“Good-day!” returned the country lad, rather bashfully. “Can you tell me if there is any place near where I can buy some dinner?” “There ain’t no tavern, if that’s what you mean. I’m goin’ home to dinner myself.” “Where do you live?” “Over yonder.” He pointed to a farmhouse about a dozen rods away. “Do you think your mother would give me some dinner?” “I guess she would. Mam’s real accommodatin’.” “Will you ask her?” “Yes; just come along of me.” He turned into the yard, and followed a narrow path to the back door. “I’ll stay here while you ask,” said Carl. The boy entered the house, and came out after a brief absence. “Mam says you’re to come in,” he said. Carl, glad at heart, and feeling quite prepared to eat fifty cents’ worth of dinner, followed the boy inside. A pleasant-looking, matronly woman, plainly but neatly attired, came forward to greet him. “Nat says you would like to get some dinner,” she said. “Yes,” answered Carl. “I hope you’ll excuse my applying to you, but your son tells me there is no hotel near by.” “The nearest one is three miles away from here.” “I don’t think I can hold out so long,” said Carl, smiling. “Sit right down with Nat,” said the farmer’s wife, hospitably. “Mr. Sweetser won’t be home for half an hour. We’ve got enough, such as it is.” Evidently Mrs. Sweetser was a good cook. The dinner consisted of boiled mutton, with several kinds of vegetables. A cup of tea and two kinds of pie followed. It was hard to tell which of the two boys did fuller justice to the meal. Nat had the usual appetite of a healthy farm boy, and Carl, in spite of his recent anxieties, and narrow escape from serious peril, did not allow himself to fall behind. “Your mother’s a fine cook!” said Carl, between two mouthfuls. “Ain’t she, though?” answered Nat, his mouth full of pie. When Carl rose from the table he feared that he had eaten more than his little stock of money would pay for. “How much will it be, Mrs. Sweetser?” he asked. “Oh, you’re quite welcome to all you’ve had,” said the good woman, cheerily. “It’s plain farmer’s fare.” “I never tasted a better dinner,” said Carl. Mrs. Sweetser seemed pleased with the compliment to her cooking. “Come again when you are passing this way,” she said. “You will always be welcome to a dinner.” Carl thanked her heartily, and pressed on his way. Two hours later, at a lonely point of the road, an ill-looking tramp, who had been reclining by the wayside, jumped up, and addressed him in a menacing tone: “Young feller, shell over all the money you have got, or I’ll hurt you! I’m hard up, and I won’t stand no nonsense.” Carl started and looked into the face of the tramp. It seemed to him that he had never seen a man more ill-favored, or villainous-looking. CHAPTER XI. THE ARCHERY PRIZE.