d had nearly reached the pier at Pennville; but Fanny did
not intend to land at any public place, and she ran the boat up to the
bank of the river, a short distance above the village, grounding it
lightly on a kind of beach she had chosen as a landing-place. Fanny
took the boat-hook in her hand, and jumped ashore.

"Now, Kate Magner, before we go any farther, we must come to an
understanding. If you think you are going to leave me to bear all the
blame, you are mistaken."

"I don't mean any such thing," replied Kate.

"Yes, you do; you mean to betray me."

"No, I don't."

"Why didn't you take the money I offered you, then?"

"I don't want it."

"You are in the boat, and I am on the land. If you don't take the
money, I will push the boat off, and she will carry you away--I don't
know where."

"Don't do that."

"Will you take the money?"

"Yes, I will," answered Kate, who was more afraid of the boat than she
would have been of a demon.

"Take it, then," said Fanny, handing her the little roll of bills she
had taken from the package for this purpose. "There is twenty-one
dollars."

Kate took the money, and thrust it into her pocket.

"Now we are both just the same. You have taken some of the money, and
you are just as bad as I am. You can't back out now, if you want to do
so."

This was only an expedient on the part of the resolute mistress of the
expedition to prevent her companion from deserting her, rather than to
insure an equal division of the punishment for stealing.

"What shall we do now?" asked Kate, as she landed from the boat, which
Fanny held with the boat-hook.

"We will go up to the railroad station, and take the train for New York
city."

"But what are you going to do with the boat?"

"I don't care anything about the boat. I have had all I want of her.
But I think I will let the sails down, and fasten her to the bank. If
they should find her, she might betray us."

Fanny lowered the sails, and fastened the painter to a stake on the
bank. The two girls then started for the village, which was about a
quarter of a mile below the place where they had landed. When they had
gone a short distance, they saw a man mending a boat on the bank of the
river. Kate took particular notice of him, for she was already planning
the means of her deliverance from the arbitrary sway of her companion.

The two girls were very well dressed, and it was not an uncommon thing
for young ladies to manage thei