id old Dan'l, with a grim laugh.

"Yes," said Dexter, between his teeth.

"Ay, he would, Dan'l," said Peter excitedly. "I wish he was over
yonder."

"Yah! yah! look at the old caterpillar-killers," cried Bob. "Who stole
the boat? Yah!"

These last were farewell shots.

"They won't bite here," cried Bob, moving off, "but don't you think you
frightened me away. Come as often as I like. Yah! take him home!"

Dexter's face was scarlet as he watched his departing enemy, thinking
the while of his own folly in leaving his friends for such a wretched
young cur as that.

"Think he would?" said Peter.

"Ay, two on him," said Dan'l, after glancing cautiously up toward the
house.

"Shall us?"

"Ay, if you like, my lad," said Dan'l. "Say, youngster, if we help you
acrost will you go and start him outer the west medder?"

"Yes," cried Dexter excitedly.

"All right. Don't make a row."

Old Dan'l went off, and Peter followed, to return in five minutes with a
great shallow wooden cistern across the long barrow, old Dan'l looking
very grim as he walked by his side, and carrying the familiar
clothes-prop.

"There, that's as good as a punt," he said. "Look here! You'd better
kneel down on it; I should take off my jacket and weskit, and roll up my
sleeves, if I was you."

Dexter's eyes sparkled as he followed this bit of advice, while Dan'l
took one end of the cistern, Peter the other, and they gently launched
it in the little river.

"Ain't scared of him, are yer!" said Dan'l.

Dexter gave him a sharp look.

"That he ain't," said Peter. "Look here, Master Dexter," he whispered,
"don't let him hug you, but give it him right straight out, and he'll be
down and howl in two two's."

Dexter made no reply, but stepped into the great shallow punt-like
contrivance, seized the prop handed to him, and prepared to use it, but
the strong steady thrust given by Peter sent him well on his journey,
and in less than a minute he was across.

"Come on, Dan'l," cried Peter. "Don't I wish we was acrost too!"

They crept among the trees at the extreme corner of the garden, where
they could hold on by the boughs, and crane their necks over the river,
so as to see Dexter tearing along the opposite bank into the next meadow
where Bob was fishing, in happy ignorance of the approach of danger;
and, to further take off his attention, he had just hooked a good-sized
perch, and was playing it, when Dexter, boiling over with the