threw his
arms about the neck of the old negro, laughing and sobbing in the same
breath.

"Doesn't yo' know me, Solom?" he gasped. "Doesn't yo' know yer own
br'er Clod? Doesn't yo' 'member de ole plantashun 'way down in
Lou'siana, befo' de wah, an' Clod?--yo' own br'er Clod?"

Then Solon recognized his only brother, long mourned as dead, and the
two old men embraced, and wept, and held each other off at arm's-length
to get a better look at the other's changed but still familiar face.
The hurrying passengers smiled at this spectacle at once so ridiculous
and so pathetic, but good-naturedly made way for the old men, while
Bim, sharing the general excitement, barked and danced about, until his
chain was entangled with the legs of at least half a dozen persons at
once.

CHAPTER XXIX.

BIM BRINGS ABOUT A JOYFUL MEETING.

Even with Bim's aid, Billy Brackett failed to find the man who had
escaped him in Alton by running through the store and out of its back
door. The young engineer was convinced that he was one of those who
had stolen the raft, and it was certainly very trying to recover the
trail, as he had just done, only to lose it again immediately. So
loath was he to abandon the search that it was very nearly noon before
he did so, and retraced his steps to the river. As he approached the
place where the _Whatnot_ had been moored, he was surprised not to see
the boat, and turned towards a group of men, all of whom seemed to be
talking at once, to make inquiries. At that moment the group opened,
and from it Cap'n Cod, red-faced and anxious, came hastily stumping in
his direction.

"Where is the _Whatnot_?" asked Billy Brackett.

"That's what I want to know," replied the other, excitedly. "And where
have you been all this time? I have been here, and in a state of mind,
for more than an hour, not knowing what to do. Some of these men say
they saw three fellows go off with the boat soon after we left here,
and of course I thought they must be you, Winn, and Solon; but I
couldn't understand it at all. Now that you are here, I understand it
still less. Where is Winn?" Here the old man paused, quite out of
breath, but still questioning his companion with anxious eyes.

"I haven't seen anything of Winn since we all left the boat," replied
Billy Brackett, who could hardly comprehend the startling information
just given him. "Do you mean to say that the _Whatnot_ has been
stolen? Great Scott! I wonde