, as the craft shot behind some bushes, at a point along
the river.

The four young oarsmen increased their stroke, and soon gained
the point. Then the boat again came into full view and they could
see that it was their own craft and that the colored man was rowing
along at a good rate of speed.

"There he is!" was the cry.

"Pull, boys, pull!" called out Snap.

They did pull, and soon came closer to the craft ahead. Then
the negro chanced to look back and saw them. He was evidently
chagrined, and with out delay turned in toward shore, close to
where the trees grew thick.

"Stop!" cried Shep. "Stop, you rascal!"

But the negro paid no attention, excepting to renew his efforts
to reach the river bank. He sent the rowboat in among the bushes
with a loud swish, and hopped ashore. Then the other boat came
up.

"Stop!" roared Simon Lundy. Give me back my watch!"

"Don't yo' dar to follow me!" yelled the negro, and showed a big
horse-pistol. "If yo' do, somebody is dun gwine to git shot."

"Don't!" yelled the farmer, and fell flat in the rowboat.

The boys were also alarmed, and for the moment knew not what to
do. In that space of time the negro darted back of some trees
and was lost to view.

"Look out, boys, he'll shoot ye sure!" said Simon Lundy, in a
voice full of fear.

"He has gone," announced Snap.

"Are all of our things safe?" asked Shep, anxiously.

"We'll soon find out," put in Whopper, and leaped from one boat
into the other. All made a hasty examination and found everything
intact. Even their weapons had not been touched, for which they
were exceedingly thankful.

"He wasn't expecting us," explained Giant. "He thought he'd get
time later to go through our belongings." And the others concluded
that Giant had spoken the truth.

What to do next was a question. Simon Lundy said he did not want
to follow the negro, since the rascal was armed and evidently full
of fight.

"I'll go after him if the others will," said Shep, and the upshot
of the matter was that the four boys went on a hunt, leaving the
cowardly farmer to watch the two boats. The boys went deep into
the woods and even to the road beyond, but saw nothing of the
rascal that had disappeared.

"He will be on his guard now and keep out of sight," said Whopper.
"I'll bet he don't show himself again in two years."

"Make it ten years while you are at it, Whopper," said Snap, drily.

"Well, do you think he will show up?