ers, and that there was another behind.

The next minute the foremost punt was within reach, and Dick stepped
from a clump of rushes on board.

"Got anything to eat?" cried Dick, obeying his dominant instinct, and
his voice sounded wolfish and strange.

"To eat!--no, sir," cried his father sternly. "What are you doing
here?"

"I lost myself, father, and went to sleep--woke up in the darkness, and
couldn't stir. Morning, Hicky!"

"Wheer's my poont?" said the wheelwright.

"Close round here somewhere," said Dick. "Go on and we shall find it.
But where was the fire?"

The squire drew a hissing breath between his teeth as if in pain, and
yet as if in relief; for it seemed to him that once more he was
suspecting wrongfully, and that if his son had been mixed up with the
past night's outrage he would never have spoken so frankly.

"The fire, boy!" he said hoarsely; "at the Toft. The place is nearly
burned down."

"Oh!" ejaculated Dick; and there was so much genuine pain and agony in
his voice that the squire grasped his son's hand.

"Never mind, Dick; we'll build it up again."

"Ay, squire, we will," cried Hickathrift; "and afore long."

"And what is better, my boy, we saw the wretch who stole off the mere
last night and fired the big reed-stack."

"Yes, father," cried Dick excitedly. "And I heard him come stealing by
here."

"You did, Dick?"

"Yes, father--not an hour ago."

"Marston!" cried the squire, hailing the other boat.

"Yes."

"We're right. He came by here an hour ago. Dick heard him."

"You did, Dick?" cried Mr Marston.

"Yes, but it was all in the dark, and I couldn't see who it was."

"That does not matter, my lad," said the squire. "We know him now, and
we only want to run him down."

"Know him, father?"

"Yes, boy. It was Dave Gittan."

"Nonsense!"

Dick burst into a laugh.

"Why, father, his place was burned too!"

"Yes, boy, to throw us off the scent--the scoundrel! but we shall have
him now."

Dick sat down in the punt like one astounded, while Hickathrift poled
along the channel till he came to open water, where, just as the sun
rose above the horizon, they caught sight of the tied-up boat.

"We're too many in this," said Hickathrift, making for the other punt.
"You pole this here, and I'll tak' mine. Will you come, squire?"

"Yes," said Dick's father; and the change being made, the three boats
were now propelled over the sunlit water, where, as the lad gla