usness.

All that morning, when they again started, he found the river widen and
change. Instead of being clear, and the stones visible at the bottom,
the banks were further away, so were the hills, and the water was muddy.
What was more strange to Dexter was that instead of the stream carrying
them along it came to meet them.

At last Bob decided that they would moor by the bank, and begin once
more to fish.

They landed and got some worms, and for a time had very fair sport,
taking it in turns to catch some small rounded silvery and creamy
transparent fish, something like dace, but what they were even Bob did
not know. He was never at a loss, however, and he christened them
sea-gudgeon.

Dexter was just landing one when a sour-looking man in a shabby old
paintless boat came by close to the shore, and looked at them
searchingly. But he looked harder at the boat as he went by, turned in,
as it seemed, and rowed right into the land.

"There must be a little river there," Bob said. "We'll look presently.
I say, didn't he stare!"

Almost as he spoke the man came out again into the tidal river and rowed
away, went up some distance, and they had almost forgotten him when they
saw him come slowly along, close inshore.

"Bob," whispered Dexter, "he's after us."

To which Bob responded with a contemptuous--

"Yah!"

"Much sport?" said the man, passing abreast of their boat about half a
dozen yards away, and keeping that by dipping his oars from time to
time.

"Pretty fair," said Bob, taking the rod. "'Bout a dozen."

"What fish are they!" said Dexter eagerly, and he held up one.

"Smelts," said the man, with a peculiar look. "Come fishing?"

"Yes," said Bob sharply. "We've come for a day or two's fishing."

"That's right," said the man, with a smile that was a little less
pleasant than his scowl. "I'm a fisherman too."

"Oh, are yer?" said Bob.

"Yes, that's what I am."

"He ain't after us," whispered Bob. "It's all right."

Dexter did not feel as if it was. He had an innate dislike to the man,
who looked furtive and underhanded.

"Got a tidy boat there," said the man at last.

"Yes, she's a good un to go along," said Bob.

"Wouldn't sell her, I s'pose!" said the man.

"What should we sell her for?" said Bob, hooking and landing a fish
coolly enough.

"I d'know. Thought you might want to part with her," said the man. "I
wouldn't mind giving fifteen shillings for a boat like that."