The exclamation, coming so suddenly and unexpectedly, so startled Joe that he almost fell from his horse. He had been so deeply engrossed in thought that he had not seen any one approaching. He looked down now and discovered a little old man standing near the horse’s head. The man was shrunken, knock-kneed, eccentric in dress and manner, and leaned heavily on his cane. Joe recognized him at once as a neighborhood character, whom every one knew by the name of Uncle Billy. “W’y, I thought ye was asleep,” said the old man. “I was fearful ye’d tumble off the hoss.” “I wasn’t asleep,” replied Joe. “I was thinkin’.” “A-thinkin’!” exclaimed Uncle Billy; “w’at right’s a boy like you got to be a-thinkin’, I’d like to know?” He advanced a step and laid his hand on Old Charlie’s neck. “Ben a good hoss in ’is day,” he commented; “looks like the hoss Leonard Gaston use to hev,--the one ’at was stole.” “It is,” replied Joe; “it’s the same horse.” The old man started back so quickly that he tripped and almost fell over his cane. “Who be you?” he exclaimed, shading his eyes with his hand, and looking up intently at Joe. “You aint Joe Gaston, be ye?” “Yes, I am; I’m Joe Gaston,” responded the boy, sadly. Uncle Billy retreated still farther. “Well, I’m dumflustered!” he exclaimed. After a minute he added, “W’ere ye goin’?” “Home!” replied Joe. The old man shook his head solemnly. “Ye won’t git much of a welcome ther,” he said. “Why? Is my father set against me?” asked Joe, anxiously. “Set aginst ye? That’s puttin’ it too mild. He’s cast ye off. He’s unherited ye. He won’t speak of ye to nobody, an’ he won’t let nobody so much as mention yer name in his presience. Now what ye think o’ that?” The old man seemed to take delight in giving his unwelcome information. He looked up at Joe with a quizzical smile on his thin face, and waited for an answer. Joe did not reply to the question, but after a minute he asked,-- “Do--do you know whether my mother feels the--the same way?” “Of course she doos! First along she purty near cried ’er eyes out over ye. She went around makin’ out’t ye never stole that hoss; said ye’d be back in a day or two an’ clear it all up. But she’s give ye up now. They don’t none on ’em ever expect to see ye agin; an’ w’at’s more, I guess they don’t none on ’em want to. What ye think o’ that? Hey?” Again the old man smiled grimly at Joe, and again Joe left his question unanswered. He was struggling now with a great lump in his throat that was growing larger and more uncontrollable each moment. “What--what does my little sister--what does Jennie think?” he asked, choking sadly over the question.