her side.

"Come on," whispered Bob, and with the mud and water trickling from them
they crept along through quite a thicket of reeds, osiers, and the
red-flowered willow-herb, while great purple patches of loosestrife
blossomed above their heads.

Every step took them further from the enemy, but they kept down in their
stooping position, and a few yards from the bank of the river, feeling
sure that they could not miss their way; and so it proved, for after
what seemed to be an interminable journey they found themselves stopped
by just such another creek as that which they had left, save and except
that the mouth was completely hidden by a bed of reeds some of which
showed where a boat had lately passed through.

Whether their boat was there or not they could not tell, but it seemed
easy to follow up the creek from the side they were on, and they crept
along through the water-growth, which was thicker here than ever, but
keeping as close as they could to the side, the scarped bank being about
eight feet above the water.

The creek was not above twenty feet wide, and, from the undisturbed
state of the vegetation which flourished down its banks to where the
tide seemed to rise, it seemed as if it was a rare thing for a boat to
pass along.

They stopped at every few yards to make sure that they were not passing
that of which they were in search, looking carefully up and down, while
the creek twined so much that they could never see any extent of water
at a time.

They must have wound in and out for quite three hundred yards, when, all
at once, as they stooped there, panting and heated with the exercise,
and with the hot sun beating down upon their heads, Dexter, who was in
front, stopped short, for on his right the dense growth of reeds
suddenly ceased, and on peering out it was to see a broad opening where
they had been cut down, while within thirty yards stood a large stack of
bundles, and beside it a rough-looking hut, toward which the man they
had seen rowing up the other creek was walking.

They had come right upon his home, which seemed to be upon a reedy
island formed by the two creeks and the river.

The boys crouched down, afraid to stir, and watching till they saw the
man enter the rough reed-thatched hut, when, moving close to the edge of
the bank, they crept on again after a few moments' hesitation, connected
with an idea of making a retreat.

Their perseverance was rewarded, for not fifty yards furt