caught sight of
him, Bob of course having his back in the direction they were going.

"Look out, Bob," shouted Dexter. "Pull your right! pull your right!"

Bob was so startled that he looked up over his shoulder, saw the enemy,
and tugged at the wrong oar so hard that he sent the boat right toward
the overhanging bank.

"I've got yer now, have I, then?" roared the man fiercely; and as the
boat drifted towards him he reached down and made a snatch with his hand
at Dexter's collar.

As a matter of course the boy ducked down, and the man overbalanced
himself.

For a moment it seemed as if he would come down into the boat, over
which he hung, slanting down and clinging with both hands now, and
glaring at them with his mouth open and his eyes starting, looking for
all the world like some huge gargoyle on the top of a cathedral tower.

"Stop!" he roared; and then he literally turned over and came so nearly
into the boat that he touched the stern as it passed, and the water he
raised in a tremendous splash flew all over the boys.

"Now, Bob, pull, pull, pull!" cried Dexter, stamping his foot as he
looked back and saw the man rise out of the water to come splashing
after them for a few paces; but wading through mud and water was not the
way to overtake a retreating boat, and to Dexter's horror he saw the
fellow struggle to the side and begin to scramble up the bank.

Once he slipped back; but he began to clamber up again, and his head was
above the edge when, in obedience to Bob's tugging at the sculls, the
boat glided round one of the various curves of the little creek and shut
him from their view.

"He'll drown'd us. He said he would," whimpered Bob. "Let's leave the
boat and run."

"No, no!" cried Dexter; "pull hard, and we shall get out into the river,
and he can't follow us."

"Yes, he can," cried Bob, blubbering now aloud. "He means it, and he'll
half-kill us. Let's get out to this side and run."

"Pull! I tell you, pull!" cried Dexter furiously; and Bob pulled
obediently, sending the boat along fast round the curves and bends, but
not so fast but that they heard a furious rustling of the osiers and
reeds, and saw the figure of the man above them on the bank.

"There, I told you so," whimpered Bob. "Let's get out t'other side."

"Row, I tell you!" roared Dexter; and to his surprise the man did not
stop, but hurried on toward the mouth of the creek.

"There!" cried Bob. "He's gone for his boat, an