the
girl still leading the way.

"Here it is," she said; "I have my hand upon it." Vincent was soon
beside her, and the negress quickly joined them.

"There are no oars in the boat," Vincent said, feeling along the seat.

"Oh, I forgot! They are stowed away behind the bushes on the right; they
were taken out, so that if the Yankees found the boat it would be of no
use to them."

Dan made his way through the bushes, and soon found the oars. Then,
uniting their strength, they pushed the boat through the high rushes
that screened it from the river.

"It is afloat," Vincent said. "Now, Dan, take your place in the bow."

"I will row, Mr. Wingfield. I am a very good hand at it. So please take
your seat with Chloe in the stern."

"Dan can take one oar, anyhow," Vincent replied; "but I will let you row
instead of me. I am afraid I should make a poor hand of it with only one
arm."

The boat pushed quietly out. The river was about a hundred yards wide at
this point. They had taken but a few strokes when Vincent said:

"You must row hard, Miss Kingston, or we shall have to swim for it. The
water is coming through the seams fast."

The girl and Dan exerted themselves to the utmost; but, short as was the
passage, the boat was full almost to the gunwale before they reached the
opposite bank, the heat of the sun having caused the planks to open
during the months it had been lying ashore.

"This is a wet beginning," Lucy Kingston said, laughing, as she tried to
wring the water out of the lower part of her dress. "Here, Chloe; you
wring me and I will wring you."

"Now, Dan, get hold of that head-rope," Vincent said; "haul her up
little by little as the water runs out over the stern."

"I should not trouble about the boat, Mr. Wingfield; it is not likely we
shall ever want it again."

"I was not thinking of the boat; I was thinking of ourselves. If it
should happen to be noticed at the next bridge as it drifted down, it
would at once suggest to anyone on the lookout for us that we had
crossed the river; whereas, if we get it among the bushes here, they
will believe that we are hidden in the woods or have headed back to the
North; and we shall be a long way across the line, I hope, before they
give up searching for us in the woods on the other side."

"Yes; I didn't think of that. We will help you with the rope."

The boat was very heavy, now that it was full of water. Inch by inch it
was pulled up, until the water wa