"Hark!" exclaimed Alice, suddenly.

The sound of a cheerful whistle came through the screen of trees.

"Oh!" gasped Ruth. "Who can it be?"

She had her answer a moment later.

Around a bend in the stream, rowing a battered boat, came an old colored
man. It was he who was making the melody. Cheerfully he whistled, and
more happily was he listened to.

"Ahoy there, Uncle!" called Russ. "Can you tell us where we are, and
where the _Magnolia_ is tied up?"

The old colored man was so startled by the sudden hail, breaking in on
his whistling, that he nearly went overboard. He recovered himself,
however, and called out:

"Whut--whut yo' all doin' at mah cabin?"

"Is this your place, Uncle?" asked Russ.

"It shore am. An'--an'--I bids yo' all welcome--I shore does, honey!" he
added quickly, remembering his hospitality.

"We've made ourselves at home," said Mabel. "Oh, whoever you are, can you
show us the way out of this wilderness?"