, and
looked about him as if he felt quite at his ease.

"Well, we've got two of them," said the farmer, in a tone of great
satisfaction, "and I guess we've frightened the others so badly that
they'll let us alone in future. But how is this?" he added, glancing
first at the rich man's son, and than at the ragged, bare-footed
ferry-boy. "There must have been two parties of them."

"No, there wasn't," said Xury. "We all belong to one crowd."

"What's your name?" continued the farmer, addressing himself to the
captain of the Crusoe band.

"O, now, I'm Tom--"

"Avast, there!" cried Xury, so suddenly that he startled every one in
the room. "His name is Muley, mister--that's his name."

"Muley? Muley what?"

"Muley nothin'--just Muley. That's all the name he's got. My name is
Xury, an' that's all the name I've got."

Tom was astonished at the impudence of his mate. He had been on the
point of revealing every thing, for, now that he was a prisoner, he
could not see the use of further concealment. According to his way of
thinking, the expedition had been nipped in the bud, his splendid idea
could not be carried out, and if the farmer had questioned him closely,
he would have told him all about the Crusoe men and their hiding-place.
It made no difference to Tom that he had promised to keep these things
secret. He was in trouble, and all he cared for was to get out of it.
Xury, however, was a very different sort of boy. He had promised never
to reveal any of the secrets intrusted to his keeping, he had sealed the
compact by shaking hands with his chief, and he would have endured
almost any punishment before proving himself unworthy of the confidence
of his fellows. Besides, he did not believe that the affairs of the band
were so very desperate. He knew that the governor would never desert
him, and as long as he and Tom remained on the island, there were some
hopes that those of the band who had escaped would find means to effect
their release.

"Of course I know that those are not your right names," said the farmer,
at length, "but I am not particular about that, for when I take you to
the village to-morrow, I can find out all about you. What did you intend
to do with those potatoes?"

"Eat 'em," answered Xury. "What else does a feller do with taters?"

"Have you eaten all the fruit and vegetables you have stolen during the
last week?"

"Sartin."

"Well, I'll put you where you won't steal any more to-night. Josh,