with me,
my boy. Your father will have cause to feel proud of you when I tell
him how you've acquitted yourself."

"Don't forget Jimmie Brannagan, Mr. Gregory," said Jack. "He had as
much to do with it as I did. Now, don't you say a single word against
that, Jimmie, do you hear? And, Mr. Gregory, since you've got back
everything, please go as easy as you can with these fellows. They're
hardly more than boys, you see, and perhaps one more chance might be
the making of either of them."

"That speaks well for your heart, Jack, although I'm afraid you're
mistaken in the matter. But I promise you to get as light a sentence
as I can for them. I ought to feel in a forgiving mood, for a terrible
load has been taken off my mind this day, thanks to you boys."

"And how about that same reward we do be hearin' talk of, sir?" asked
Jimmie.

"Jimmie!" exclaimed Jack, frowning; but Mr. Gregory only laughed.

"He's quite correct, Jack," he said promptly. "Jimmie knows his
rights, and isn't afraid to press them. There was a reward offered for
the capture of the thieves, and a larger one for the recovery of the
stolen property. After you come back from this little excursion I want
both of you to drop over and call on me. I'll have something for you
worth while. Perhaps it may be an engrossed resolution of thanks from
the directors of my bank; and possibly it may be something more."

So, after all, Jack did not set foot ashore at Covington when they
arrived opposite the place. The two prisoners had been transferred to
the police launch, with something more substantial in place of the
cords that Jimmie had wound around their wrists; and after each of the
officers had warmly shaken hands with the boys, Mr. Gregory gave them a
last grip, when the larger boat was turned in toward the bank.

"Well, that was an adventure worth while!" remarked Jack, as he settled
down to look after his engine and hit up a livelier pace; for Memphis
was a long ways off, and that had been settled on as their next station.

"I do be having to laugh whin I think of poor Buster," observed Jimmie,
with a broad grin on his good-natured countenance.

"Why about the Hippopotamus?" queried the skipper, without looking up.

"What d'ye suppose he will be afther saying now, whin he hears what
happened till us again? Didn't ye listen whin he said, 'Oh, splash!
nothin' iver happens till the wan of us save Jack and Jimmie!' And by
the token it do sam