ut seventeen years old. At the time of his
introduction to the reader they had been in the village about a week.
Charles, by his haughty, overbearing manner, had already driven away
from him the most sensible of the village boys who had become
acquainted with him; but there are those every-where who seem, by some
strange fatality, to choose the most unworthy of their acquaintances
for their associates; and there were several boys in Lawrence who
looked upon Charles as a first-rate fellow and a very desirable
companion.

George and Harry, although they had frequently seen the "new-comer,"
had not had an opportunity to get acquainted with him; and Frank who,
as we have said, lived in the outskirts of the village, and who had
been very busy at work for the last week on his boat, had not seen him
at all.

"What sort of a boy is he?" inquired the latter, continuing the
conversation which we have so unceremoniously broken off.

"I don't know," replied Harry. "Some of the boys like him, but Ben.
Lake says he's the biggest rascal in the village. He's got two or
three guns, half a dozen fish-poles, and, by what I hear the boys
say, he must be a capital sportsman. But he tells the most ridiculous
stories about what he has done."

By this time Charles had almost reached them, and, when he came
alongside, he rested on his oars and called out,

"Well, boys, how many fish have you caught?"

"So many," answered George, holding up the string, which contained
over a hundred perch and black-bass. "Have you caught any thing?"

"Not much to brag of," answered Charles; "I hooked up a few little
perch just behind the point. But that is a tip-top string of yours."

"Yes, pretty fair," answered Harry. "You see we know where to go."

"That does make some difference," said Charles. "But as soon as I know
the good places, I'll show you how to catch fish."

"We will show you the good fishing-grounds any time," said George.

"Oh, I don't want any of your help. I can tell by the looks of a place
whether there are any fish to be caught or not. But you ought to see
the fishing-grounds we have in New York," he continued. "Why, many a
time I've caught three hundred in less than half an hour, and some of
them would weigh ten pounds."

"Did you catch them with a hook and line?" inquired George.

"Of course I did! What else should I catch them with? I should like to
see one of you trying to handle a ten or fifteen-pound fish with
nothing bu