r-house of it, to come to
when I'm shooting."

"Eh! What a summer-house?"

"That will be."

"No; dat hut; massa say dat hut."

"But we'll make it into a summer-house."

Pomp shook his head and looked puzzled.

"Pomp find de hut, and Massa George say um summer-house. 'Pose um find
de boat 'ticking in tree, dat be summer-house too?"

"No, no, you old stupid," I cried. "But, I say, Pomp," I continued, as
the thought occurred to me that this might be possible, and that the
boat had not gone down the stream to the river, and from thence out to
sea.

"What Mass' George say?" cried the boy, for I had stopped to think.

"Wait a minute," I cried. Then, after a few moments' thought--

"Why, yes, it is possible; the flood came from the big river, up ours,
and the boat must be somewhere in the forest after all."

Pomp shook his head.

"Done know what um mean," he said.

"I mean that perhaps our boat was washed up somewhere."

"Iss, Pomp wash um up two-tree-day 'fore took away wif de mop."

"I mean the flood carried the boat up into the forest among the trees,
like it did the hut."

"Mass' George fink so?"

"Yes."

"Come 'long find um."

Willingly enough I started with the boy, but stopped directly, for I
remembered that Hannibal had come running up to announce the loss of the
boat, and that he might have some recollection of the direction in which
it was carried.

"Let's ask your father," I said; and we went to where he was in the
garden.

To my great delight, his description tallied with my idea. The boat had
been carried up stream, and full of eagerness we set out, but it was too
late to do much that day, and we soon returned, after planning to start
at daybreak the next morning, Pomp having undertaken to awaken me, while
I arranged with Sarah for a basketful of provisions, so that we might be
able to spend a good long day.

In the course of the evening I related the finding of the hut to my
father, and my hope that the boat might be discovered too, but he shook
his head.

"Extremely doubtful, my boy. But wait a bit and then go and search,
though, if you like; and even if you do not find it, you will have a
glorious ramble along the river-bank."

"Will you come too, father?" I said.

"I should like to, but I have promised for several days to go over to
the settlement to meet the General and Colonel Preston. Take Morgan or
Hannibal with you, if you like."

"Oh no, father," I said, "Pomp