CHAPTER XVIII.
WHICH ENDS THE STORY.
"Something must be done," said Sam, as soon as he had heard Tom's report, "and quickly too.

Let me think a few minutes.

We are beginning now to be hungry enough to eat anything, and when people get that hungry there are a good many things that can be eaten.

I'll tell you what we must do, Tom--" But what it was that Sam had hit upon, Tom never knew.

Just as this point in the conversation was reached _Joe_ came running in through the alley-way, his face flattened out into a broad grin of delight, his teeth and eyes shining, while he danced all over the fortress, shaking hands over and over again, and saying, "Hi! Miss Judie! Hi! Mas' Tom! Hi! Mas' Sam! How does ye all do now?
Did you think Joe had runned away?
Joe tell ye he never runned away.