er thought of it before. But I
couldn't get my horse out of the yard without scaring the others, and so
I had to do the best I could. Now that I think of it, perhaps we had
better let the trade stand a little while longer."

"Oh, do you?" exclaimed Rodney. "You have good cheek I must say."

"It isn't cheek at all, but a desire to keep you out of trouble as long
as I can," answered Tom.

"Making me ride a horse that has been advertised all through the country
as stolen property is a good way to keep me out of trouble, isn't it
now?" said Rodney. "I never should have thought of it if you hadn't
mentioned it."

"Hold on a bit," replied Tom. "No one in this section is looking for you
now. You can take the road and keep it, and the horse you ride will not
bring you into trouble; but if that roan colt shows his nose where
anybody can see it, he'll be nabbed quicker'n a flash, and his rider
too. See? As I am a little more experienced in dodging about in the
bushes than you are, you had better let me take the risk."

"I never could look a white man in the face again if I should do that,"
answered Rodney. "Don't you know what will be done with you if you are
caught?"

"I shan't run anymore risk than you did when you helped me get out of
that corncrib," said Tom, reaching for his schoolmate's hand in the dark
and giving it a hearty squeeze. "Don't you know what would be done to
_you_ if you were caught with that roan colt in your possession? You
would be taken back to Mr. Westall's settlement, and when he saw that
you were riding the same horse you rode when you came to Cedar Bluff
landing, wouldn't he want to know where you got him? Can you think of
any answers you could give that would satisfy him? I'll trade revolvers,
if you want yours back (I know you've got one, for I heard you cock it
when I came to the door), but I really think you had better let me keep
your horse a little while longer. I hear somebody coming," he added,
stepping to the nearest crack and looking out. "It's Merrick. I can see
his white shirt."

A moment later the owner of the stable came in, and was not a little
surprised when he heard himself addressed by the boy whom he supposed to
be snugly hidden in the deepest and darkest nook of the swamp. Tom told
him why he had come back instead of keeping out of sight, and asked what
had become of the squad of men he saw riding along the road a while
before.

"They kept on as far as I could hear 'em," r