Chums in Dixie | Page 4

looking up was astonished
to see how his eyes danced.
"Give you my word I would," he declared, vehemently.
"Good!" ejaculated the other, with a nervous laugh; and springing over
to a spot nearer the stern of the boat he called out: "You might as well
come out now. The colonel and his crowd are far away, and we want to
see what you look like!"
Thereupon, to the immense amazement of Phil Lancing, the blankets
began to heave; and being speedily tossed aside, behold there came
forth the figure of a tattered, half-grown boy--a boy with a face as
brown as that of an Indian, and with a pair of defiant black eyes that
flashed fire as he looked straight at the owner of the motor boat.
And Phil realized that he was gazing upon the boy belonging to the
terrible McGee tribe from down-river, who had just licked the big
Brashears cub in his own home town!
CHAPTER II

A BOY OF THE SWAMPS
"Well, if this don't beat all creation!" exclaimed Phil, as he continued to
stare at the uninvited passenger on board the Aurora. "See here, Larry,
own up now that you saw him crawl aboard our boat?"
"That's just what I did," chuckled the other, as though he enjoyed the
joke. "If you hark back a bit, perhaps you'll remember my calling out,
just at the time you discovered moving figures through the trees? That
was because I had caught just a glimpse of something, I didn't know
what, slipping under the blankets.
"Now I can understand why you were so nervous, and wanted to hurry
off," said Phil. "You were afraid the fierce colonel would come back,
and search our craft for stowaways."
"Sure I was; I admit it," echoed Larry. "But Phil, you really meant what
you said just now, didn't you--about wanting to shake hands with the
boy who knocked Bob Brashears galley west, you know?"
Phil turned to the sallow-faced, defiant figure that was observing their
every action. The boy looked as though ready to brave them to their
face, if so be they turned out to be new enemies; or even take a header
over the side, should they show signs of wanting to detain him against
his will.
But as soon as he looked into the smiling countenance of Phil he must
have realized that in taking this liberty of boarding the motor boat,
when so hard pressed by his enemies, he had made a lucky move
indeed. For in those friendly eyes he saw genuine warmth.
"Shake hands, won't you, my friend?" said Phil, thrusting out his own
digits in the free and easy fashion customary with boys. "I'm glad you
punched that Bob Brashears. I hope his black eye will hang to him for a
month. And I'd have given a heap to have seen the mill when you
licked him. I'm only surprised he dared tackle you alone, big cub that
he is."

"Huh!" the boy broke out with, as a glimmer of a smile appeared
flickering athwart his thin, serious looking face; "they was two of 'em,
mister. But t'other, he run like a scart rabbit the first crack he got under
his ear."
Then Larry insisted on also squeezing his hand warmly.
"When I heard that man say they were chasing a boy," he remarked, "I
knew what it was I'd seen scramble under the blankets; and I made up
my mind that they wasn't going to get you, if we had to fight for it. Just
to think of seven hulking men after one small boy. But we're too far
away now for any of them to get you; and perhaps you'd like to stay
aboard till we reach your home below; because we expect to pass all
the way to the gulf, you see. He'd be welcome, wouldn't he, Phil?"
"Sure he would," affirmed the other, heartily, as he eyed the boy; and
perhaps a dim suspicion that he might find the fugitive valuable as a
guide began to flit through his mind then and there.
"We've got oceans of grub aboard; and perhaps you wouldn't mind
helping out in the cooking line; because, you see, I'm the one in charge
of that part of the game; while Phil, he takes care of the running gear.
Anyhow, no matter, you're welcome to stay with us on the trip. We're
glad to know the fellow who dared lick that big bully of a Bob
Brashears, see?"
The boy let his head drop. Perhaps it was because he did not want to let
these generous fellows see the tear in his eye, and of which he was
possibly ashamed, though without reason.
"Say, that's right kind of you both," he exclaimed presently, when he
could look