That repellant individual was daily becoming more brutal--more obnoxious. The realization of his supreme power over his small domain stimulated Peter to demonstrate that power ever more crushingly. He gloated over the little band of captives like a fiend. It gave him indescribable pleasure to see their fear of him demonstrated. He would punish a child for no cause whatever, merely to cow the others and make them tremble or flee at his approach. Stephen, by the passive, submissive manner in which he always labored in the accomplishment of almost Herculean tasks had managed fairly well to escape much physical violence. He had quickly grasped the routine of farm life and Peter knew that he could be depended upon to look after the stock as well as he, himself. It had been Peter's original intention to fetch to the farm a more stalwart youth or girl for this heavy labor. Fate having willed otherwise, he was now content with the present arrangement. An older child would menace the secrecy and security of the infant slave industry which had now developed to such proportions that farm and stock interests became secondary in consideration. But Stephen was finding the work more and more difficult. If the other children had not surreptitiously come to his assistance he would not have been able to keep up the appearance of its accomplishment. The boy worried deeply over the matter. He did not feel ill. Merely tired. His thin arms would not permit him to carry a bucket of water unaided. He knew there was no money coming regularly to Peter for him as there was for Mollie. When he became unable to work--if he fell ill--he could see nothing ahead but the bog! Brooding so much made his head ache. His violet blue eyes were sunken and feverishly bright. He found himself more and more nervous and fearful, less agile in mounting the ladder, less adept in eluding the ever-tormenting Ambrose. Mollie was now some inches taller than Stephen, quick, capable, resourceful; one moment soothing and encouraging the children like a little mother, the next helping him about the barn, then running toward house or garden to meet and distract the attention of Peter or Ambrose; into the kitchen to filch some portion of food, then back to the children again, all in less time than it took Stephen to measure out some feed for the horse.