but over the hills directly across the lake. The scow belonging to this
clearing, on which they had counted, was called into requisition.

The day was still calm; Bates had no objection to take them across. At
any other time he would have had some one to leave in charge of the
place, but especially as he would be in sight of the house all the time,
he made no difficulty of leaving as it was. He could produce four oars,
such as they were, and the way across was traversed rapidly.

"And there ain't really a female belonging to the place, except the old
lady," said the dentist, addressing the assembled party upon the scow.
"It was all a tale, and--my eye;--he took me in completely."

Probably he did not give entire credence to his own words, and wished to
provoke the others to question Bates further; but they were not now in
the same idle mood that had enthralled them when, in the morning, they
had listened to him indulgently. Their loins were girded; they were
intent upon what they were doing and what they were going to do. No one
but Bates paid heed to him.

Bates heard him clearly enough, but, so stubbornly had he set himself to
rebuff this young man, and so closely was he wrapped in that pride of
reserve that makes a merit of obstinate self-reliance, that it never
even occurred to him to answer or to accept this last offer of a
fellow-man's interest in the search he was just about to undertake.

He had some hope that, if Sissy were skulking round, she would find it
easier to go back to the house when he was absent, and that he should
find her as usual on his return; but, as he wrought at his oar in
returning across the leaden water, looking up occasionally to make the