nkets, making a soft and comfortable bed for his
chum to lie upon. Now came his hardest task, the getting of the sick
boy down to, and aboard of, the canoe. Fortunately the hearty meal and
rest of the night before had so far restored his strength, that he was
able, by half carrying and half dragging him, to get Charley, at last,
upon the bed prepared for him. Then pausing only long enough to get
his breath again, Walter took his old place in the stern and paddled
out into the stream, where he headed once more for the south, and with
long, steady strokes sent their little craft flying towards the unknown.

As they slid over the water, leaving the miles rapidly behind them,
Walter kept a sharp watch on either bank for signs of the outlaws.
That they were still hunting for him and his friends, he felt no doubt,
but he cherished faint hopes that he had distanced them during the
night. He consoled himself with the thought that even were they
captured, death by a bullet would be far quicker and less painful than
a slow, lingering death from fever and starvation.

All day the despairing lad paddled ahead, pausing only at noon for a
brief space to rest his wearied arms and drink sparingly of the river
water, which, black and foul as it was, reeked with fever.

Charley, on his bed in the bow, tossed and muttered incessantly. Every
once in a while, Walter would crawl forward and sprinkle cold water on
the lad's hot face; it was all he could do to relieve the sufferer,
whose ravings fell heavily on his anxious heart.

As the afternoon wore away, Walter's strength began to fail; the mental
strain, steady work, the blistering sun, and lack of food, were fast
telling on him. The temptation to stop and rest and sleep grew almost
irresistible, but he bravely fought off the weakness. Their only hope
lay in pushing on and on until they found their friends or came out
upon civilization. Whither the river led he knew not, but was in hopes
that it might at last bring them out into a settled country. To stop
now meant certain death.

As night settled down, his tired eyes caught the gleam of a fire on the
shore not far ahead. A wild hope possessed him that it might prove to
be the captain and his companions, but, warned by his previous
experience, he approached the blaze cautiously.

Slowly he drifted in towards the fire, against which he could soon
distinguish moving figures. At last, he approached near enough to
recognize t