Four Boy Hunters | Page 9

and wore a light, checked suit, but that was all.
When they returned to the farmhouse they heard Mrs. Lundy's story in
detail. She had been on the point of sweeping the sitting-room when the
negro had appeared and asked for Mr. Lundy. She had told him her
husband was out, and then the colored man had wanted something to
eat. She had refused to give him anything, and then, seeing the watch
on the mantelpiece, he had snatched the timepiece and run. She had
screamed for assistance and then fainted from excitement.
"Was the watch a valuable one?" asked Snap.
"Yes, it was," answered Simon Lundy. "It was gold and given to me by
my father years ago. I wouldn't take a hundred dollars fer it nohow. I
was mighty careless to leave it on the mantelpiece, but I didn't want to
carry it around in the orchard when I picked apples."
"What will you do about it?" asked Shep.
"I dunno. Go tew teown an' tell the constable, I guess. Be yeou goin' to
town?"
"No; we are off on a hunting trip," answered Giant. "And, by the way,
we had better be getting back to the boat," he added to his chums.
"Mr. Lundy, we'll give you a quarter for those apples," said Shep.
"All right, as ye please," said the old farmer. He was so upset over the
loss of his watch he could think of nothing else.
The boys passed over the money---that is, Shep did, for he had been
appointed treasurer of the expedition. Then, after a few words more, the
young hunters hurried back through the orchard to where they had left
their rowboat among the bushes.
"Gosh! what a mean man!" was Whopper's comment. "To take that

money after what we did to catch that negro."
"It isn't likely that he'll get his gold watch back," said Giant. "That
nigger will shake the dust of this locality from his feet as fast as he
can."
"More than likely he belongs in some big city," was Whopper's
comment. "That is the way those chaps do---go to a lonely farmhouse
and make sure the men are away and then take what they can lay hands
on. If he hadn't heard Pop Lundy and us coming he would most likely
have ransacked the house from end to end."
They were soon at the river bank and forcing their way through the
bushes. Then Snap looked around in perplexity.
"Isn't this the spot where we left the boat?" he questioned, gravely.
"I think so," answered Shep.
"Well, I don't see it."
"Don't see it!" exclaimed Whopper, who was in the rear. "Why, it must
be here."
All came out on the edge of the river and gazed up and down the shore
in alarm. Not a sight of the boat was to be seen anywhere.
"Wonder if she floated off?" suggested Giant.
"She couldn't," answered Shep. "I tied her up, and did it good, too.
There is the exact spot," and he pointed out a stout bush. In the dirt of
the bank was the mark of the rowboat's sharp bow.
"Look there!" ejaculated Whopper. "See the size of those
footprints---as big as canal-boats. Do you know what I think?" he
almost shouted.
"That nigger ran off with our boat!" came in a chorus from the others.

"That's it. See, there is where he came along the shore. He meant to
hide here, when he came across the boat. He saw it was well filled with
things and jumped in, and I suppose he rowed off as fast as he could,"
added Whopper, bitterly. "Oh, wouldn't I like to catch him! I'd make
mince-meat of him, I would!"
Whopper stopped short, and all of the boys looked at each other
blankly. For some seconds nobody spoke, but each was busy with his
thoughts.
"If we can't find the boat-----" began Snap.
"We'll have to return home and give up the trip," finished Giant. "Oh, I
don't want to do that!"
"Nor I!" came from the others.
"We must find our boat, that is all there is to it," said Snap. "I don't
believe he went up the river, consequently he must have gone down."
"Then let us get another boat and follow him."
"That's the talk!"
But where to get another boat was a question.
Snap ran back to the farmhouse and met Pop Lundy at the door.
"Thought you boys was a-goin' down the river," said the farmer,
suspiciously.
"We have learned what became of that nigger."
"What?"
"He took our boat and ran off with it."
"Well, I vow! Ain't he the pesky rascal, though! Wot be yeou boys
a-goin' tew do neow?"

"We want to get another boat, if possible, and follow him. Do you
know