e bug juice.
It done gets me in dis trouble foh keeps, an' it ain't nebber ag'in
gwine tuh knock me down!"

"That sounds all right, Pete," remarked Phil, "if only you can keep
your word. If you got clear you could never go back to Tallahassee
again?"

"No sah, not 'less I sarve my time out. It's disaway, sah. I done got
a brudder ober near Mobile, an' I war athinkin' dat if on'y I cud get
away I'd go tuh him. Den in time he'd send foh my wife and de chillen
tuh come ober."

"Oh! then you have a family, have you? How many children, Pete?" asked
Phil.

"Seben, sah, countin' de twins as is on'y piccaninnies yet."

"Good gracious!" exclaimed Larry, who had been eagerly listening while
getting the leftover food out of the place where he had placed it.
"What a crowd! And how could they get a living all the six months
you've been in the turpentine camp, Pete?"

"Dunno, sah," replied the negro; "specks as how Nancy she dun hab tak
in de washin' ag'in. Ain't dun nothin' ob de sort dis ten yeahs; but
she kin do hit right smart, sah."

That was the last word Pete could be expected to speak for some time;
for he was busily engaged stuffing himself with the food Larry thrust
before him.

It was a singular sight, and one that Phil would doubtless often recall
with a lively sense of humor. The lantern lighted up the tent of the
motor boat, showing the emaciated black devouring the food about like a
starving wolf might be expected to act; and the three watching boys,
Phil still gripping his Marlin, Tony the hatchet, and Larry another tin
dish with more "grub."

Meanwhile Phil was wondering what they ought to do. He did not like to
break the law; but it seemed to him that in this case he would be amply
justified in assisting the runaway convict. He had surely worked long
enough to have served as atonement for his crime; and the call of those
seven little children was very loud in Phil's ears.

So he made up his mind that he would place a small amount in Pete's
hand before sending him away, besides some more food. And he might at
the same time be given a hint that if he only headed directly south
along the river, the sheriff would not be apt to follow him far, since
he dared not tempt the terrible McGee by infringing on the territory of
the squatter chieftain.

So they waited for the hungry man to eat his fill. And Pete, now that
he no longer felt the pangs of approaching starvation, looked at Phil
out of the