" I should stick this canteen under his neck, and tow hun
ashore," answered Peter.
The expedient was adopted at once. The canteen was
emptied and stopped, and by its own strap it was so fastened
to the captive's neck that it easily kept his face out of the
water. The canoes were then fastened together, and each
man bent to his oar. The tow was soon under full headway
up the stream, and a rapid passage brought the fleet to the
land.
It was well for Woodcock that he had escaped thus
easily, for he had become very much chilled in the water,
and was nearly exhausted. He was dragged up on the
shore almost unconscious, but the heated sand beneath, and
the kind sun above, lent him their warmth, and he had be-
come so far restored to himself as to feel the indignity in-
flicted upon him as he was loaded upon a rough sled or
hm-dle, and drawn by a yoke of cattle to the house of the
constable.
Peter Trimble, who had done more than any other one
to effect the arrest, was the first to leap on shore when the
canoes landed, and half a dozen steps placed him beyond
the sight of his companions. Motmting the bank, he made
directly for the house of Mr. Pynchon. Mary was glad to
see his face, for she had heard shouts in the distance, and
did not doubt that Peter knew the whole story, though she
was not prepared for so terrific a "row" as he represented
had taken place.
Unfortunately for Peter's reputation as a liar, the inci-
dents which formed the basis of his story were quite equal



142 THE BAT PATH.
