"You must stretch your legs, youngster, or mother'll get tired waiting for me. She might take a notion not to give me any supper." It was not long before they came in sight of the cabin. Here a surprise, and by no means an agreeable one, awaited Dean. On a bench in front of the cabin sat a man whom he had good reason to remember, and equal reason to fear—Peter Kirby. CHAPTER XXIX. "SHOULD OLD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOT?" If Dean was surprised to see his old enemy in such an out of the way place, Kirby was no less surprised to see his former traveling companion. There was this difference: the encounter brought him pleasure, while to Dean it carried dismay. Neither could understand where on earth the other had sprung from. "Oho!" laughed Kirby, "so we meet again." Dan looked surprised, thinking the words were addressed to him, but following the direction of Kirby's eyes, he saw that he was mistaken. "Do you know this boy?" he asked. "Do I know him? Why, we started from the East together." "How is that?" "It was at the request of a friend of ours." "The captain?" "Yes." "And why did you separate?" "Well, I mustn't tell tales out of school. I am very glad to meet you again, youngster. Is the pleasure mutual?" "No, it isn't," said Dean, bluntly. "So I should judge, after the trick you played upon me at our last meeting." "What do you refer to?" "You know well enough. You cautioned Dr. Thorp against me. Don't deny it, for I know it is true." "I don't deny it. What happened that night showed that I had good reason." "Be that as it may," said Kirby with an ugly scowl, "you did a bad thing for yourself. You probably thought you would never meet me again." Dean was silent, but Dan, whose curiosity was aroused, interposed with an inquiry. "What are you two talkin' about," he said. "Is this boy a friend or an enemy?" "He is an enemy of our association," replied Kirby. "I am glad to have him in my power." "So there is an association?" thought Dean. "These two men belong to it, and Squire Bates is the captain. I shall soon know all about it." But in the meanwhile the evident hostility of Kirby, reflected in the face of his new acquaintance Dan, was ominous of danger. Dean felt that he would gladly pass the night out in the woods exposed to the night air if he could only get away. But he saw clearly that escape was not at present practicable. "Have you seen the old woman?" asked Dan, meaning his mother. "Yes, she told me that she had taken in a kid for the night, but I had no idea it was any one I knew. The old lady wears well, Dan." "Yes, she's tough," said the affectionate son carelessly. "I'll go in and see whether she's got supper ready." He entered the house, leaving Dean and his old employer together. "Come here, boy, and sit down," said Kirby smiling, and eying Dean very much as a cat eyes the mouse whom she proposes soon to devour. "You must be tired."