"Of course that's perfectly ridiculous," said Ham, angrily.

"I'm tired of this jaw," added Captain Fishley, in disgust. "Buck, come
round here."

"I know what you want, and I think I won't do it," I replied, leaving
the store.

"Ham, go over to Stevens's, and tell him I want to see him," said my
tyrant, coming to the door.

Stevens was a constable. I was not anxious to see him. I went to the
barn, and by a roundabout way reached the swamp. I need hardly say that
I was in great excitement and alarm. The constable was to be put upon my
track; but I was not at all afraid that he would find me in the swamp,
which for nearly half a mile had three feet of water on the ground. He
could not reach me at the raft without a boat.

I went to work upon the interior of the house, put up a partition to
divide Flora's room from the rest of the space, and built a bunk in her
apartment. I had already rigged a steering oar, and at one end of the
raft I had set up a mast, on which I intended to spread a square-sail
for use when the wind was favorable. I worked very hard all the
afternoon, and kept Sim as busy as I was myself in sawing boards of the
right length for the work.

The raft was in condition to go down the river, though it was not yet
finished. I was ready to start that very night, if necessary. I was
confident that I was to be persecuted, if not prosecuted, for robbing
the mail. As long as I could not explain where I obtained the money
which Ham had unfortunately seen, I was not able to clear myself of the
suspicion. Before I left the swamp, I concealed all my money, but a few
dollars, in the hollow of a tree.

I was not afraid of the constable. I determined to go back to the house,
and trust to my wits for safety. I went into the kitchen as usual, where
Captain Fishley and his wife were just sitting down to supper.

"Where have you been all the afternoon?" asked he, in a milder tone than
I expected to hear him use.

"Keeping out of the way of the constable," I replied.

"I don't want to call the constable for you, but I shall if you don't
give up the money," added Captain Fishley.

"I haven't got it. What I said about Ham was the truth."

"The wicked wretch!" gasped Mrs. Fishley. "Why don't you send for the
constable?"

Poor Flora had heard the story about me, and she trembled with
apprehension. How I pitied her!

"I will hand him over to Stevens to-morrow, if he don't give up the
money before that time,"