He was able at that
time to speak English as fluently as his companions, and, but for
his dark eyes, and clear brown complexion, he might have been
mistaken for an American boy.
His popularity with his schoolfellows was instant and decided.
His good humor and lively disposition might readily account for
that, even if his position as the adopted son of a prominent
citizen had no effect. But it was understood that the doctor,
who had no near relatives, intended to treat Phil in all respects
as a son, even to leaving him his heir.
It may be asked whether the padrone gave up all efforts to
recover the young fiddler. He was too vindictive for this. Boys
had run away from him before, but none had subjected him to such
ignominious failure in the effort for their recovery. It would
have fared ill with our young hero if he had fallen again into
the hands of his unscrupulous enemy. But the padrone was not
destined to recover him. Day after day Pietro explored the
neighboring towns, but all to no purpose. He only visited the
principal towns, while Phil was in a small town, not likely to
attract the attention of his pursuers.
A week after his signal failure in Newark, the padrone inserted
an advertisement in the New York Herald, offering a reward of
twenty-five dollars for the recovery of Phil.
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