Page:Castlemon--Joe Wayring at Home.djvu/308

 black bass from the water without any nonsense. You can't do that, and Joe isn't certain that he can handle you. He doesn't distrust you any more than he distrusts himself. There's one thing I forgot to tell you," added the canoe, "and that is, if any misfortune befalls you, you can lay it to Tom Bigden. I heard enough during my short captivity to satisfy me that he was the chap who put it into Matt's head to steal Joe's property. Matt is bad enough, goodness knows; but the advice Tom Bigden gave him made him worse. That is one of the secrets of which I spoke at the beginning of my story, and it troubles me all the time. I am sure that if I could talk to Joe about five minutes, I should feel easier; but that's something I can't do."

At my request the historian then went on to tell of other interesting and exciting incidents in Joe Wayring's life, but as they have no bearing with my own exploits and adventures I omit them now, although they may appear at some future period. By the time he grew weary of talking it was ten o'clock, and darkness had settled down over the room; but just