Then one of the captain’s horses was unfastened, and placed in possession of the bow-legged man. The gray took its harness, and its place at the tow-line.
All this time Joe had been busy at the feed-box at the bow of the boat. At this moment he came up and discovered what was going on.
The gray horse first attracted his attention. There was something about the animal that reminded him strongly of Old Charlie.
He looked again, and more closely. The horse threw up his head and neighed. It was Old Charlie!
Joe gave a leap to the side of the boat, another to the tow-path, and in the next instant he was at the horse’s head.
“Charlie!” he cried. “Charlie! Why, Old Charlie, is this you?”
The beast whinnied, and putting his nose down against Joe’s breast, began to rub him in the old way.
Captain Bill and Callipers looked at each other in open-eyed astonishment.
“Knows ’im!” exclaimed the bow-legged man.