Page:Castlemon--Joe Wayring at Home.djvu/344

 behind. At last the squatter, seeing that he was not going to capture my master by following him on foot, thought it best to change his tactics.

"Sam," he shouted, in stentorian tones, "go back to the creek, and you an' Jakey take the canoe an' paddle down the pond so's to cut him off when he tries to swim off to the skiff. You understand what I say to you, I reckon."

Joe understood it, whether Sam did or not and it put new speed into him. He ran so swiftly that he very soon left his single pursuer out of hearing, but he exhausted himself in the effort, and when he dashed out of the bushes and stopped on the bank in plain sight of the skiff, he was so nearly out of breath that he could not raise a shout to draw the attention of his chums, who were hard at work putting up the tent. But Jim saw him, and announced the fact by a joyful bark, followed by a vigorous wagging of his tail. Arthur and Roy looked toward the bank, and there stood Joe, swinging his arms wildly about his head. When he saw that he had attracted