t no boat," said Bob at last. "I know'd it all the time.
Pretended to throw a stone at us when there wasn't one near, only the
one we tried to cook with, flee him take hold of it and drop it again!"

"No."

"I did. Burnt his jolly old fingers, and serve him right. We never
said nothing to him. He ain't everybody."

"But let's get further away."

"Well, we're getting further away, stream's taking us down. You are a
coward."

"You were frightened too."

"No, I wasn't. I laughed at him. I'd ha' give him something if he'd
touched me."

"Then why did you run away?"

"'Cause I didn't want no bother. Here, let's find another good place,
and catch some more fish."

"It won't be safe to stop yet, Bob."

"Here, don't you talk to me, I know what I'm about. We'll row round
that next bend, and I'll show you a game then."

"Hadn't we better go on till we can buy some bread and butter?" said
Dexter; and then as he saw some cattle in a field a happy
hunger-engendered thought occurred to him,--"And perhaps we can get some
milk."

"You're allus thinking of eating and drinking," cried Bob. "All right!
We'll get some, then."

They rowed steadily on, with Dexter rapidly improving in the management
of his oar, till a farm-house was sighted near the bank; but it was on
the same side as that upon which they had had their adventure.

They were afraid to land there, so rowed on for another quarter of a
mile before another building was sighted.

This proved to be a farm, and they rowed up to a place where the cattle
came down to drink, and a plank ran out on to a couple of posts,
evidently for convenience in landing from a boat, or for dipping water.

"Here, I'll go this time," said Bob, as the boat glided up against the
posts. "No games, you know."

"What games!"

"No going off and leaving a fellow!"

"Don't be afraid," said Dexter.

"I ain't," said Bob, with a malicious grin. "Why, if a fellow was to
serve me such a trick as that I should half-kill him."

Bob landed, and as Dexter sat there in the swift-streamed Devon river
gazing at the rippling water, and the glorious green pastures and
quickly sloping hills, everything seemed to him very beautiful, and he
could not help wishing that he had a pleasanter companion and some
dinner.

Bob soon returned with a wine bottle full of milk and half a loaf, and a
great pat of butter of golden yellow, with a wonderful cow printed upon
it, the butter being wrappe