rk Farrington for their return."

"All right," said Bemis. "Come ahead."

They took up the satchels and started on again, and Ralph followed
them as before. They came to a creek, and, after lining its shore for
nearly a mile, to a large roughly-made scow. Both boarded the craft,
disappeared in its hold, reappeared, and came to the shore again.

"We'll just enjoy the ready cash for the time being," said Slump, "and
later find out a safe way to deal with Farrington."

When they had gone, Ralph went aboard the scow. A scuttle led down
into its hold. Its cover was closed with a strong spring bolt. Ralph
drew this back and sat over the edge of the scuttle.

He peered down, prepared to push the cover clear back, when he slipped
and went below head-long. The cover fell tightly shut, and he was a
prisoner.

Ralph did not mind this much at the time. He believed he could readily
force up the cover in some way when he wanted to leave the scow. He
lit some matches and proceeded to search for the two satchels. He
found them in a remote corner of the hold.

It was when he prepared to leave the hold that the young fireman
discovered himself in a decided quandary. He could barely reach the
scuttle cover, and there was not an object in the hold that he could
use to force it open. Finally Ralph decided that he could not hope for
escape in that direction.

There was a little window at one end of the scow, but it was too small
to escape by. Ralph was compelled to accept the situation, at least
until daylight. He tried to sleep, and at dawn looked out from the
window.

"I will simply have to wait here until some one passes by," he told
himself. "In the meantime, though, Slump and Bemis may return. Can I
reach the rope holding the scow to the shore?"

This was secured around a tree stump. Ralph reached with his pocket
knife through the window, and began cutting at the scow end of the
rope, which ran just above it.

In a few minutes the strands gave way and the scow floated down the
creek.

CHAPTER XXI

A FRIEND IN NEED

There was a sluggish current to the creek and as soon as the scow got
into midstream, it proceeded steadily on its voyage.

"This is better than staying at the old mooring place," reasoned
Ralph. "Of course, Slump and Bemis will return there and search for
the scow. Before they do, I hope I will have drifted past some house
or settlement where I can call out for assistance."

Ralph, however, was