Ned manfully took hold of one side of the heaviest piece of baggage,
and with anxious
hearts the two left the room. At the gangway the children were stopped
by the man whose duty it was to collect the tickets. He looked at the
small boys with the large valises,
curiously; but as Joe gave him the two pieces of pasteboard that
entitled them to first cabin passages, the officer could do no less
than allow them to land.

Even though they were supposed to be in Providence, they were some
distance from the
city, as they learned when they were off the pier, and Joe said:

"Now, Ned, I'm sorry to make you do it, but we've got to walk fast if
we don't want those men to catch us," and that was sufficient to induce
the boy to do his best.

But no matter how frightened a boy may be, he cannot walk very far on a
hot morning, without breakfast, more especially if he has had no supper
the night previous; and some time before they were near the city, both
Ned and Joe were obliged to rest.

As' a matter of course, they had seen nothing of the men, and with the
feeling of freedom came the question which should have been settled the
night before, - that of where they should go.

"I declare, I don't know what we will do," said Joe, in answer to Ned,
and then he chewed a piece of straw, vigorously, as if by that means he
hoped to be aided in arriving at some satisfactory conclusion. " You