like to have some one dogging your
footsteps from morning until night, would you?"

"I'm afraid I shouldn't," admitted Mr. Hazen.

For an interval Laurie was silent; then he glanced up with one of his
swift, appealing smiles.

"There, there, Mr. Hazen!" he said with winning sincerity. "Forgive me.
I didn't mean to be cross. I do get so fiendishly impatient sometimes.
How you can keep on being so kind to me I don't see. Do please go and
get the book, like a good chap. It's on the chair in my room or else on
the library table. You'll find it somewhere. 'Treasure Island,' you
know. I had to leave it in the middle of a most exciting chapter and I
am crazy to know how it came out."

Reluctantly Mr. Hazen moved away. It was very hard to resist Laurie
Fernald when he was in his present mood; besides, the young tutor was
genuinely fond of his charge and would far rather gratify his wishes
than refuse him anything. Therefore he hurried off through the grove,
resolving to return as fast as ever he could.

In the meantime Laurie threw his head back on the pillows and looked up
at the sky. How blue it was and how lazily the clouds drifted by! Was
any spot on earth so still as this? Why, you could not hear a sound! He
yawned and closed his eyes, the fatigue of his sleepless night
overcoming him. Soon he was lost in dreams.

* * * * *

He never could tell just what it was that aroused him; perhaps it was a
premonition of danger, perhaps the rocking of the boat. At any rate he
was suddenly broad awake to find himself drifting out into the middle
of the stream. In some way the boat must have become unfastened and the
rising breeze carried it away from shore. Not that it mattered very
much now. The thing that was of consequence was that he was helplessly
drifting down the river with no means of staying his progress. Soon he
would be caught in the swirl of the current and then there would be no
help for him. What was he to do?

Must he lie there and be borne along until he was at last carried over
the dam at his father's mills?

He saw no escape from such a fate! There was not a soul in sight. The
banks of the river were entirely deserted, for the workmen were far
away, toiling in the fields and gardens, and they could not hear him
even were he to shout his loudest. As for Mr. Hazen, he was probably
still at Pine Lea searching for the book and wouldn't be back for some
time.

The boy