As this is exactly what Master Maslin did do, the result was he discovered Dick’s crouching figure in the narrow hold as soon as the head of the canal-boat shot out into sight again.
“I see you down there, Dick Armstrong!” he cried, of a sudden, triumphantly.
Then he rushed off to the store to tell his father.
“I’m afraid it’s all up with me,” said Dick, as he scrambled out of his hiding-place.
“Well, I’d like to see them try to take you off this boat if you don’t want to go,” said Joe, rolling up his sleeves, while a look of determination came over his freckled features.
“It won’t do to resist the constable,” warned Dick. “I won’t have you get into trouble over me.”
“But the constable isn’t around here now,” put in Joe.
“They’ll send him word as to my whereabouts, and he’ll get a rig and cut me off further along down the canal, don’t you see?”
“The only thing for me to do now is to leave the boat before I’m overhauled,” Dick continued. “For if I wait until Constable Smock comes along and invites me to go ashore I’ll be deprived of my savings by Mr. Maslin, even if he doesn’t follow up his threat to put me in jail.”
“I dare say you’re right, Dick; but you can’t skip yet a while, for here comes the old man and Luke across the bridge. They’ll be down on us in a couple of minutes. You needn’t be afraid that Captain Beasley’ll make you go ashore to oblige that old rhinoceros. And if he attempts to board us, he’ll be trespassing, and a douse in the canal would be the proper thing to cool him off.”