Joe made sure that the two had gone into the lower cabin, and, running
quickly to where Ned sat, he said, "Come up-stairs with me as fast as
you can, an' I'll show you what to do." Then, taking the little fellow
by the hand, he hurried to the upper deck, not looking around, and
hardly daring to breathe until they were in the stateroom, with the
door securely fastened and the blind of the window closed.

" There!" he exclaimed, triumphantly, in a whisper, "I guess this fixes
Mr. Man, an' when
he tries to find you he'll think that stealin' boys hain't so easy as
he thought it was."

"But he'll come up here to get me," said Ned, hoping that there was an
opportunity for him to escape, yet frightened at the step he had taken.

" He may come up-stairs; but how can he find you? See here, Ned, I've
got two tickets for the passage in my pocket, an' the room's been paid
for by the man I told you about. Now we can keep in here till the boat
stops, and then I guess we can give him the slip; but I hain't thought
yet how we either of us can get home."

"But s'posen he comes right up here to the door?"

"He w6n't do that. Can't you see, Ned, that he don '.t know anything
more about this room
than he does of any other? We're all right for awhile anyhow; but I
guess we'll be pretty
hungry, 'cause we can't get anything to eat."

" I don't care 'bout that, if he don't get hold of me again," said Ned,