"Yes; I am very anxious to find the boy."
"Come here," said Albert. "Perhaps I can put you on his track. No, not you!" This last was addressed to Oscar.
"Now," went on Albert, "can I depend on your being a friend of Philip?"
"Yes, you can. The boy will be in good hands when he reaches New York."
"He isn"t now," said Albert. "I helped him escape from old Sprague"s last night. I can get him for you."
"Do so then."
"You are sure Sprague won"t beat him?"
"Yes; I am to pay him some money, and I won"t do it if any harm comes to the boy."
"Go back with Oscar," said Albert aloud, "and I will have Philip at the house inside of half an hour."
"Where is he?" asked Oscar curiously.
"I don"t know--exactly, but I can find him."
"Is he at your house?"
"No. Go back and you will soon see him."
Nahum Sprague was much pleased when the two boys brought home this intelligence. He had prepared a bill for expenses amounting to a hundred dollars, on which his profit would be considerable. Money with him was all powerful, and though he would have been glad to give Philip a good thrashing, he cared still more for money.
When Philip made his appearance, accompanied by Albert and Arthur Burks, Mr. Sprague greeted him with a genial smile.
"I am almost tempted to call you a bad boy," he said. "You have made me feel quite anxious. This young gentleman has come here to take you to New York. We shall miss you sadly, Mrs. Sprague and I, but if it is for your good we won"t complain."
"Are you willing to go with me, Philip?" asked Mark.
Philip looked up in Mark"s face, and did not hesitate a moment.
"Yes," he said, placing his hand in Mark"s; "I am ready to go now."
"I don"t know whether your clothes are ready," said Mr. Sprague. "They may need washing."
Poor Philip"s appearance was such that Mark felt that he would at once have to buy him a new outfit.
"Never mind about the clothes, Mr. Sprague," he said. "I shall buy Philip some new ones."
When they were preparing to start Mr. Sprague ostentatiously wiped his eyes on a large bandana handkerchief.
"Pardon my emotion, Mr. Mason," he said, addressing Mark, "but Philip is very near and dear to me, and so was his father. I cannot part from him without a pang. Yet if he is to be better off I will not murmur. Philip, my dear child, don"t forget your uncle Nahum."
"I shall remember you, Mr. Sprague," said Philip. This at least he could say with truth.
"Thank you, thank you! I thought you would."
"I say, kid," put in Oscar, "my birthday comes the 17th of October. If you"re rich and prosperous, you might send me a birthday gift."
Philip smiled. All this unwonted attention amused him.
"I won"t forget you, Oscar," he said.
The buggy drove up, and Mark helped Philip inside.
"If you want to cry, don"t mind me," he said to Philip with a smile.
"If I cry, it will be for joy," said Philip. "I never want to see Mr.
Sprague or any of his family again."
CHAPTER x.x.xIV.
ON THE WAY HOME.
AT San Francisco Mark stopped over a day to buy some clothing for Philip.
"Did Mr. Sprague select your clothes, Philip?" asked Mark. "If so, I can"t compliment him on his taste."
"They are some old clothes of Oscar"s," answered Philip. "They are the best I could get."
"We"ll see if San Francisco can"t furnish you with something better."
At a clothing store on Market Street, Mark bought a complete outfit for Philip. The latter was much pleased when he saw his transformation in a pier gla.s.s in the store.
"Now I shall have nothing to remind me of Mr. Sprague," he said. "Do you want me to take the old clothes with me?"
"No; we will leave them here."
They stopped at the Russ House. Just after supper Mark met an old acquaintance, the bronzed miner whom he had seen in Omaha. The latter walked up eagerly and grasped Mark"s hand.
"It does me good to see you again, young pard," he said. "And is this the kid?"
"Yes."
"Well, upon my word he looks like a little gentleman."
"He has improved in appearance since I made his acquaintance in Gulchville," said Mark with a smile. "I have just bought him a new outfit."
"So, so! Well, fine feathers make fine birds. Well, my boy, does Mark make you call him father?"