ers came down close to the
water's edge, having in their midst one in civilian's garb.

"There's a friend of yours," the old man said quietly as he motioned
toward the group, "an' you can eat my head if I don't guess what's
up."

My face flushed with answer as I looked in the direction indicated,
and there saw in earnest converse with the Britishers, Elias
Macomber, the traitor.

"He has joined his friends without losin' any time. I wish I could get
my fingers around his throat for a couple of minutes!" Jerry cried,
shaking his fist in impotent rage.

"An' I reckon you'll soon have that chance, lad," Darius said, calm
and serene as a summer's morning. "Watch out now, an' you'll get an
idee of the whole business, which will go to show that you didn't lose
anythin' much when you left him at Hog Point. It wouldn't surprise me
a little bit if he's had a good share in sendin' the ships aground,
for he couldn't have told within ten feet, of the water to be found in
the channel."

I failed to understand very much of what the old man referred to; but
kept my eyes fixed on the opposite shore, and saw that Elias was
making ready to embark in a canoe, which was hauled up near at hand.

"He's goin' back to see how many vessels are aground," Jerry
suggested, and Darius added placidly:

"You'll find that he's bound up river spyin', an' we count on goin' in
the same direction."

Now I understood! Elias was to reconnoiter the river for his very good
friends, and we could catch him on his return, as we had done once
before.

I was near to crying aloud with joy when I realized that once he set
out as Darius predicted, nothing could save him from our clutches,
therefore I literally held my breath as he took his seat in the canoe
and pushed off.

Just for one instant my heart sank within me, for it seemed as if he
was bound down river; but it appeared that he was simply making a
flourish to exhibit his skill with the paddle, and then he pulled up
stream, thereby doing Jerry and me the greatest possible favor.

"Yes, he's our meat," Darius said with an odd smile as I looked at him
questioningly. "He'll go somewhere near the fleet, to make certain it
yet remains at the place where he made his escape, an' we won't press
the villain. Give him plenty of time to get well away from his
friends."

Then the old man settled back amid the foliage as if counting on
remaining quite a while, and I no longer thought of anything save the