up the job, and we all went down to supper. That evening, as I was
putting a few things into a small valise which I had bought,--as our
trunks were lost on the "Tigris," I had very little trouble in packing
up,--I said to Rectus that by the time he started off he could lay in a
new stock of clothes. I had made out our accounts, and had his money
ready to hand over to him, but I knew that his father had arranged for
him to draw on a Savannah bank, both for the tug-boat money and for
money for himself. I think that Mr. Colbert would have authorized me to
do this drawing, if Rectus had not taken the matter into his own hands
when he telegraphed. But it didn't matter, and there wasn't any tug-boat
money to pay, any way, for Uncle Chipperton paid that. He said it had
all been done for his daughter, and he put his foot down hard, and
wouldn't let Rectus hand over a cent.

"I wont have any more time than you will have," replied Rectus, "for I'm
going to-morrow."

"I didn't suppose they'd start so soon," I said "I'm sure there's no
need of any hurry."

"I'm not going with them," said Rectus, putting a lonely shirt into a
trunk that he had bought. "I'm going home with you."

I was so surprised at this that I just stared at him.

"What do you mean?" said I.

"Mean?" said he. "Why, just what I say. Do you suppose I'd go off with
them, and let you straggle up home by yourself? Not any for me, thank
you. And besides, I thought you were to take charge of me. How would you
look going back and saying you'd turned me over to another party?"

[Illustration: "YOU'RE A REGULAR YOUNG TRUMP."]

"You thought I was to take charge of you, did you?" I cried. "Well,
you're a long time saying so. You never admitted that before."

"I had better sense than that," said Rectus, with a grin. "But I don't
mind saying so now, as we're pretty near through with our travels. But
father told me expressly that I was to consider myself in your charge."

"You young rascal!" said I. "And he thought that you understood it so
well that there was no need of saying much to me about it. All that he
said expressly to me was about taking care of your money. But I tell you
what it is, Rectus, you're a regular young trump to give up that trip,
and go along with me."

And I gave him a good slap on the back.

He winced at this, and let drive a pillow at me, so hard that it nearly
knocked me over a chair.

The next morning, after an early breakfast, we went