od up on the limb and looked toward the
land. There, to his joy, he saw, at a little distance, a small log-house,
and there was some one living in it, for he saw smoke coming from the
log and mud chimney that was built up against one end of the cabin.

Harry gave a great shout, and then another, and another, and presently a
negro woman came out of the cabin and looked out over the creek. Then
three colored children came tumbling out, and they looked out over the
creek.

Then Harry shouted again, and the woman saw him.

"Hello, dar!" she cried. "Who's dat?"

"It's me! Harry Loudon."

"Harry Loudon?" shouted the woman, running down to the edge of the
water. "Mah'sr John Loudon's son Harry? What you doin' dar? Is you
fishin'?"

"Fishing!" cried Harry. "No! I want to get ashore. Have you a boat?"

"A boat! Lors a massy! I got no boat, Mah'sr Harry. How did ye git dar?"

"Oh, I got adrift, and my boat's gone! Isn't there any man about?"

"No man about here," said the woman. "My ole man's gone off to de
railroad. But he'll be back dis evenin'."

"I can't wait here till he comes," cried Harry. "Haven't you a rope and
some boards to make a raft?"

"Lor', no! Mah'sr Harry. I got no boards."

"Tell ye what ye do, dar," shouted the biggest boy, a woolly-heady
urchin, with nothing on but a big pair of trousers that came up under
his arms and were fastened over his shoulders by two bits of string,
"jist you come on dis side and jump down, an' slosh ashore."

"It's too deep," cried Harry.

"No, 'tain't," said the boy. "I sloshed out to dat tree dis mornin'."

"You did, you Pomp!" cried his mother. "Oh! I'll lick ye fur dat, when I
git a-hold of ye!"

"Did you, really?" cried Harry.

"Yes, I did," shouted the undaunted Pomp. "I sloshed out dar an' back
agin."

"But the water's higher now," said Harry.

"No, 'tain't," said the woman. "Tain't riz much dis mornin'. Done all de
risin' las' night. Dat tree's jist on de edge of de creek bank. If Pomp
could git along dar, you kin, Mah'sr Harry! Did ye go out dar, sure
'nuff, you Pomp? Mind, if ye didn't, I'll lick ye!"

"Yes, I did," said Pomp; "clar out dar an' back agin."

"Then I'll try it," cried Harry; and clambering around the trunk of the
tree, he jumped off as far as he could toward shore.

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE FIRST BUSINESS TELEGRAMS.

When Harry jumped from the tree, he came down on his feet, in water not
quite up to his waist, and then he push