He accordingly started on a brisk run, the other boys joining in his flight.

The man, who happened to witness the theft from the back part of the cellar, soon saw that pursuit would be useless, and contented himself with shaking his fist, and uttering some anathemas which were inaudible to those for whom they were intended.
"That was a pretty narrow escape, was n't it ?" said Joseph, after they had got a safe distance from the man.
"It was so," replied Alfred; "and it was lucky for you that he did n't catch you." "Why, what do you suppose he would have done ?" "He would have taken you up for stealing, I guess, for he looked mad enough to do anything," said Alfred.
"Stealing?
Pooh, a man must be a fool to make such a fuss about a cent's-worth of nuts," replied Joseph.
"I knew a boy," said Oscar, "who stole a cake of maple sugar from one of these stands, and his father had to pay two or three dollars to get him out of the scrape." "I would n't have done it," said Joseph; "I 'd have gone to jail first--that 's just my pluck." "But the boy did n't do it--it was his father that paid the money," added Oscar.
"O, then, I suppose the boy was n't to blame," said Joseph, with all seriousness; as though he really believed that somebody was to blame, not for stealing the maple sugar, but for satisfying the man who had been injured by the theft.
They were now upon one of the bridges which cross Charles River, and connect the cities of Boston and Charlestown.

After passing half-way over, they stopped a few minutes to gaze at the scene spread out around them.

Oscar and Alfred pointed out to the strangers the various objects of interest, and they then continued their walk without interruption until they reached the Monument grounds, on Bunker Hill.
After examining the noble granite shaft which commemorates the first great battle of the American Revolution, they threw themselves down upon the grass, to contemplate at their leisure the fine panorama which this hill affords on a clear day.
After lingering half an hour around the Monument, they turned their steps towards the Navy-Yard.

On reaching it, they found a soldier slowly pacing back and forth, in front of the gate-way; but he made no objection to their entering.