I didn't say anything, just looked at the river. Then all of a sudden a thought came to me.

I said, "Bert, you've got the cross already—haven't you? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Dunno—didn't think of it, I guess," he said.

"Tell me how you won it, Bert," I said; "please tell me."

But he just kept poking around with the stick and wouldn't tell me.

"Look at that worm," he said; and he held one up on his stick. "Good fishing bait around here, hey? What d'ye say we go back?"

That was just like him—just exactly like him.

[Illustration: "LET GO, I'VE GOT HIM!">[