to the other shore. It was cold work, but he had no boat, and
so there was nothing else he could do. He was a very forlorn-looking
object indeed, when he reached the cabin. Dan, who was still sunning
himself on the bench, must have thought so, for when his brother
first appeared in sight, he jumped up and stared at him as if he
could not quite make up his mind whether the approaching object was
David Evans, or one of the dreaded haunts that lived in the General's
lane. He could not wholly satisfy himself on this point until he had
made some inquiries. "Is that you your own self, Davy?" he asked,
holding himself ready to take to his heels in case a satisfactory
answer was not promptly returned.

David replied that it was.

"What's the matter of you, an' whar you been?" continued Dan. "Whar's
your gun?"

"I have swam the bayou twice, and I have been taking a walk in the
woods. My gun is in the water near the foot of Bruin's Island."

Dan opened his eyes and was about to propound a multitude of
questions, when something that came around the corner of the cabin
just then checked him. It was Don Gordon's pointer. He had found his
way to the cabin and taken quiet possession of his bed in the kennel,
and Dan was none the wiser for it until that moment. Hearing the
sound of David's voice, the dog came out to meet him, and the two
appeared to be overjoyed to see each other again. Dan opened his eyes
wider than ever, and backed toward his seat on the bench without
saying a word.

"I found him right where you left him, Dan," said David, who thought
it high time his brother should know that some of his mean acts were
being brought to light. "I've got him again, you see, and you'll
never have another chance to steal him."

"What have you got, an' whar did I leave him?" Dan managed to ask at
last.

"O, I wouldn't try to play off innocent, if I were you. I know all
about it; and I want to tell you now that you had better turn over a
new leaf and be quick about it, too. Mother says that if folks don't
grow better every day, they grow worse, and I can see that it is true
in your case and father's. You are both going down hill, and the
first thing you know you'll do something that will get you in the
calaboose. Three months ago neither one of you would have been guilty
of stealing."

"Whoop!" yelled Dan, jumping up and knocking his heels together.

"I don't want to go back on either one of you," continued David, "and
neither