ght as you think fur. Do you see these poles?" he
added, lifting the sapling upon which he had been at work when the
governor came in sight; "well, when we get the branches all off, we're
goin' to make a bridge with 'em."

"Not much you aint; we've got something to say about that. Now, I'll
give you five minutes to make up your minds whether or not you will come
back into the band, an' behave yourselves like men had oughter do, or be
delivered up to that farmer, who will take you before 'Squire Thompson,
an' have you put in jail fur robbin' his potato-patch. Let's hear from
you. I am listenin' with all the ears I've got."

The actions of the two mutineers afforded abundant proof that Xury knew
their weak side when he suggested that the chief should threaten them
with the law. The name of 'Squire Thompson was a terror to evil-doers
about the village, and Atkins and his companion were very much afraid
of him. They looked at each other, doubtfully, and held a council of
war; while Sam employed the interval in consulting with his men, and
trying to decide upon some plan to capture the mutineers, should the
result of their consultation be unfavorable to him.

"We aint comin' back into the band," said Atkins, at length, "an' we
aint goin' to the village as prisoners, neither. We're goin' to fight it
out."

"All right," replied the governor, indifferently. "If you remember what
the book says, you know that Will Atkins never made any thing by kicking
up a fuss on Robinson's island, an' you will come out of the little end
of the horn, just as he did. Look out for yourselves over there, now.
Come with me, fellers."

The governor and his men moved up the cliffs, until a bend in the path
concealed them from the view of the mutineers. They were gone so long
that Atkins and his companion began to wonder what had become of them;
but at the end of a quarter of an hour, Sam had completed his
arrangements for an attack upon the stronghold of the rebels, and
presently Friday appeared with a rope tied around his waist, and began
to ascend a tree that leaned over the chasm.

"Hold on, there!" exclaimed Atkins, suddenly starting up from behind the
breastwork. "You think you're smart, an' mebbe you are; but you can't
put that bridge up under our very eyes. We've got a whole pile of rocks
here, an' if you don't come down out of that tree to onct, we'll fire on
you. Jerusalem! What's that?"

Just as the mutineer had finished threatening