noon
He was n't for being like any of the others , and he swore he 'd weed me out the first thing he did . He made a plan to send me down the State to a man he said he knew who needed a boy . He was n't for remembering to tell that man that I was a hand short , and he knocked me down the minute he found I was the boy who had been sent him . Between noon and that evening , he and his son close my age had me in pretty much the same shape in which I was found in the beginning , so I lay awake that night and ran away . I 'd like to have squared me account with that boy before I left , but I did n't dare for fear of waking the old man , and I knew I could n't handle the two of them ; but I 'm hoping to meet him alone some day before I die . '' McLean tugged at his mustache to hide the smile on his lips , but he liked the boy all the better for this confession . `` I did n't even have to steal clothes to get rid of starting in me Home ones , '' Freckles continued , `` for they had already taken all me clean , neat things for the boy and put me into his rags , and that went almost as sore as the beatings , for where I was we were always kept tidy and sweet-smelling , anyway .