant,” he said.
“But you can't get along alone very well.”
“I will try, unless I can find some one that will take what I am willing to pay.”
He finally succeeded in doing this. A young man of eighteen, employed in a drug-store in town, who was on the point of being discharged, agreed to take the position, and stepped into Walter's place. To anticipate a little, he disappeared two weeks later, carrying with him fifty dollars belonging to his employer.
Walter stayed two days longer at the hotel, and then, sending his valise ahead to Burnton, twenty miles farther on, started to walk the distance. He was in a mountainous country, and the scenery was wild and attractive, so that he felt that this arrangement would prove agreeable to him. He provided himself with a stout staff and started at good speed. He had accomplished about eight miles, when he was overtaken by a shabbily dressed traveler riding on the back of a fine horse. The horseman slackened his pace when he reached Walter.
“Good morning, stranger!” he said.
“Good morning!” responded Walter, turning his head.
“I am glad to have company. It's a lonesome stretch of road here.”
“Yes,” answered Walter, carelessly. “But there isn't any danger, is there?”
“Well, there might be. A friend of mine was stabbed and robbed here three months since.”
“Indeed!”
“Yes; and though I haven't much money with me, I shouldn't like to be robbed of what I have.”
“It would be inconvenient.”
“Do you carry much money with you?” asked the other, in a careless tone.
Walter was not disposed to take a stranger into his confidence.
“Not much!” he responded.
“You are prudent. Are you armed?”
Walter drew out Dick Ranney's revolver, which he still carried. The stranger eyed him respectfully.
“That's a mighty handsome weapon,” he said. “Just let me look at it.”
Walter began to think he had fallen in with a highwayman again.
CHAPTER XXIX WALTER BUYS A HORSE
“You can look at the pistol as I hold it,” said Walter, in response to the request recorded at the close of the preceding chapter.
“I say,” remarked the stranger suddenly, “don't you want to buy a horse?”
“How much do you ask for the horse?” he inquired.
“I want to get her off my hands. Give me fifty dollars, and she's yours.”
Walter had a pad in his satchel and a fountain pen in his pocket. He hastily wrote out the following form:
“In consideration of fifty dollars by me received, I give and transfer to Walter Sherwood my roan horse.” Here followed a brief description of the animal.
“Now put your name there, and I will hand you the money,” said Walter.
“Thank you, stranger! You've got a good bargain.”
“I agree to that,” said Walter.
“I suppose the horse is sound?” he said inquiringly.
“Sound as a die! Don't you take no trouble about that. It goes to my heart to give her up. Good-by, old gal!”
Walter touched the horse lightly with his whip, and she bounded forward. After a few miles he reached a town of good size. Riding along the main street his attention was drawn to a printed notice in front of a store. It read thus:
“HORSE STOLEN!“Stolen from the subscriber, on the evening of the twenty-fifth, a roan mare, eight years old and sixteen hands high, with a white mark between the eyes. Answers to the name of Bess. Whoever will return her to the subscriber, or give information that will lead to her recovery, will receive a suitable reward.
“COLONEL RICHARD OWEN, Shelby.”
A terrible suspicion entered Walter's mind. He recognized the white mark. Then he called “Bess.” The mare half turned her head and whinnied.
CHAPTER XXX WALTER FINDS HIMSELF IN A TIGHT PLACE
Walter had hardly time to consider what to do in the light of the discovery he had made before the matter was taken out of his hands.
“Young feller, you'd better get off that hoss!” fell on his ears in a rough voice.
He turned, and saw two stalwart men eyeing him suspiciously.
“Gentlemen,” said Walter earnestly, “till I read this notice I had no idea that the horse was stolen.”
“That's neither here nor there. You'd better get off the hoss.”
Walter felt that this was a command, and obeyed at once.
“Very well, gentlemen,” he said. “I will leave the horse in your hands, and depend upon you to return it to the owner.”
As Walter spoke he turned to walk off, but the man who had first accosted him got in his way.
“I don't want to have any trouble with you, sir. Please get out of my way, and let me go.”
“Not by a long shot.”
“What do you propose to do with me?”
“Take you to the lockup.”
Walter was now really alarmed.
“You'll have to go with us, young feller!” said Crane.
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