e he deserved to be given one more chance to
make good."

"Oh! I'm so glad to hear you say that, Phil," cried Larry. "I was
afraid that we had made a bad break. But, my! wasn't Mr. Barker a
fierce looking gent, though?"

CHAPTER XIII

IN THE CYPRESS COUNTRY

During the morning they talked often of the occurrence of the previous
night. Phil no longer felt any qualms of conscience, on account of
what he had done. And he really hoped Pete would get clear of the
posse. There had been something in the face of the negro that
impressed both boys with a sense of his honesty. He had been sent to
the convict camp simply because he was unlucky enough to be in a fight.
Had he been a common thief it might have looked different to Phil.

And while Tony McGee might not be able to grasp all the fine points in
the matter, he could understand that these two new friends of his had
warm, boyish hearts; and he often looked at them with growing affection
when neither Phil nor Larry believed he was at all concerned about
their affairs.

Then that old troubled expression would flit back again, to hold
dominion over Tony's face. That was when he tried to imagine what his
father's actions might be, after he learned that one of these lads was
really the son of Dr. Lancing, the rich land owner, against whom he had
so strong a grudge that he would have been sorely tempted to kill him,
did the millionaire but venture into the land of the squatter
shingle-makers.

They tied up again at noon, taking Tony's advice. Phil could plainly
see that the swamp boy, acting as pilot of the little expedition, was
trying to time their progress so as to hit a certain place toward
nightfall.

"What d'ye think of it?" asked Larry, when Tony having wandered off
with the gun to see if he could find some "partridges," the two could
exchange words without being overheard.

"About Tony, do you mean?" queried his companion, easily guessing what
was worrying Larry.

"Yes. He asked us not to leave here until about the middle of the
afternoon; and then he sprung that idea on us, of stepping out to see
if he could scare up any game. You don't imagine for a minute, do you,
Phil, that he means to betray us to his friends, and get us into
trouble?"

"Rats! You don't dream of believing that yourself, now. But I saw
just as you did, that he wanted to hold us here a certain time. And it
wouldn't surprise me one little bit if Tony failed to come ba