I don\'t know if you are acquainted with Tom McGinnis. Everybody knows his father, for he\'s been in Congress, though he is a poor man, and sells hay and potatoes, and I heard father say that Mr. McGinnis is the most remarkable man in the country. Well, Tom is Mr. McGinnis\'s boy, and he\'s about my age, and thinks he\'s tremendously smart; and I used to think so too, but now I don\'t think quite so much of him. He and I went away to be pirates the other day, and I found out that he will never do for a pirate.

You see, we had both got into difficulties. It wasn\'t my fault, I am sure, but it\'s such a painful subject that I won\'t describe it. I will merely say that after it was all over, I went to see Tom to tell him that it was no use to put shingles under your coat, for how is that going to do your legs any good, and I tried it because Tom advised me to. I found that he had just had a painful scene with his father on account of apples; and I must say it served him right, for he had no business to touch them without permission. So I said, "Look here, Tom, what\'s the use of[Pg 108] our staying at home and being laid onto with switches and our best actions misunderstood and our noblest and holiest emotions held up to ridicule?" That\'s what I heard a young man say to Sue one day, but it was so beautiful that I said it to Tom myself.

"Oh, go \'way," said Tom.

"That\'s what I say," said I. "Let\'s go away and be pirates. There\'s a brook that runs through Deacon Sammis\'s woods, and it stands to reason that it must run into the Spanish Main, where all the pirates are. Let\'s run away, and chop down a tree, and make a canoe, and sail down the brook till we get to the Spanish Main, and then we can capture a schooner, and be regular pirates."

"Hurrah!" says Tom. "We\'ll do it. Let\'s run away to-night. I\'ll take father\'s hatchet, and the carving-knife, and some provisions, and meet you back of our barn at ten o\'clock."

"I\'ll be there," said I. "Only, if we\'re going to be pirates, let\'s be strictly honest. Don\'t take anything belonging to your father. I\'ve got a hatchet, and a silver knife with my name on it, and I\'ll save my supper and take it with me."

So that night I watched my chance, and dropped my supper into my handkerchief, and stuffed it into my pocket. When ten o\'clock came, I tied up my clothes in a[Pg 109] bundle, and took my hatchet and the silver knife and some matches, and slipped out the back door, and met Tom. He had nothing with him but his supper and............