as well make a clean breast of it.

"And what are you doing here on the shore of Chincoteague Bay, creeping
into a camp, and raiding our provisions?" pursued the one who held the
gun.

"'Deed, an' I done must a been a fool," sighed the prisoner; "an' dat's
no lie, tuh try an' git dem ducks like er fox, w'en I orter stepped up,
bold like, an' asked yuh foh a bite. But I was dat hungry, boss, I
jes' couldn't help it. I seen yuh put dem fowls in de little hole in
de groun', an' somethin' tempts me tuh hang 'round till dey orter be
done foh suah."

"But you haven't told us why you're here, instead of over in Pokomoke
City, where you belong, George?" went on Jack, meaning to have the
whole story.

"I'se gwine tuh tell yuh hit all, boss, 'deed I is. Den yuh kin do
what yuh want wid me, only foh de love o' misery gib me sumpin tuh eat
'fore yuh takes me down tuh Franklin City, what de sheriff is. I'se
ben hidin' out now foh nigh a month. Yuh see I done git in a muss wid
a white man, an' we had a scuffle. He done trip an' cut his haid on a
stone when he falls down; but dey declar I cut him. 'Taint nothin'
serious like, gib yuh mah word on it, boss; an' Hank he ben up an'
'round dis three weeks an' more. But dey got it in foh me ober dere,
an' I ain't gwine tuh take de chances ob gittin' kotched."

"And so you've been hiding out for a whole month, have you, George?"
Jack asked, now lowering his gun, since he realized there was no longer
any necessity for standing guard over the dejected chap, hungry, ragged
and forlorn as he seemed to be.

"Dat's jes' what I done has, sah. At fust I 'spected tuh make mah way
tuh Baltimore, 'case dar I got a brudder; but I jest cudn't go 'way,
yuh see, widout mah wife an' two chillen. So I kept right on hangin'
'round hyah, an' tryin' tuh git word tuh dem. I has a letter from
Susie jest yisterday, sayin' as how she'd jine me termorry at de
Scooter Landin', whar a boat is loadin' wid lumber foh Baltimore. An'
my Susie sez as how she got de money tuh take us all dar."

"That sounds reasonable enough, George. Now tell us why you crawled
into camp and tried to lift those roast ducks?" Jack asked, turning to
wink at his chums, who in their odd garb were gathered around,
listening and grinning.

"Jes' as I was sayin', boss; I seen yuh come in here las' night, an'
git ready tuh camp. Wanted tuh ask yuh foh sompin' tuh eat de wust
kin', but w'en I done sees de guns yuh kerry, I go