Dan knew belonged to General Gordon, leaned over Bert’s shoulder.  Godfrey’s prediction was about to be fulfilled.  Don was going back to the island to shoot the bear which had frightened him and his brother the day before.  The thought made Dan almost frantic.  He jumped up and knocked his heels together, slapped his hands, dashed his hat upon the ground and made other demonstrations indicative of a very perturbed state of mind.

“Pap’s in fur it now, an’ so am I,” said he, in an excited whisper.  “He’ll get his jacket wet swimmin’ the bayou to get away from them fellers, if they give him the chance, an’ I’ll get mine dusted with a hickory, kase I didn’t fetch that canoe up thar.  I jest wish I knowed what to do.”

Dan, almost ready to cry with vexation and alarm, watched the canoe until it turned into the bayou and passed out of his sight, and then went back to the bench and sat down to think about this new difficulty in which he found himself, and to find a way out of it if he could.  His father would be compelled to hunt up a new hiding-place now—­there was no way to prevent that—­and in order to leave the island he would probably be forced to swim the bayou, for he would have no time to build a raft.  That would, of course, make him angry, and he never could breathe easily again until he had taken satisfaction out of somebody.  That somebody Dan knew was certain to be himself, unless—­

“I’ll fix him,” thought the boy, his face clearing up, as a bright idea came into his mind.  “I’ll take him the pinter.  I was goin’ to hide him in the woods somewhar, but pap kin take keer on him as well as not.  Don’ll pay a dollar or two to get him back, an’ I’ll give the ole man half.  But fust, I must go down to the landin’ an’ buy them shoes an’ tobacker; an’ while I’m thar, I’ll jest say a good word to Silas fur myself.  I’m a nobody about this yere house, am I?  Dave wouldn’t give me them ten dollars to keep fur him, an’ now I’ll take somethin’ outen his pocket without sayin’ a word to him.”

Dan shook his head in a very wise and knowing manner, and went into the house after his rifle.  He did not take it because he expected to find any game while he was on the way to the landing, but because he had fallen into the habit of carrying it with him everywhere he went and felt lonely without it.

Knowing that Don and Bert were not at home, Dan did not go around through the fields to avoid the General’s barn, as he usually did, but boldly followed the road.  There were a few idle men hanging about the store, as there almost always were, but none of them appeared to be doing any trading, and the grocer was ready to attend to Dan’s wants at once.  The boy bought the articles his father wanted, and having pocketed his change, cleared his throat, preparatory to saying a good word for himself.

“Mr. Jones, if you please, sar, Dave done sent me down here this mornin’ to ax you would you give me somethin’ fur myself, if you please, sar—­some shoes an’ sich like.”