“It was me they were after, sure enough; they had tracked me all the way from Texas to that place, but, somehow, couldn’t get any farther. Nobody had heard of a man named Jack Henly, and no one answered to their description. It was no wonder, for I was greatly changed, looking like an old man, for my grief had whitened my hair, wrinkled my face, and bent my form. I walked straight by them on goin’ out of the office, but they never suspected me. I’d got another scare, though, that I couldn’t get over, and made up my mind that I’d quit the country. So I sold off my stock, drew what money I’d laid by in the bank—my farm I couldn’t sell at such short notice—shut up my house, and, takin’ the boy, went to New York, intendin’ to take passage in a vessel goin’ to Australia, where I meant to go to sheep raisin’ again, since I had done so well in Texas, while I thought I needn’t fear any man in that country. I took passage, and bought a comfortable outfit for both of us, but the vessel wan’t to sail for a week, so I kep’ very quiet in a room I’d hired on a by-street, fearin’ those men might still be lookin’ me up. “But I let the boy play out, for he pined in the house, while I sat by a window to watch that he did not get out of sight. Wall, one day I must have fallen asleep, for I woke with a start, and lookin’ out, couldn’t see hide nor hair of the boy. I went to the door, but he wasn’t nowhere in sight. I started out to find him, never thinkin’ of danger then. I walked for hours, askin’ people about him, but nobody could tell me anything of him. “Three days I kep’ this up, until I nigh about went crazy, and wore myself out with loss on sleep, travelin’ about, and with my grief for the little fellow. “On the last day before we were to sail, while I was rovin’ about the streets in search of him, I ran against those two men again—the ones who were lookin’ for me. I knew by their quick, keen glances at me that they had got a suspicion I might be their man, and I got out of their way in a hurry. I was discouraged about findin’ the boy. I didn’t dare to look for him any more. I was afraid to go to the police about him, lest they had been notified to be on the lookout, and should snap me up; so, half crazed with fear and grief, I staggered on board the vessel I was to sail in, crawled into my berth, and lay there till we were well out to sea. “Wall, sir, my heart was broke. I thought I never could hold up my head again, and I wouldn’t have turned over my hand to have saved myself from goin’ to the bottom; for I got to lovin’ that poor little chap with my whole soul, and I didn’t know how to get on without him. “But we had a good passage. I was hale and hearty when we landed, and seemed likely to live my lonely life for many a year. I went into the interior, bought a sheep ranch, and set myself to do the work of three men; nothin’ else would ease the pain and worry that was eatin’ my heart out.