‘Oh, do they?’ She smiled again. ‘Come on, now – what’s your real name? Bill? Bob? I know you’re not really a girl.’
So then I had to tell her another story, with a different name, and I said I was running away.
She said she wouldn’t tell anybody, and gave me some food before I left. I hurried back to the island and Jim.
‘Quick, Jim!’ I cried, waking him up. ‘They’re coming to get us!’
We got out the raft as fast as we could, put all our things on it, tied the canoe on behind, and moved off down the river.