that I
won't be ashamed to addriss and take by the hand when I maats yez in the
straats."

"I hope I shall," laughed Elwood, "the prize that you hold out is enough
to make any boy work as he never did before. I hope you will not wish to
withdraw your offer."

"Niver a faar--niver a faar, as Bridget Mughalligan said, when I asked
her if she'd be kind enough to remimber me for a few days."

"Tim," added Elwood, after a moment's silence, "we are out of the
woods."

"What do yez maan by that?"

"We can see signs of the presence of white men all around us, and we
have nothing further to fear from Indians."

At this point Howard called the attention of his companion to a large
canoe which was coming around a curve in the river. It contained nearly
a dozen men, and was the largest boat of the kind which they had ever
seen, and savored also of a civilized rather than a savage architect.

"They are white men," said Howard.

"Do yez obsarve any pipes sticking out of their mouths?"

"One or two are smoking."

"Then boord them if they won't surrender."

"They have headed toward us," remarked Elwood, "and must wish to say
something."

A few moments later the two boats came side by side, and before any one
else could speak Tim made his request known for tobacco. This was
furnished him, and as he relit his pipe he announced that he had no
objection to their proceeding with their business.

There were nine men in the larger boat, and all were armed with pistols,
rifles and knives. In truth they resembled a war party more than
anything else bound upon some desperate expedition.

The boys noticed as they came along, and while Tim O'Rooney was
speaking, that several of the men looked very keenly at them, as though
they entertained some strong suspicion. Finally one of the men asked:

"Are you youngsters named Lawrence and Brandon?"

"Yes, sir."

Here the questioner produced a paper from his pocket, and seemed to read
his questions from that.

"And is that man Timothy O'Rooney?"

"Timothy O'Rooney, Esquire, from Tipperary, at your sarvice," called out
the Irishman from the stern of the canoe, where he was elegantly
reclining, and without removing the pipe from his mouth.

"Were you on the steamer ---- ---- that was burned off the coast of
California?" pursued the interlocutor.

"Yes, sir."

"Then you are just the party we are looking for."

"Where do you come from?"

"We are from San Francisco, sent out by