enty more
where that came from, so long as we've got the spuds in our jeans
pockets. My! ain't I glad they don't happen to be chasing after me,
that's all. Did you see the teeth of those hounds, fellows? I bet you
they'd make short work of a poor escaping convict, unless he took to a
tree like a squirrel, and waited to be pulled in."

"That's the way we all feel, I think," remarked Jack, as they stood
there listening to the baying of the hounds, gradually becoming less
distinct as the posse pushed further along the bank of the river.
"They weren't just hunting for Erastus, it seems; but given half a
chance and they'd have pulled him in. On the whole I'm not sorry we
did what we did."

"I say the same," declared Nick, positively.

"Count me in, by the powers," remarked Jimmie. "Sure I know what it
manes till be hungry; and I can understand in me moind how it fales
till be hunted wid such savage beasts. Yis, I'm glad we gave the poor
divile a chanct."

"Oh! well, I guess I feel that way too," observed George. "Only, you
know, my dad happens to be a lawyer, and he's always taught me to be
mighty shy about assisting a fugitive from justice, or as he calls it,
compounding a felony. But in this case we believe Erastus to be
innocent. That's right, boys, ain't it?"

"It just is," remarked Jack. "And if I thought the fellow would ever
have the nerve to come back here to this spot, I'd be tempted to leave
something for him--a dollar perhaps, to keep him from starving while he
was getting out of the country."

"Well, time is getting along, and perhaps we'd better be packing up so
as to be ready to start at eight sharp. Tonight we ought to make that
place at the mouth of the Sunflower river, opposite the island in the
big water, which is marked down as Station Number Five in the race."

George, as he spoke, whirled around on his heel. As he did so, the
others heard him ewe utterance to a cry of astonishment.

"Look there, fellows, at what is in my boat!" he cried, pointing.

And the others, upon following the direction of his extended finger,
could only stare at what they saw. Seated in the body of the
_Wireless_ and holding George's rifle, which had been incautiously left
aboard while they ate breakfast, was a big coal-black negro, whom they
could easily guess must be the accused house burner, Erastus!

CHAPTER XVIII.

AT THE MOUTH OF THE SUNFLOWER.

No one moved immediately.

Nick was gasping