likely to be there yet?" he asked.

"It's gone, long ago," said I; "and I'm afraid Rectus has lost his way,
either going there or coming back."

I said this as much to myself as to my companion, for I had walked back
a little to look up the path. I could not see far, for it was growing
dark. I was terribly worried about Rectus, and would have gone to look
for him, but I was afraid that if I left Mr. Chipperton he would go off
with the boat.

Directly Mr. Chipperton set up a yell.

"Hi! hi! hi!" he cried.

I ran down to the pier, and saw a row-boat approaching.

"Hi!" cried Mr. Chipperton. "Come this way! Come here! Boat ahoy!"

"We're coming!" shouted a man from the boat. "Ye needn't holler for us."

And in a few more strokes the boat touched land. There were two men in
it.

"Did you come for me?" cried Mr. Chipperton.

"No," said the man who had spoken. "We came for this other party, but I
reckon you can come along."

"For me?" said I. "Who sent you?"

"Your pardner," said the man. "He came over in a flat-boat, and he said
you was stuck here, for somebody had stole your boat, and so he sent us
for you."

"And he's over there, is he?" said I.

"Yes, he's all right, eatin' his supper, I reckon. But isn't this here
your boat?"

"Yes, it is," I said, "and I'm going home in it. You can take the other
man."

And, without saying another word, I picked up my oars, which I had
brought from the bushes, jumped into my boat, and pushed off.

"I reckon you're a little riled, aint ye?" said the man; but I made him
no answer, and left him to explain to Mr. Chipperton his remark about
stealing the boat. They set off soon after me, and we had a race down
the creek. I _was_ "a little riled," and I pulled so hard that the other
boat did not catch up to me until we got out into the river. Then it
passed me, but it didn't get to town much before I did.

The first person I met on the pier was Rectus. He had had his supper,
and had come down to watch for me. I was so angry that I would not speak
to him. He kept by my side, though, as I walked up to the house,
excusing himself for going off and leaving me.

"You see, it wasn't any use for me to take that long walk back there to
the creek. I told the men of the fix we were in, and they said they'd
send somebody for us, but they thought I'd better come along with them,
as I was there."

I had a great mind to say something here, but I didn't.

"It wouldn't have done