ungry, and the idea was strong in his mind that the
man would steal down upon them when he was not expected. This thought
completely drove away all drowsiness, though it did not affect his
companion in the slightest degree.

The next thing ought to have been to get some food, but there was no
likely place within view, and though several boats and a barge or two
passed, the fear of being questioned kept the watcher from hailing them,
and asking where he could get some bread and milk.

The hours glided slowly by, but there was no sign of the shabby little
boat. The tide ran up swiftly, and the gig swung easily from its chain;
and as Dexter sat there, hungry and lonely, he could not keep his
thoughts at times from the doctor's comfortable house.

Towards evening the socks and boots were so dry that Dexter replaced
them, looking down the while rather ruefully at his mud-stained
trousers. He rubbed them and scratched the patches with his nails; but
the result was not satisfactory, and once more he sat gazing up the
river in expectation of seeing their enemy come round the bend.

It was getting late, and the tide had turned, as Dexter knew at once by
the way in which the boat had swung round with its bows now pointing
up-stream. And now seemed the time when the man might appear once more
in pursuit.

The thought impressed him so that he leaned over and shook Bob, who sat
up and stared wonderingly about.

"Hallo!" he said. "What time is it!"

"I don't know, but the tide has turned, and that man may come after us
again."

"Nay, he won't come any more," said Bob confidently. "Let's go and get
something to eat."

It was a welcome proposal, and the boat being unmoored, Dexter took one
of the sculls, and as they rowed slowly down with the tide he kept his
eyes busy watching for the coming danger, but it did not appear.

Bob went ashore at a place that looked like a ferry, where there was a
little public-house, and this time returned with a small loaf, a piece
of boiled bacon, and a bottle of cider.

"I'd ha' brought the bacon raw, and we'd ha' cooked it over a fire,"
said Bob, "only there don't seem to be no wood down here, and there's
such lots of houses."

Dexter did not feel troubled about the way in which the bacon was
prepared, but sat in the boat, as it drifted with the tide, and ate his
portion ravenously, but did not find the sour cider to his taste.

By the time they had finished, it was growing dark,