the pesky rascal, though! Wot be yeou
boys a-goin' tew do neow?"

"We want to get another boat, if possible, and follow him. Do
you know where a boat can be had?"

"Yes; Ike Welby has a boat. His farm is the next one down from
mine. I'll go along. I want to catch him ez much as yeou do."

In a few minutes they were off in a body, all of the boys accompanying
the farmer to the next farm. Ike Welby was not at home, but his
wife said they could have the boat and welcome, and procured for
them two pairs of oars from the barn.

"I am glad that negro didn't come here," she declared. "I should
have fainted dead away, too, and he would have gotten everything
in the house. I trust you catch the rascal."

"We be a-goin' to try mighty hard," answered Simon Lundy.

There was a small boathouse at the end of the grounds and here
was a good round-bottomed boat built for speed as well as pleasure,
for in his younger days Ike Welby had been quite an oarsman and
had won more than one race. They ran the rowboat into the river,
and all jumped in. Then Snap shoved off, and all of the boys
got at the oars.

"Now, then, to make things hum!" said Shep. "We must try to spot
that nigger before he thinks of going ashore."

CHAPTER V

ANOTHER START

The four young hunters were used to rowing together, so they made
rapid progress when once they had caught the stroke. Simon Lundy
sat in the stern of the craft, gazing anxiously ahead.

"The wuss o' it is he's got sech a tarnal good start of us," remarked
the farmer. "He must be a mile away by this time."

"Never mind, we'll catch him before long, if he sticks to the
river," said Snap, confidently.

"Wisht I had brung a gun along."

"Yes, that would have been a good thing," was Shep's comment.
"And that reminds me," he added to his chums, "all of our weapons
were left in the rowboat."

"Yes; and the nigger is well supplied with guns and pistols,"
came from Whopper. "Maybe he will try to shoot us full of a million
holes when he spots us."

"Oh, deary me! Don't say thet!" groaned Simon Lundy. "I---I don't
want to be shot at, not me!"

"He won't dare to shoot!" said Giant. "We can pretend that we
are all armed, you know."

On and on sped the rowboat, making excellent progress on the
smooth-flowing river. About a mile was covered, and they swept
around first one bend and then another.

"I see a boat ahead!" roared the farmer. "She's gone now," he
added