Part 8 (1/2)
”Is that you, Dannie?” asked the latter
”You're just a shoutin',” was the reply
”nobody ain't thar with you, I reckon,” said Godfrey
”No, I'm all by myself But be you sartin that's you, pap?”
”In course I a you over You're an ongrateful an' ondutiful boy to leave your poor ole pap, what's fit the Yankees an' worked so hard to bring you up like a gentle up, out here in the cane so long all by hisself”
”Why, pap, I didn't know you was here,” said Dan
Godfrey walked briskly along the shore until he reached a little thicket of bushes into which he plunged out of sight He appeared again al behind hinized the moment he saw it It was Don Gordon's canoe, the one he used to pick up his dead and wounded ducks when he was shooting over his decoys It was a beautiful little craft, and Dan had often wished that he could call it his own It was one thing that made him hate Don and Bert so cordially, and he had often told himself that when he was ready to carry out the threats he had so often s to suffer
The brothers took altogether tooabout the lake enjoying theht of it satisfied him that the man on the opposite bank was his father, and nobody else If he had been a ”haunt” he would not have needed a canoe to carry hi placed the canoe in the water Godfrey went back into the cane after the oars--the little craft was provided with rowlocks and propelled by oars instead of paddles--and in a few seconds more he was on Dan's side of the bayou Theout, and if one reeted each other, they were glad to rip no more, pap,” said Dan, as the first to speak, ”an' I'-out How cait it?”
”I jest took it an' welcooin' to swio there, was I?”
”In course not I'lad you tuk it; an' now I'll have a ride in it, an' no thanks to Don Gordon nuther Been a livin' here ever since you've been gone?” added Dan, as he stepped into the boat and picked up the oars
”Yes, an' I've been a lookin' fur you every day Seeht a knohere to findout when the Yanks was in the country Hear anything about me, in the settlement?”
”Yes, lots Silas Jones has done been to Dave fur theoodhis fingers in the air
”Dave's goin' to pay the bill,” added Dan ”I done heard hirateful an' ondutiful scaot that hter do?
I need itelse, Dannie?”
”Yes; General Gordon says, why don't you coo 'have yourself? nobody wouldn't pester you”
”Does you see anything green in these yere eyes?” asked Godfrey, looking steadily at Dan ”That would do to tell some folks, but a man what's fit the Yanks ain't so easy fooled I' else, Dannie--anything 'bout them two city chaps, Clarence an' Marsh Gordon?”
”O, they've gone hoettin' into a furse afore they went, did you?”
”Course I have Everybody knows that you an' Clarence thought Don was ole Jordan an' shet hiht, too,” exclaimed Godfrey ”I reckon he's well paid fur cheatin' hty thousand dollars I heard Clarence was robbed afore he went away,” added Godfrey, at the sa at Dan out of the corner of his eyes
”I didn't hear nothing about that,” said Dan
Godfrey drew a long breath of relief Ever since he took up his abode on the island he had been torturing hiuilty was the talk of the settlement, and that he would be arrested for at if he should ever show hiain He breathed roundless
”Hear anything else, Dannie?” asked Godfrey, and his voice was so cheerful and animated that the boy looked at him in amazement
”What's Dave an' the ole woone it,” replied Dan, in great disgust ”He got a letter from some feller up North this mornin' tellin' him if he would trap fifty dozen live quail fur him, he'd pay him so't he could ive hihin'