The Tin Box, and What it ContainedAlger, Horatio, Jr.
General
The Tin Box, and What it Contained
Alger, Horatio, Jr.
Diligence -- Juvenile fiction; Success -- Juvenile fiction; Youth -- Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction
“No, it won’t. I am not very much in need of money, but I won’t help a
boy who has acted toward me as you have, unless you will apologize.”
“Don’t be a fool! Come and help me, and the money will be yours.”
“It is no use, Philip; my mind is made up. Will you apologize?”
“No.”
“Then, good-day! Give my respects to Mr. Temple when he returns.”
So saying, Harry turned to leave the cabin, and Philip’s heart sank in
dismay as he saw the only one from whom he could hope for help leaving
his presence.
“Hold on!” he called out. “I’ll give you five dollars! I haven’t got it
with me, but I can get it from my father. I’ll hand it to you
to-morrow.”
Philip hated to humble his pride, and he would rather have paid five
dollars, even if it came out of his own pocket, than submit to such a
humiliation.
“Good-by, Philip,” said Harry, resolutely.
“Are you really going to leave me? That’s mean.”
“You know the condition on which I’ll help you.”
“I’ll give you ten dollars!” exclaimed Philip, desperately.
“Not a cent! I won’t take a cent from you! Either I will help you or
leave you here, but no money shall pass between us.”
There was a calm resolution in Harry’s tone which at last convinced
Philip that he was in earnest.
“What do you want me to say?” he asked, sullenly.
“That you are sorry for the mean trick you played on me, and ask my
pardon.”
“All right. Now untie me.”
“You haven’t said it.”
“It’s the same thing.”
“I don’t consider it so.”
“Well, tell me what you want, then,” said Philip, querulously.
“Repeat after me: ‘I am sorry for the mean trick I played on you, and I
beg your pardon.’”
Philip was perforce obliged to do as Harry required, and he repeated
the words, though with a very bad grace.
“That will do,” said Harry. “Now I am satisfied.”
He felt for his knife, but did not have it with him.
He therefore knelt down, and set to work to untie the knots in the
rope.
He succeeded at last, but not without considerable difficulty and the
expenditure of not a little time. At last he loosened the last knot,
and said:
“Now you are free.”
Philip jumped to his feet—for these were the last to be released—with
an exclamation of satisfaction.
“Thank goodness!” he cried; “now I am free, and can leave this
miserable hut!”
He looked up, and his hopefulness was succeeded by quick dismay.
There, in the doorway, scowling at the two boys, was the master of the
cabin.
CHAPTER XXVII — THE ARREST
Philip’s face changed suddenly, and he uttered an exclamation of
dismay. He really believed that his life was in danger.
“There he is!” he ejaculated, his eyes nearly starting out of his head.
Harry turned, and his glance, too, fell on the menacing face of the
outlaw. But his face did not reflect the terror so plainly to be seen
on Philip’s. It should be remembered, however—for I do not wish to give
our hero more credit than he really deserves for his courage—that he
knew help was near at hand, and Philip didn’t.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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