But the boys started to run, and, as Mr. Jenkins was no longer young, and as his legs were rather stiff, he went only a little way before he had to stop. He shook his fist after the two lads. "Do you suppose he would have locked us up?" asked the small boy, whom his companion addressed as Mark. His full name was Mark Sampson, but he was very unlike his strong ancestor who pulled over the pillars of the temple. "He acted mean enough to do anything," replied Jack Darrow, who was quite a contrast in point of size and fleshiness to his companion. "What shall we do now?" asked Mark. "Keep on moving, I guess," was the reply, "At least until we get outside of Freeport." "Well, I'm glad I've got company now. It was lonesome before I met you." "Same here. We'll travel a way together, eh?" The two boys had met under rather strange circumstances. Early that morning Jack Darrow, the stout one, had awakened from his sleep in a pile of hay in a farmer's field. Close to him was another youth, whose name he had inquired as soon as the owner of it awoke. Then the two boys discovered that their conditions in life were very similar. Both were orphans, about the same age, Jack being sixteen and Mark fifteen years, and neither had a place he could call home. "My folks have been dead for some years," said Jack, in telling his story to his companion. "I was hired out to a farmer in the upper part of New York, but he worked me so hard and treated me so mean that I ran away. I've been tramping ever since; don't my clothes show it? You see I was forced to go without taking my many trunks along," and he laughed, for he was of a jolly disposition. "My people are dead also," said Mark. "I had a job with a man going around the country with a traction engine, threshing wheat and oats at different farms. But he used to beat me, so, one night, I ran away." "And didn't bring any extra clothes with you, either," put in Jack. "I never owned any to bring. I only had the one suit I wore." And after that the boys had told something of their experiences and become very friendly. The two boys walked on for a while in silence, kicking up the dust of the country road. Then Jack came to a halt, clapped his hand on his pocket, and said: "I nearly forgot I had something to eat! Just think of it! And I haven't dined since yesterday! I wonder what the lady gave me. She looked good natured." He sat down on a grassy bank along the highway, pulled the package of food out, and began to eat with every indication of satisfaction. "Bread, meat, piece of pie and a piece of cake!" he announced, looking over his lunch. "What did you get, Mark?" "I got the same as you, except I didn't get any pie or cake." "I guess your lady hadn't baked this week. Never mind, you can have half my pie and half my cake." "I'm sure I'm much obliged," said the thin youth.