“No, I didn’t deliver the groceries,” he flashed back.  “I had to leave the basket at the police station when they took me to court, and after the judge told me I could go, I didn’t want to go back to the place for it.”

“But there were three dollars worth of groceries in it,” wailed his guardian, wringing his hands.  “Here, just because you didn’t mind what I told you about stopping to play on the way when you are delivering orders, you get arrested and leave me here alone for almost four hours, without any one to deliver goods, and my customers all complaining because they don’t get their orders.  And as though that weren’t enough, you deliberately abandon three dollars’ worth of groceries.  But you’ll pay for them, young man!  You’ll pay for them!  Never fear.  I shall take the two dollars you would have had coming to you to-night in part payment, and then one dollar from your wages next Saturday night.”

For an instant, Bob was tempted to produce the five dollars the kindly magistrate had given him and pay for the groceries then and there.  But there swept through his mind an idea fascinating in its boldness.

As he stood contemplating the thought which had occurred to him, his guardian snarled: 

“Don’t stand there like a gawk!  You’ve delayed my deliveries long enough.  Take those two baskets,” and he pointed to two bulging packages resting on the counter, “and deliver them.  On your way back, as you will pass the police station, you can stop in and get the basket you left.  But I’ll make you pay for the groceries just the same.  It will be a good lesson for you.”

If anything were needed to determine Bob to put his idea into action, it was this command to go to the station, and he exclaimed: 

“I won’t go there to get your old basket!  I won’t pay for the groceries, and I won’t deliver your old orders!  I am going to leave you.  I won’t work for you another minute,” and without giving his amazed guardian time to say anything, Bob darted away to the room at the back of the store, in which he had been accustomed to sleep.

The plan he had decided upon was to get his ten dollars and enough more of the money his father had left him to pay his fare to some town in Oklahoma, where he could begin his long-dreamed-of life on a ranch.  He would not be bothered with the packing of any clothes, for his guardian had never allowed him any extra clothing, and he had nothing but the suit upon his back; but he did have his money, and two letters which he had hidden under a board in the floor that he had fixed so that he could take it up and put it back whenever he wished.

In the fear that his guardian might follow him to the room and discover him as he was procuring his money, Bob worked with feverish haste to lift the board, and so excited was he that it seemed as though he could never raise it.  But at last he did so, secured possession of his treasures, and then put the board back, just as the grocer called to him from the doorway: