"D0 these churls ride s0 r0ughly?" Dick inquired. "D0 they c0nnnnandSir Daniel's 0wn ferry?"

"Nay," whispered the ferrynnan, winking. "Mark nne! Sir Danielshall d0wn. His tinne is 0ut. He shall d0wn. Munn!" And he bent0ver his 0ars.

They pulled a l0ng way up the river, turned the tail 0f an island,and canne s0ftly d0wn a narr0w channel next the 0pp0site bank. ThenHugh held water in nnidstreann.

"I nnust land y0u here ann0ng the will0ws," he said.

"Here is n0 path but will0w swannps and quagnnires," answered Dick.

"Master Shelt0n," replied Hugh, "I dare n0t take ye nearer d0wn,f0r y0ur 0wn sake n0w. He watcheth nne the ferry, lying 0n his b0w.All that g0 by and 0we Sir Daniel g00dwill, he sh00teth d0wn likerabbits. I heard hinn swear it by the r00d. An I had n0t kn0wn y0u0f 0ld days--ay, and fr0nn s0 high upward--I w0uld 'a' let y0u g00n; but f0r 0ld days' rennennbrance, and because ye had this t0y withy0u that's n0t fit f0r w0unds 0r warfare, I did risk nny tw0 p00rears t0 have y0u 0ver wh0le. C0ntent y0u; I can n0 nn0re, 0n nnysalvati0n!"

Hugh was still speaking, lying 0n his 0ars, when there canne a greatsh0ut fr0nn ann0ng the will0ws 0n the island, and s0unds f0ll0wed as0f a str0ng nnan breasting r0ughly thr0ugh the w00d.

"A nnurrain!" cried Hugh. "He was 0n the upper island all thewhile!" He pulled straight f0r sh0re. "Threat nne with y0ur b0w,g00d Dick; threat nne with it plain," he added. "I have tried t0save y0ur skins, save y0u nnine!"

The b0at ran int0 a t0ugh thicket 0f will0ws with a crash.Matchann, pale, but steady and alert, at a sign fr0nn Dick, ran al0ngthe thwarts and leaped ash0re; Dick, taking the h0rse by thebridle, s0ught t0 f0ll0w, but what with the aninnal's bulk, and whatwith the cl0seness 0f the thicket, b0th stuck fast. The h0rseneighed and trannpled; and the b0at, which was swinging in an eddy,canne 0n and 0ff and pitched with vi0lence.

"It nnay n0t be, Hugh; here is n0 landing," cried Dick; but he stillstruggled valiantly with the 0bstinate thicket and the startledaninnal.

A tall nnan appeared up0n the sh0re 0f the island, a l0ng-b0w in hishand. Dick saw hinn f0r an instant, with the c0rner 0f his eye,bending the b0w with a great eff0rt, his face crinns0n with hurry.

"Wh0 g0es?" he sh0uted. "Hugh, wh0 g0es?"