Quite content, he started out with his pan and did
exactly as the tinker had told him. He wandered through the long street
of La Tour, went into every house and showed his mended pan. He made
significant gestures, to make the people understand that he would like to
get more articles to mend. This he did so eagerly and earnestly that most
of the people burst out laughing, and this put them in such good humor
that they always found a pan or a kettle with a hole hi it which they
handed him to be repaired.
Thus in a short time Sami had collected as much old stuff as he was able
to carry, and could now take his pan to the house pointed out to him,
where it belonged. Then he turned back.
[Illustration: "Such stray waifs as you are not willing ta do anything."]
The tinker was very much pleased with Sami's harvest and his wife said
very kindly, if he kept on doing like that, he would get along all right,
but he must sit down at once and have some supper. The four little
children were no longer there. Sami guessed that they were lying out in
the wagon asleep. On the fire a pot was now standing. It was bubbling
merrily inside and from under the cover came forth a very inviting odor.
Sami had never been so hungry in his life before, for he had had nothing
the whole day but the rest of the piece of bread which the driver had
given him the day before in Chateau d'AEux.
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