K'S PRISONER

XXXI. RADCLIFF

XXXII. AN IMPORTANT EVENT

XXXIII. MRS. WIGGETT'S "NOON-MARK"

XXXIV. THE STRANGE CLOUD

XXXV. PEAKSLOW IN A TIGHT PLACE.--CECIE

XXXVI. "ON THE WAR TRAIL"

XXXVII. THE MYSTERY OF A PAIR OF BREECHES

XXXVIII. THE MORNING AFTER

XXXIX. FOLLOWING UP THE MYSTERY

XL. PEAKSLOW'S HOUSE-RAISING

XLI. CONCLUSION

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

SETTING THE STAKES

JACK AND THE STRANGE YOUTH

UP-HILL WORK

"LORD BETTERSON"

TOO OBLIGING BY HALF

LINK DOESN'T CARE TO BE KISSED

SHOT ON THE WING

THE AMIABLE MR. PEAKSLOW

VINNIE'S STRATAGEM

LINK'S WOOD-PILE

HOW THE BOYS WENT TO THE RIVER FOR WATER

TESTING THE LEVEL

OLD WIGGETT

"STOP, OR I'LL SHOOT!"

RETURNING IN TRIUMPH

THE END OF THE CHASE

JACK AND HIS JOLLY PRISONER

THE TORNADO COMING

PEAKSLOW REAPPEARS

FOLLOWING THE WAR TRAIL UNDER DIFFICULTIES

THE WATER QUESTION SETTLED

THE YOUNG SURVEYOR.

CHAPTER I.

"NOTHING BUT A BOY."

[Illustration]

A young fellow in a light buggy, with a big black dog sitting composedly
beside him, enjoying the ride, drove up, one summer afternoon, to the
door of a log-house, in one of the early settlements of Northern
Illinois.

A woman with lank features, in a soiled gown trailing its rags about her
bare feet, came and stood in the doorway and stared at him.

"Does Mr. Wiggett live here?" he inquired.

"Wal, I reckon," said the woman, "'f he ain't dead or skedaddled of a
suddent."

"Is he at home?"

"Wal, I reckon."

"Can I see him?"

"I dunno noth'n' to hender. Yer, Sal! run up in the burnt lot and fetch
your pap. Tell him a stranger. You've druv a good piece," the woman
added, glancing at the buggy-wheels and the horse's white feet, stained
with black prairie soil.

"I've driven over from North Mills," replied the young fellow, regarding
her pleasantly, with bright, honest features, from under the shade of
his hat-brim.

"I 'lowed as much. Alight and come into the house. Old man'll be yer in
a minute."

He declined the invitation to enter; but, to rest his limbs, leaped down
from the buggy. Thereupon the dog rose from his seat on the
wagon-bottom, jumped down after him, and shook himself.

"All creation!" said the woman, "what a pup that ar is! Yer, you young
uns! Put back into the house, and hide under the bed, or he'll eat ye up
like ye was so much cl'ar soap-grease!"

At that