r been
let to git on there ag'in. I've been away, or I'd heard of it before. Is
he off?"

"Not yet," replied Preston, smiling secretly.

"I wanter know why not? I won't have him snoopin' around there. It was
understood when I sold Tingley that island that I reserved sartain
rights----"

"This here is Mis' Tingley," interposed Preston, turning the old man's
attention to the lady.

He was a brown, wrinkled old man, with sparse pepper-and-salt whiskers and
a parrot-like nose. "Sharper" was written all over his hatchet features;
but probably his provincialism and lack of book education had kept him
from being a very dangerous villain.

"I wanter know!" exclaimed Rufus. "So you're Tingley's lady? Wal! do you
take charge here?"

"Oh, no," laughed Mrs. Tingley. "My husband will be up here Christmas
morning."

"Goin' to have Preston send that boy back to the mainland?"

"Oh, no, I shall not interfere. Mr. Tingley will attend to it when he
comes. I think that would be best."

"Nothin' of the kind!" cried Blent, his little eyes snapping. "That boy's
got no business over there--snooping round."

"What are you afraid of, Rufus? What do you think he'll find?" queried
Preston, who was evidently not above aggravating the old fellow.

"Never you mind! Never you mind!" croaked Blent. "If you folks won't
discharge him and put him off the island, I'll do it, myself."

"How can you, Mr. Blent?" asked Mrs. Tingley, feeling some disposition to
cross swords with him.

"Never you mind. I'll do it. Goin' back to-day, of course, Preston; ain't
you?"

"I'm hoping to get this crowd of young folk--and Mrs. Tingley--across to
the island. And I think the snow is going to stop soon."

"I'll go with you," declared Blent, promptly. "Don't you go till I see you
again, Preston. I gotter ketch 'Squire Keller fust."

He hurried out of the inn. Mrs. Tingley and Ruth looked at the foreman
questioningly. The girl cried:

"Oh! what will he do?"

"He's going to get a warrant for the boy," answered Preston, scowling.

"How can he? What has Jerry done?"

"That don't make no difference," said the woodsman. "Old Rufus just about
runs the politics of this town. Keller will do what he says. Rufus will
get the boy off the island by foul means if he can't by fair."

CHAPTER XIII

FIGHTING FIRE WITH FIRE

Ruth felt her heart swell in anger against Rufus Blent, the Logwood real
estate man. If she had not been determined before to aid