But it was hard work for these green hands, and though Little Hickory stuck to his task with commendable perseverance, Larry soon tired of it. Tom and Jerry had gone off to chase a bird, and he could not see why he should toil so while the others were enjoying themselves, so he threw his shovel into the bushes and followed after his younger companions. Rob said nothing, keeping steadily at his work, soon turning over a good square of sod. Joe Willet, having seen where Larry had flung his shovel, went and got the tool, and began herself to imitate Rob with a hearty good will. “Stop, Joe,” said Rob, “this is no work for girls to do. There are enough of us boys to do this.” “I wish I was a boy, so I could,” she said. “A girl does not seem to amount to much out here. I am afraid----” “You’re afraid of nothing, Joe. There is enough for you to do in the house.” “I am afraid Larry does not like work so well as you do, Rob.” “P’raps he’ll do better next time, Joe. I did not want to scold him the first time. I don’t see where Chick and Ruddy are. I am more anxious about ’em.” This anxiety on the part of Rob increased as the afternoon wore away without seeing the return of the two boys, and just as the sun was sinking toward the tree-tops in the west, Rob shouldered his shovel and started toward the coal camps with his companions, resolved to go in search of the missing ones. “You’ll have supper first,” said his mother. “It is all ready, and you must be tired.” Rob could not deny this, though he said nothing about his aches and pains as he seated himself upon a rock to eat his plain supper of salt pork and brown bread from a piece of hemlock bark that he had picked up for a plate. Everything was in keeping with his forlorn condition, and to add to its dreary aspect his mother said: “I don’t know what we shall do to-morrow, Rob, as there is not enough for all of us to live upon until the next day.” “I shall----” “Here comes some gemmens in a wagon!” cried Tony, running into the place at that moment. Rob looked out to see a horse and wagon, the latter containing three men, drawn up in front of their home. That they boded him evil he was aware from the fact that one of the trio was ’Squire Hardy. “So this is where you have landed?” said the latter. Rob made no reply, while he saw the other men get out of the wagon and begin to drive up a stake in front of the coal camp, dealing lusty blows with an ax as the piece of wood sank deep into the earth. When this had become firmly set, they produced a sheet of paper which Rob could see was covered with writing, and tacked it upon a strip of board, that was in turn nailed to the upright. “What does this mean?” demanded Rob. “Read for yourself, you New York vagrant,” cried ’Squire Hardy, “and see if you dare to defy the law any longer.” “It is quite likely he cannot read,” said one of the other men, with a look around the scene.