As my readers may feel interested in the subsequent adventures of the mysterious passenger, I may state that his extraordinary coolness did not save him. A description of his appearance had been sent to the neighboring towns, and only a few hours after he had left the ferry-boat he was arrested, and taken back to the scene of his theft. A trial was held immediately, and before the end of the week he found himself an inmate of the county jail.

On the day succeeding his departure, Bob brought the boat to anchor at a place we will call Sheldon.

There was no restaurant, and Bob and Sam took supper at the Sheldon Hotel.

Clip had been sent on shore first, and the boys felt in no hurry to return. They accordingly sat down on a settee upon the veranda which ran along the front of the hotel.

As they sat there, unknown to themselves they attracted the attention of a middle-aged man with sandy hair and complexion, whose glances, however, seemed to be especially directed towards Sam.

Finally, he approached the boys and commenced a conversation.

"Young gentlemen," he said, "you are strangers here, I imagine?"

"Yes, sir," replied Bob.

"Are you traveling through the country?"

"We have a boat on the river, sir; but we generally tie up at night, and start fresh in the morning."

"How far do you intend going?"

"To St. Louis."

"Pardon my curiosity, but it is not common for two boys of your age to undertake such an enterprise alone. Are you in charge of the boat?"

"He is," said Sam, indicating Bob.

"And you, I suppose, are a relative of his?"

"No, sir; I help him."

"Have you come from a distance?"

"Decidedly," thought Bob, "this gentleman is very curious."

Still there seemed to be no reason for concealment, and accordingly he mentioned the name of the village in which Sam and himself made their home.

Their new acquaintance appeared to take extraordinary interest in this intelligence.

"Is there a man named Wolverton who lives in your town?" he asked.

"Yes," answered Bob, in surprise; "Aaron Wolverton."

"Exactly. This young man," indicating Sam, "has the Wolverton look."

Now it was Sam's turn to be surprised.

"I am Sam Wolverton," he said. "Do you know my uncle?"

"I not only know him, but I knew your father, if you are the son of John Wolverton."

"That was my father's name."

"Then I am a relative. My name is Robert Granger, and I am a cousin of your mother."

"My mother's maiden name was Granger," said Sam, becoming very much, interested. "Do you live here, sir?"

"Yes; I have lived in Sheldon for the last ten years. I came from Ohio originally. It was there that your father met my cousin Fanny, and married her. Do you live with your Uncle Aaron?"

"I have been living with him," answered Sam, hesitating.

"Does that mean that you have left him?" asked Mr. Granger, quickly.

Sam looked inquiringly at Bob. He hardly knew whether it would be advisable for him to take this stranger, relation though he were, into his confidence.

Bob answered his unspoken inquiry.

"Tell him all, Sam," he said.

"I have left my Uncle Aaron," said Sam, "without his consent. I hid on board Bob's boat, and got away."

"You have run away, then?"

"Yes, sir; you may blame me for doing so, but you would not if you knew how meanly Uncle Aaron has treated me!"

"I know Aaron Wolverton, and I am far from admiring him," said Robert Granger. "But in what way has he ill-treated you?"

"He made me work very hard, and would not always give me enough to eat. He keeps a very plain table."

"But why should he make you work hard?"

"He said I ought to earn my living."

"Did he say that?"

"Yes, whenever I complained. He asked me what would have become of me if he had not given me a home."

"The old hypocrite! And what has he done with your property?"

"My property!" repeated Sam, hardly believing his ears.

"Yes. Of course you know that you have property, and that your Uncle Aaron is your guardian?"

"I never knew that I had a cent of money, sir. Uncle always said that my father died very poor."

"Your father, to my knowledge, left property to the amount of five thousand dollars."

"That is all news to me, Mr. Granger."

"And to me," added Bob. "I heard Mr. Wolverton tell my father the same story, that John Wolverton died without a cent, and that he had taken in Sam out of charity."

"He seems to have taken him in, emphatically."

"In what did the property consist?" asked Bob.

"In a house, situated in St. Louis—a small house in the outskirts of the city—and some shares of bank stock."

"He thought Sam would never find out anything of it."

"I should not, if I had not met you, Mr. Granger."

"Old Aaron Wolverton is a long-headed man; but even long-headed men sometimes over-reach themselves, and I think he has done so in this instance."

"But what can I do, sir? I am only a boy, and if I should say anything about the matter to Uncle Aaron he would deny it, and perhaps treat me the worse."

"There is one thing Aaron Wolverton is afraid of, and that is the law. He doesn't care for the honesty or dishonesty of a transaction, but he doesn't mean to let the law trip him up. That is the hold we shall have upon him."

"I believe you there," said Bob. "He has already tried to swindle my mother, and he is scheming now to get possession of our ranch. It is partly on that account that I started on this trip down the river."

"Do you carry freight, then?"

"Yes, sir; I carry a thousand bushels of wheat—rather more, in fact—intending to sell them in St. Louis."

"Couldn't you have sent them?"

"Yes, sir; but by taking the wheat to market myself I shall save the heavy expense of freight, and commission for selling."

"You seem to be a smart boy," said Robert Granger, eying Bob with interest.

"I hope you are right," Bob answered, with a laugh.

"My young cousin accompanies you to help, I suppose?"

"He came on board at the last moment, having determined to run away from Aaron Wolverton."

"I wish you could spare him; I should like to take him home to talk over family matters with myself and my lawyer, and we would concert some way of forcing Aaron Wolverton to give up his property. I have some children of my own, who would be glad to make his acquaintance."

"Would you like to accept Mr. Granger's invitation, Sam?" asked Bob.

"But I am afraid you will need me, Bob."

"No; I have Clip. I think it will be well for you to stay. I will call on my way back."

So it was arranged that Sam should leave the boat and stay over. Bob returned to the boat alone.

The next day proved to be an eventful one.