d down the stream and saw the brothers
twenty rods away in their boat, Bert tugging at the oars as if his
life depended on his exertions. The danger of discovery was over for
the present, but how were Dan and his father to leave the island now
without swimming? Don had taken his canoe away with him.

"If I could have my way with them two fellers they'd never trouble
nobody else," exclaimed Godfrey, shaking his fist at the departing
boat. "Whar be I goin' to hide now, I'd like to know?"

"Stay here," replied Dan, "an' if they come back to pester you, growl
'em off 'n the island like you done this time."

"An' git a bullet into me fur my pains?" returned his father. "No,
sar. Don'll be up here agin in the mornin', sartin, an' he'll have
his rifle with him, too; but I won't be here to stand afore it, kase
I've seed him shoot too ofter. He kin jest beat the hind sights off'n
you, any day in the week."

"Whoop!" cried Dan, jumping up and knocking his heels together.

"I don't see what bring them two oneasy chaps up here, nohow," said
Godfrey, taking no notice of the boy's threatening attitude. "I never
knowed them or anybody else to come up the bayou in a small boat
afore, 'ceptin' when that bar was killed here. That was an amazin'
smart trick of mine, Dannie. Howsomever, we hain't got no more time
to talk. I'm goin' to give you five dollars, Dannie, an' I want you
to go to the landin' an' spend it fur me. Get me a pair of
shoes--number 'levens, you know--an' two pair stockin's, an' spend
the heft of the rest fur tobacker. Then when it comes dark, I want
you to get that canoe agin, an' bring it up here with the things you
buy at the store."

"How am I goin' to git the canoe?"

"Take it an' welcome, like I did."

Dan shrugged his shoulders, and his father, believing from the
expression on his face that he was about to refuse to undertake the
task, made haste to add:--

"An' when you come, Dannie, I'll tell you how we're goin' to work it
to git them hundred and fifty dollars that Dave's goin' to 'arn by
trappin' them birds fur that feller up North. I have a right to it,
kase I'm his pap: an' when I get it, I'll give you half--that is, if
you do right by me while I'm hidin' here. I'll give you half that
bar'l, too, when we find it. Then you kin have your circus hoss an'
all your other nice things, can't you?" added Godfrey, playfully
poking his son in the ribs.

Dan's face relaxed a little, but his father's affecte