As he spoke he tugged as hard as he could at the sculls, rowing away till they were well round the next bend, and quite out of sight of the woman who stood at the door watching them, and as Bob bent down, and pulled each stroke well home, Dexter sat watching him with a troubled feeling which added to his hunger and discomfort. For once more it began to seem that Bob was not half so pleasant a companion as he had promised to be when he was out fishing, and they sat and chatted on either side of the little river.
But he brightened up again as Bob suddenly began to pull harder with his left-hand scull, turning the boat’s head in toward the shore where a clump of trees stood upon the bank with their branches overhanging, and almost touching the water.
“Look out! Heads!” cried Bob, as the bow of the boat touched the leafage, and they glided on through the pliant twigs; and as the sculls were laid in, Bob rose up in his place, seized a good-sized bough, and holding on by it worked the boat beneath, and in a position which enabled him to throw the chain over, and securely moor the little vessel in what formed quite a leafy arbour with the clear water for floor, and the thwarts of the boat for seats.
“There,” cried Bob, in a satisfied tone, and with a little of his old manner, “whatcher think o’ that? Talk about a place for a bragfuss! Why, it would do to live in.”
Dexter said it was capital, but somehow just then he began to think about the pleasant room at the doctor’s, with the white cloth and china, and the silver coffee-pot, and the odour from the covered dish which contained ham or bacon, or fried soles.
“Now then!” cried Bob; “I’m as hungry as you, and we’re all safe here, so hand over.”
Dexter gave him one of the portions of bread and cheese—the better of the two, but Bob turned it over and examined it in a dissatisfied way, scowling at it the while, and casting an occasional glance at that which Dexter had reserved for himself.
“What I says is—play fair,” he growled. “I don’t want no more than half.”
“But that’s the bigger half, Bob.”
“I dunno so much about that.”