you faithful, sir," said the carpenter. "I'm not going to
brag, but I'm a handy man, sir. You might get a hole in the boat, and I
didn't bring no clothes, but I brought my tools, and I'm at home over a
job like that. You might want a hut knocked up, or your guns mended.
I'd do anything, sir, and I don't ask for pay. It might come to your
wanting help with the blacks. If you did, I'd fight for you all I
could."

"Well, I don't know what to do, Nat. What do you say?"

The boy darted forward wildly and threw himself upon his knees.

"Say _yes_, Mr Nat; say _yes_!" he cried imploringly. "Don't send us
off, sir, and you shan't never repent it. You know what made us run
away. Say yes, sir; oh, say yes!"

"I can't say anything else, uncle," I said, in a husky voice.

"Hooray!" yelled the boy, throwing his cap in the air. "Do you hear,
Bill Cross? The gentleman says `yes'!"

The loud shout and the flying up of the cap had the effect of starting a
little flock of birds from the nearest trees, and, obeying the instinct
of the moment, Uncle Dick raised his gun and fired--two barrels, each of
which laid low one of the birds, which dropped in different directions.

I was off after one of them directly, and, in utter disregard of Uncle
Dick's warning shout, the boy was off after the other, but took some
time to find it in the dense growth amongst which it had fallen.

"A beautiful little finch, uncle," I said, as I brought back my prize.

"Lovely!" he cried. "I never saw one like this before. It's a pity I
did not stop that fellow. He will have spoiled the other."

But he was wrong, for the boy was just then coming from among the low
bushes, carefully bearing the second bird upon the top of his cap, which
he held between his hands like a tray.

"Is he all right, sir?" said the bearer excitedly. "I picked him up by
his neb and never touched his feathers."

"Yes, in capital order," said Uncle Dick. "Come, you've begun well!"

The boy's eyes flashed with pleasure, and taking advantage of Uncle Dick
being busy over the birds, he turned to me.

"Then we may stop with you, Master Nat?" he whispered.

"I suppose so, but you must wait and see what my uncle says. I say,
though," I cried, "will you keep your face clean if you're allowed to
stay?"

"Face? Clean?" he said, passing his dirty hand over his dingy
countenance. "Ain't it clean now?"

I burst into a roar of laughter, for the poor fellow's face was