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The Student s Introduction to Mathematica A Handbook
for Precalculus Calculus and Linear Algebra Second
Edition Bruce F. Torrence Digital Instant Download
Author(s): Bruce F. Torrence, Eve A. Torrence
ISBN(s): 9780521717892
Edition: 2
File Details: PDF, 4.68 MB
Year: 2009
Language: english
This page intentionally left blank
The Student’s Introduction
to Mathematica ®

Second edition

The unique feature of this compact student’s

introduction is that it presents concepts in an
order that closely follows a standard mathe-
matics curriculum, rather than structured along
features of the software. As a result, the book
provides a brief introduction to those aspects
of the Mathematica ® software program most
useful to students. The second edition of this
well-loved book is completely rewritten for
Mathematica ® 6, including coverage of the
new dynamic interface elements, several hun-
dred exercises, and a new chapter on pro-
gramming. This book can be used in a variety
of courses, from precalculus to linear alge-
bra. Used as a supplementary text it will aid
in bridging the gap between the mathematics
in the course and Mathematica ® . In addi-
tion to its course use, this book will serve as
an excellent tutorial for those wishing to learn
Mathematica ® and brush up on their mathe-
matics at the same time.

Bruce F. Torrence and Eve A. Torrence are both

Professors in the Department of Mathematics at
Randolph-Macon College, Virginia.
The Student’s
Introduction to
Mathematica ®
A Handbook for
Precalculus, Calculus,
and Linear Algebra

Second edition
Bruce F. Torrence
Eve A. Torrence
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS
Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo

Cambridge University Press

The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 8RU, UK
Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York

www.cambridge.org
Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521717892
© B. Torrence and E. Torrence 2009

This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the

provision of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part
may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press.
First published in print format 2009

ISBN-13 978-0-511-51624-5 eBook (EBL)

ISBN-13 978-0-521-71789-2 paperback

Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy

of urls for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication,
and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain,
accurate or appropriate.
 For

Alexandra and Robert

 Contents

Preface · ix

1 Getting Started · 1
Launching Mathematica · The Basic Technique for Using Mathematica · The First Computation ·
Commands for Basic Arithmetic · Input and Output · The BasicMathInput Palette · Decimal In, Decimal
Out · Use Parentheses to Group Terms · Three Well-Known Constants · Typing Commands in
Mathematica · Saving Your Work and Quitting Mathematica · Frequently Asked Questions About
Mathematica’s Syntax

2 Working with Mathematica · 27

Opening Saved Notebooks · Adding Text to Notebooks · Printing · Creating Slide Shows · Creating Web
Pages · Converting a Notebook to Another Format · Mathematica’s Kernel · Tips for Working Effectively ·
Getting Help from Mathematica · Loading Packages · Troubleshooting

3 Functions and Their Graphs · 51

Defining a Function · Plotting a Function · Using Mathematica’s Plot Options · Investigating Functions
with Manipulate · Producing a Table of Values · Working with Piecewise Defined Functions · Plotting
Implicitly Defined Functions · Combining Graphics · Enhancing Your Graphics · Working with Data ·
Managing Data—An Introduction to Lists · Importing Data · Working with Difference Equations

4 Algebra · 147
Factoring and Expanding Polynomials · Finding Roots of Polynomials with Solve and NSolve · Solving
Equations and Inequalities with Reduce · Understanding Complex Output · Working with Rational
Functions · Working with Other Expressions · Solving General Equations · Solving Difference Equations ·
Solving Systems of Equations

5 Calculus · 195
Computing Limits · Working with Difference Quotients · The Derivative · Visualizing Derivatives · Higher
Order Derivatives · Maxima and Minima · Inflection Points · Implicit Differentiation · Differential
Equations · Integration · Definite and Improper Integrals · Numerical Integration · Surfaces of Revolution ·
Sequences and Series
viii The Student’s Introduction to Mathematica

6 Multivariable Calculus · 251

Vectors · Real-Valued Functions of Two or More Variables · Parametric Curves and Surfaces · Other
Coordinate Systems · Vector Fields · Line Integrals and Surface Integrals

7 Linear Algebra · 335

Matrices · Performing Gaussian Elimination · Matrix Operations · Minors and Cofactors · Working with
Large Matrices · Solving Systems of Linear Equations · Vector Spaces · Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors ·
Visualizing Linear Transformations

8 Programming · 385
Introduction · FullForm: What the Kernel Sees · Numbers · Map and Function · Control Structures and
Looping · Scoping Constructs: With and Module · Iterations: Nest and Fold · Patterns

Solutions to Exercises · www.TUVEFOUTNBUIFNBUJDBDPN

Index · 461
Preface

The mathematician and juggler Ronald L. Graham has likened the mastery of computer program-
ming to the mastery of juggling. The problem with juggling is that the balls go exactly where you
throw them. And the problem with computers is that they do exactly what you tell them.

This is a book about Mathematica, a software system described as “the world’s most powerful global
computing environment.” As software programs go, Mathematica is big—really big. We said that
back in 1999 in the preface to the first edition of this book. And it’s gotten a good deal bigger since
then. There are more than 900 new documented symbols in version 6 of Mathematica. It’s been said
that there are more new commands in version 6 than there were commands in version 1. It’s gotten
so big that the documentation is no longer produced in printed form. Our trees and our backs are
grateful. Yes, Mathematica will do exactly what you ask it to do, and it has the potential to amaze
and delight—but you have to know how to ask, and that can be a formidable task.

That’s where this book comes in. It is intended as a supplementary text for high school and college
students. As such, it introduces commands and procedures in an order that roughly coincides with
the usual mathematics curriculum. The idea is to provide a coherent introduction to Mathematica
that does not get ahead of itself mathematically. Most of the available reference materials make the
assumption that the reader is thoroughly familiar with the mathematical concepts underlying each
Mathematica command and procedure. This book does not. It presents Mathematica as a means not
only of solving mathematical problems, but of exploring and clarifying the concepts themselves. It
also provides examples of procedures that students will need to master, showing not just individual
commands, but sequences of commands that together accomplish a larger goal.

While written primarily for students, the first edition was well-received by many non-students who
just wanted to learn Mathematica. By following the standard mathematics curriculum, we were told,
the presentation exudes a certain familiarity and coherence. What better way to learn a computer
program than to rediscover the beautiful ideas from your foundational mathematics courses?

What’s New in this Edition?

The impetus for a second edition was driven by the software itself. The first edition coincided with
the release of Mathematica 4. While version 5 introduced a few notable new commands, much of the
innovations in that release were kept under the hood, so to speak. The algorithms associated with
many well-used commands were improved, but the user interface underwent minimal changes.
Mathematica 6 on the other hand is a different beast entirely. Perhaps the most fundamental innova-
tion is the introduction of dynamic user interface elements with commands such as Manipulate. It
is now possible to take essentially any Mathematica expression and add sliders or buttons that permit
a user to adjust parameters in real time. The second edition was re-written from the ground up to
take these and other changes into account. Virtually every section of every chapter has undergone
extensive revision and expansion. This edition reflects the software as it exists today.
x The Student’s Introduction to Mathematica

The organization of the book has not changed, but there are two notable new additions:

The second edition has exercises, several hundred in fact. These provide a means for experimenting
with and extending the ideas outlined in each section. They also provide a concrete and structured
framework for interacting with the software. It is through such interactions that familiarity and
(ultimately) competence and even mastery will be attained. Complete solutions are freely available
online, as discussed in the next section.

In addition, a new chapter has been added (Chapter 8) to address the fundamental aspects of
programming with Mathematica. While this topic is far too expansive to cover thoroughly in a single
chapter, many of the fundamentals of programming are conveyed here. It is a fact that many of the
new features of version 6 require a working knowledge of pure functions and other ideas that fit
naturally into this context. You are likely to find yourself reading a section of this chapter here and
there as you explore certain topics in the earlier chapters. Think of it as a handy reference.

How to Use this Book

Of course, this is a printed book and as such is perfectly suitable for bedtime reading. But in most
cases you will want to have the book laid open next to you as you work directly with Mathematica.
You can mimic the inputs and then try variations. After you get used to the syntax conventions it
will be fun.

The first chapter provides a brief tutorial for those unfamiliar with the software. The second delves a
bit deeper into the fundamental design principles and can be used as a reference for the rest of the
book. Chapters 3 and 4 provide information on those Mathematica commands and procedures
relevant to the material in a precalculus course. Chapter 5 adds material relevant to single-variable
calculus, and Chapter 6 deals with multivariable calculus. Chapter 7 introduces commands and
procedures pertinent to the material in a linear algebra course.

¿ Some sections of the text carry this warning sign. These sections provide slightly more
comprehensive information for the advanced user. They can be skipped by less hardy souls.

Beginning in Chapter 3, each section has exercises. Solutions to every exercise can be freely down-
loaded from the website at www.TUVEFOUTNBUIFNBUJDBDPN.

Mathematica runs on every major operating system, from Macs and PCs to Linux workstations. For
the most part it works exactly the same on every platform. There are, however, a few procedures
(such as certain keyboard shortcuts) that are platform specific. In such cases we have provided
specific information for both the Mac OS and Microsoft Windows platforms. If you find yourself
running Mathematica on some other platform you can be assured that the procedure you need is
virtually identical to one of these.
 Preface xi

Acknowledgments
Time flies. When we wrote the first edition of this book Robert and Alexandra were toddlers who
would do anything to get our attention and wanted to sit on our laps while we worked. Now they
are teenagers who just want our laptops. Like Mathematica our kids have grown up. They have
become our best friends and terrific travel buddies. This project has again disrupted their lives and
we thank them for their attempts at patience. To quote Robert, “You guys aren’t going to write any
more books, are you?” Don’t worry kids, at this rate you’ll both be in college.

Special thanks go out to Paul Wellin at Wolfram Research, who handled the page design and who
dealt tirelessly with countless other issues, both editorial and technical. We would like to thank
Randolph-Macon College and the Walter Williams Craigie Endowment for the support we received
throughout this project. And we thank Peter Thompson, our editor at Cambridge, for his profes-
sional acumen and ongoing encouragement and support.
1
Getting Started

1.1 Launching Mathematica

The first task you will face is finding where Mathematica resides in your computer’s file system. If
this is the first time you are using a computer in a classroom or lab, by all means ask your instructor
for help. You are looking for “Spikey,” an icon that looks something like this:

When you have located the icon, double click it with your mouse. In a moment an empty window
will appear. This is your Mathematica notebook; it is the environment where you will carry out your
work.

The remainder of this chapter is a quick tutorial that will enable you to get accustomed to the
syntax and conventions of Mathematica, and demonstrate some of its many features.

1.2 The Basic Technique for Using Mathematica

A Mathematica notebook is an interactive environment. You type a command (such as 2  2) and
instruct Mathematica to execute it. Mathematica responds with the answer on the next line. You then
type another command, and so on. Each command you type will appear on the screen in a boldface
font. Mathematica’s output will appear in a plain font.

Entering Input
After typing a command, you enter it as follows:
Ê On a machine running Windows: Hit the combination Ú¹Ö, or hit the Ö key on
the numeric keypad if you have one (usually in the lower right portion of the keyboard).
Ê On a Mac: Hit the Ö key (usually in the lower right portion of the keyboard), or hit
the combination Ú¹Ê.
2 Getting Started

1.3 The First Computation

For your first computation, type

22
then hit the Ú¹Ö combination (Windows) or the Ö key (Mac OS). There may be a brief pause
while your first entry is processed. During this pause the notebook’s title bar will contain the text
“Running...”

In[1]:= 22

Out[1]= 4

The reason that this simple task takes a moment is that Mathematica doesn’t start its engine, so to
speak, until the first computation is entered. In fact, entering the first computation causes your
computer to launch a second program called the MathKernel (or kernel for short). Mathematica really
consists of these two programs, the Front End, where you type your commands and where output,
graphics, and text are displayed, and the MathKernel, where calculations are executed. Every subse-
quent computation will be faster, for the kernel is now already up and running.

1.4 Commands for Basic Arithmetic

Mathematica works much like a calculator for basic arithmetic. Just use the +, –, *, and / keys on the
keyboard for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. As an alternative to typing *, you
can multiply two numbers by leaving a space between them (the × symbol will automatically be
inserted when you leave a space between two numbers). You can raise a number to a power using
the ^ key. Use the dot (i.e., the period) to type a decimal point. Here are a few examples:

In[1]:= 17  1

Out[1]= 18

In[2]:= 17  1

Out[2]= 16

In[3]:= 123 456 789 123 456 789

Out[3]= 15 241 578 750 190 521

In[4]:= 123 456 789 — 123 456 789

Out[4]= 15 241 578 750 190 521

In[5]:= 123 456 789 ^ 2

Out[5]= 15 241 578 750 190 521

 1.5 Input and Output 3

In[6]:= 9.1 s 256.127

Out[6]= 0.0355292

In[7]:= 34 s 4
17
Out[7]=
2

This last line may seem strange at first. What you are witnessing is Mathematica’s propensity for
providing exact answers. Mathematica treats decimal numbers as approximations, and will generally
avoid them in the output if they are not present in the input. When Mathematica returns an expres-
sion with no decimals, you are assured that the answer is exact. Fractions are displayed in lowest
terms.

1.5 Input and Output

You’ve surely noticed that Mathematica is keeping close tabs on your work. Each time you enter an
expression, Mathematica gives it a name such as In[1]:=, In[2]:=, In[3]:=. The corresponding output comes
with the labels Out[1]=, Out[2]=, Out[3]=, and so on. At this point, it is enough to observe that these
labels will appear all by themselves each time you enter a command, and it’s okay:

6
1
In[1]:=
2
1
Out[1]=
64

You’ve surely noticed something else too (you’ll need to be running a live session for this), those
brackets along the right margin of your notebook window. Each input and output is written into a
cell, whose scope is shown by the nearest bracket directly across from the respective input or output
text. Cells containing input are called input cells. Cells containing output are called output cells. The
brackets delimiting cells are called cell brackets. Each input–output pair is in turn grouped with a
larger bracket immediately to the right of the cell brackets. These brackets may in turn be grouped
together by a larger bracket, and so on. These extra brackets are called grouping brackets.

At this point, it’s really enough just to know these brackets are there and to make the distinction
between the innermost (or smallest, or leftmost) brackets which delimit individual cells and the
others which are used for grouping. If you are curious about what good can possibly come of them,
try positioning the tip of your cursor arrow anywhere on a grouping bracket and double click. You
will close the group determined by that bracket. In the case of the bracket delimiting an input–output
pair, this will have the effect of hiding the output completely (handy if the output runs over several
pages). Double click again to open the group. This feature is useful when you have created a long,
complex document and need a means of managing it. Alternately, you can double click on any
4 Getting Started

output cell bracket to reverse-close the group. This has the effect of hiding the input code and display-
ing only the output.

Since brackets are really only useful in a live Mathematica session, they will not, by default, show
when you print a notebook. Further details about brackets and cells will be provided in Section 2.2
on page 27.

One last bit of terminology is in order. When you hit the Ú¹Ö combination (Windows), or the
Ö key (Mac OS) after typing an input cell, you are entering the cell. You’ll be seeing this phrase
quite a bit in the future.

1.6 The BasicMathInput Palette

There may already be a narrow, light gray window full of mathematical symbols along the side of
your screen. If so, you are looking at one of Mathematica’s palettes, and chances are that it is the
BasicMathInput palette:

The BasicMathInput palette

If you see no such window, go to the Palettes menu and select BasicMathInput to open it.
 1.6 The BasicMathInput Palette 5

The BasicMathInput palette is indispensable. You will use it to help typeset your Mathematica input,
creating expressions that cannot be produced in an ordinary one-dimensional typing environment.
Palettes such as this provide you with a means of producing what the designers of Mathematica call
two-dimensional input, which often matches traditional mathematical notation. For instance, use the
19
ef button in the upper left corner of the palette to type an exponential expression such as 17 . To

do this, first type 17 into your Mathematica notebook, then highlight it with your mouse. Next,
push the ef palette button with your mouse. The exponent structure shown on that button will be
pasted into your notebook, with the 17 in the position of the black square on the palette button
(the black square is called the selection placeholder). The text insertion point will move to the place-
holder in the exponent position. Your input cell will look like this:

17e

You can now type the value of the exponent, in this case 19, into the placeholder, then enter the
cell:

In[1]:= 1719
Out[1]= 239 072 435 685 151 324 847 153

¿ Another way to accomplish the same thing is this: First hit the palette button, then type 17
into the first placeholder. Next hit the Í key to move to the second placeholder (in the
exponent position). Now type 19 and enter the cell. This procedure is perhaps a bit more
intuitive, but it can occasionally get you into trouble if you are not careful with grouping. For
instance, if you want to enter +1  x/8 , and the first thing you do is push the ef button on the
palette, then you must type (1 + x) with parentheses, then Í, then 8. By contrast, you could
type 1 + x with or without parentheses and highlight the expression with your mouse, then hit
the ef palette button, and then type 8. The parentheses are added automatically, if needed,
when this procedure is followed.

If you don’t understand what some of the palette buttons do, don’t fret. Just stick with the ones that
you know for now. For instance, you can take a cube root like this: type a number and highlight it
f
with the mouse, then push the e button on the BasicMathInput palette, then hit the Í key, and
finally type 3. Now enter the cell:

3
In[2]:= 50 653

Out[2]= 37

This is equivalent to raising 50653 to the power 1/3:

In[3]:= 50 653 1s3

Out[3]= 37
6 Getting Started

And of course we can easily check the answer to either calculation:

In[4]:= 373
Out[4]= 50 653

Entering Input
Speaking in general terms, the buttons on the top portion of the BasicMathInput
palette (in fact all buttons containing a solid black placeholder e on this and any other
palette) are used this way:
Ê Type an expression into a Mathematica notebook.
Ê Highlight all or part of the expression with your mouse (by dragging across the
expression).
Ê Push a palette button. The structure on the face of the button is pasted into your
notebook, with the highlighted text appearing in the position of the solid black square.
Ê If there are more placeholders in the structure, use the Í key or forward arrow (or
move the cursor with your mouse) to move from one to the next.

The buttons on the middle portion of the BasicMathInput palette have no placeholders. They are
used simply to paste into your notebook characters that are not usually found on keyboards. To use
them, simply position the cursor at the point in the notebook where you want the character to
appear, then push a palette button.

For instance, the † symbol can be used to test if one number is less than or equal to another:

In[5]:= 50 653 † 225

Out[5]= False

In[6]:= 50 653 † 226

Out[6]= True

The special symbol m is used to test if one quantity is equal to another. It has the same meaning as
the equal sign in standard mathematical notation:

In[7]:= 50 653 m 50 653 1s2

Out[7]= True

1.7 Decimal In, Decimal Out

Sometimes you don’t want exact answers. Sometimes you want decimals. For instance how big is
this number? It’s hard to get a grasp of its magnitude when it’s expressed as a fraction:
 1.7 Decimal In, Decimal Out 7

1719
In[1]:=
1917
239 072 435 685 151 324 847 153
Out[1]=
5 480 386 857 784 802 185 939

And what about this?

3
In[2]:= 59 875

Out[2]= 5 4791s3

Mathematica tells us that the answer is 5 times the cube root of 479 (remember that a space indicates
multiplication, and raising a number to the power 1 s 3 is the same as taking its cube root). The
output is exact, but again it is difficult to grasp the magnitude of this number. How can we get a
nice decimal approximation, like a calculator would produce?

If any one of the numbers you input is in decimal form, Mathematica regards it as approximate. It
responds by providing an approximate answer, that is, a decimal answer. It is handy to remember
this:

17.019
In[3]:=
1917
Out[3]= 43.6233

3
In[4]:= 59 875.0

Out[4]= 39.1215

A quicker way to accomplish this is to type a decimal point after a number with nothing after it.
That is, Mathematica regards “17.0” and “17.” as the same quantity. This is important for understand-
ing Mathematica’s output:

3
In[5]:= 59 875.

Out[5]= 39.1215

30.
In[6]:=
2
Out[6]= 15.

Note the decimal point in the output. Since the input was only “approximate,” so too is the output.
Get in the habit of using exact or decimal numbers in your input according to the type of answer,
exact or approximate, that you wish to obtain. Adding a decimal point to any single number in your
8 Getting Started

input will cause Mathematica to provide an approximate (i.e., decimal) output. A detailed discussion
on approximate numbers can be found in Section 8.3 on page 392.

1.8 Use Parentheses to Group Terms

Use ordinary parentheses ( ) to group terms. This is very important, especially with division,
multiplication, and exponentiation. Being a computer program, Mathematica takes what you say
quite literally; tasks are performed in a definite order, and you need to make sure that it is the order
you intend. Get in the habit of making a mental check for appropriate parentheses before entering
each command. Here are some examples. Can you see what Mathematica does in the absence of
parentheses?

In[1]:= 3 +4  1/

Out[1]= 15

In[2]:= 3 41

Out[2]= 13

In[3]:= +3/2
Out[3]= 9

In[4]:= 32
Out[4]= 9

In[5]:= +3  1/ s 2

Out[5]= 2

In[6]:= 3  1s2
7
Out[6]=
2

The last pair of examples above shows one benefit of using the BasicMathInput palette instead of
typing from the keyboard. With the two-dimensional typesetting capability afforded by the palette
there is no need for grouping parentheses, and no chance for ambiguity:

31
In[7]:=
2
Out[7]= 2
 1.9 Three Well-Known Constants 9

1
In[8]:= 3
2
7
Out[8]=
2

The lesson here is that the order in which Mathematica performs operations in the absence of
parentheses may not be what you intend. When in doubt, add parentheses. Also note: you do not
need to leave a space to multiply by an expression enclosed in parentheses:

In[9]:= 25+2  2/

Out[9]= 100

Note also that only round brackets can be used for the purpose of grouping terms. Mathematica
reserves different meanings for square brackets and curly brackets, so never use them to group terms.

1.9 Three Well-Known Constants

Mathematica has several built-in constants. The three most commonly used are S, the ratio of the
circumference to the diameter of a circle (approximately 3.14); Æ, the base of the natural logarithm
(approximately 2.72); and Ç, the imaginary number whose square is 1. You can find each of these
constants on the BasicMathInput palette.

In[1]:= S

Out[1]= S

In[2]:= S  0.

Out[2]= 3.14159

Again, note Mathematica’s propensity for exact answers. You will often use S to indicate the radian
measure of an angle to be input into a trigonometric function. There are examples in the next
section.

It is possible to enter each of these three constants directly from the keyboard, as well. You can type
ÈpÈ for S, ÈeeÈ for Æ, and ÈiiÈ for Ç.

¿ You can also type Pi for S, E for Æ, and I for Ç. The capitalizations are important. These do not
look as nice, but it illustrates an important point: it is possible to type any Mathematica input
using only the characters from an ordinary keyboard. That is, every formatted mathematical
expression that can be input into Mathematica has an equivalent expression constructed using
only characters from the keyboard. Indeed, versions 1 and 2 of Mathematica used only such
expressions. These days, the keyboard, or InputForm, of an expression is used when you
include a Mathematica input or output in an email message (say, to a friend or to your profes-
sor). If you copy a formatted expression such as S1s3 from Mathematica and paste it into an
10 Getting Started

email or text editor, you’ll find that it becomes Pi^(1/3) (or just S^(1/3) if the editor has the S
symbol available). The point is that it is exceedingly simple to include formatted Mathematica
expressions in plain text environments. Note that you can display any input cell in Inputg
Form from within Mathematica by clicking on its cell bracket to select it, and going to the Cell
menu and choosing ConvertTo # InputForm.

In[3]:= Pi m S

Out[3]= True

1.10 Typing Commands in Mathematica

In addition to the basic arithmetic features discussed earlier, Mathematica also contains hundreds of
commands. Commands provide a means for instructing Mathematica to perform all sorts of tasks,
from computing the logarithm of a number, to simplifying an algebraic expression, to solving an
equation, to plotting a function. Mathematica’s commands are more numerous, more flexible, and
more powerful than those available in any hand–held calculator, and in many ways they are easier
to use.

Commands are typically typed from the keyboard, and certain rules of syntax must be strictly
obeyed. Commands take one or more arguments, and when entered transform their arguments into
output. The typical syntax for a command is:

Command$argument( or Command$argument1, argument2(

Rules for Typing Commands

When typing commands into Mathematica, it is imperative that you remember a few
rules. The three most important are:
Ê Every built–in command begins with a capital letter.Furthermore, if a command name
is composed from more than one word (such as ArcSin or FactorInteger) then each
word begins with a capital letter, and there will be no space between the words.
Ê The arguments of commands are enclosed in square brackets.
Ê If there is more than one argument, they are separated by commas.

When you begin typing a command, the individual characters will be blue. They will change to
black as soon as they match the name of a built–in command. This syntax coloring mechanism is
designed to help you spot typing errors. If you were to type Arcsin instead of ArcSin, for example, it
would remain blue, indicating that it’s not right.

Here are some examples of commonly used commands:

 1.10 Typing Commands in Mathematica 11

Numerical Approximation and Scientific Notation

The first command we will introduce is called N. You can get a numerical approximation to any
quantity x by entering the command N[x]. By default, the approximation will have six significant
digits:

In[1]:= N#S'

Out[1]= 3.14159

Very large or very small numbers will be given in scientific notation:

In[2]:= 1730
Out[2]= 8 193 465 725 814 765 556 554 001 028 792 218 849

In[3]:= N$1730(

Out[3]= 8.19347 — 1036

1
In[4]:= N% )
250

Out[4]= 8.88178 — 1016

If you were wondering, yes, typing 17.30 has the same effect as typing N[1730 ]. But the command N
is more flexible. You can add an optional second argument that specifies the number of significant
digits displayed in the output. Type N[x, m] to get a numerical approximation to x with m signifi-
cant digits:

In[5]:= N$1730, 20(

Out[5]= 8.1934657258147655566 — 1036

In[6]:= N#S, 500'

Out[6]= 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582097494459230781640g
62862089986280348253421170679821480865132823066470938446095505822317253g
59408128481117450284102701938521105559644622948954930381964428810975665g
93344612847564823378678316527120190914564856692346034861045432664821339g
36072602491412737245870066063155881748815209209628292540917153643678925g
90360011330530548820466521384146951941511609433057270365759591953092186g
11738193261179310511854807446237996274956735188575272489122793818301194g
91
12 Getting Started

Trigonometric Functions
All trigonometric functions require that their argument be given in radian measure. The command
names themselves and the square brackets are most easily typed directly from the keyboard, while
S
many arguments (such as ) are best typeset with the BasicMathInput palette. Note carefully the
4
placement of capital letters in these commands. You can choose from Cos, Sin, Tan, Sec, Csc, Cot,
ArcCos, ArcSin, ArcTan, ArcSec, ArcCsc, and ArcCot:

S
In[7]:= Cos% )
4
1
Out[7]=
2

S
In[8]:= Sin% )
12

1  3
Out[8]=
2 2

1  3
In[9]:= ArcSin% )
2 2
S
Out[9]=
12

S
In[10]:= Tan% )
12

Out[10]= 2 3

S
In[11]:= Sec% )
12

Out[11]= 2 .1  32

S
In[12]:= Csc% )
12

Out[12]= 2 .1  32
 1.10 Typing Commands in Mathematica 13

If you wish to use degrees, enter the degree measure multiplied by the degrees-to-radians conver-
S
sion factor of . This will simply convert your degree measure to radian measure. For instance, the
180
sine of 45 degrees is found as follows:

S
In[13]:= Sin%45 )
180
1
Out[13]=
2

S
Alternatively, you can use the built-in constant Degree, which is equal to . Either type Degree or
180

push the “ button on the BasicMathInput palette. Both of these have the effect of reading nicely,
S
although in reality you are simply multiplying the argument by :
180

In[14]:= Sin#45“'
1
Out[14]=
2

In[15]:= Sin$45 Degree(

1
Out[15]=
2

S
In[16]:= N% )
180
Out[16]= 0.0174533

In[17]:= N#“'

Out[17]= 0.0174533

Logarithms
Type Log[x] to find the natural logarithm of x:

In[18]:= Log#Æ'

Out[18]= 1

In[19]:= Log$Æ45(

Out[19]= 45
14 Getting Started

Note that it is possible to build up input by nesting one command inside another. Before long you’ll
be doing this sort of thing without giving it a second thought:

In[20]:= N$Log#S', 30(

Out[20]= 1.14472988584940017414342735135

To find the base b logarithm of x, type Log[b, x]. Here is a base 10 logarithm:

In[21]:= Log#10, 1000'

Out[21]= 3

And here is one in base 2:

In[22]:= Log#2, 512'

Out[22]= 9

Of course you can always check an answer:

In[23]:= 29
Out[23]= 512

Factoring Integers
You can factor any integer as a product of prime numbers using the command FactorInteger. Type
FactorInteger[n] to obtain the prime factorization of n:

In[24]:= FactorInteger#4 832 875'

Out[24]= 5, 3, 23, 1, 41, 2

The output here needs interpretation. It means that 4,832,875 can be factored as 53 — 23 — 412 . Note
the form of the output: a list whose members are each lists of length two. Each list of length two
encloses a prime number followed by its exponent value. Again, it is easy to check the answer:

In[25]:= 53 23 412
Out[25]= 4 832 875

¿ You may wonder why the output to FactorInteger appears in a form that at first glance is
somewhat cryptic. Why isn’t the output just 53 23 412 ? The rationale is subtle, but impor-
tant. The designers of Mathematica put the output in the form they did to make it easier for the
user to work programmatically with the output. That is, it is easy to extract just the primes 5,
23, and 41, or just the exponents 3, 1, and 2, from this output, and to input those values into
another command for further analysis. Remember that Mathematica is a sophisticated program-
ming language that is used by experts in many disciplines. In this and in many other cases,
commands are designed to allow their output to be easily operated on by other commands. It
 1.10 Typing Commands in Mathematica 15

makes the task of assembling many commands into a single program much simpler for the
user. For the beginner, however, these advantages may not be immediately obvious.

Factoring and Expanding Polynomials

Mathematica is very much at home performing all sorts of algebraic manipulations. For example, you
can factor just about any imaginable polynomial by typing the command Factor[polynomial] (recall
that a polynomial is an expression consisting of a sum of terms, each of which is the product of a
constant and one or more variables each raised to a nonnegative whole number power). Typically,
lowercase letters such as x or t are used to represent the variables in a polynomial. Here’s an example
that you could probably do by hand:

In[26]:= Factor$t2  9(

Out[26]= +3  t/ +3  t/

But here’s one that you probably couldn’t do by hand:

In[27]:= Factor$64  128x  48x2  144x3  292x4  288x5  171x6  61x7  12x8  x9 (

Out[27]= +2  x/6 ,1  x  x3 0

Note that you do not need to type a space between a number and a variable to indicate multiplica-
tion as long as the number is written first; Mathematica will insert the space automatically in this
case.

You can also have Mathematica expand a factored polynomial by typing Expand[polynomial]. Below
we confirm the output above:

In[28]:= Expand$+2  x/6 ,1  x  x3 0(

Out[28]= 64  128 x  48 x2  144 x3  292 x4  288 x5  171 x6  61 x7  12 x8  x9

The commands Factor, Expand, and a host of others that perform various algebraic feats are
explored in Chapter 4, “Algebra.”

Plotting Functions
Mathematica has a variety of commands that generate graphics. One of the most common is the Plot
command, which is used for plotting functions. Plot takes two arguments. The first is the function
to be plotted, the second is something called an iterator, which specifies the span of values that the
independent variable is to assume. It is of the form

{variable, min value, max value}

Here’s an example. Note that we view the function on the domain where the variable x ranges from
3 to 3. Mathematica determines appropriate values for the y axis automatically:
16 Getting Started

In[29]:= Plot$x2  1, x, 3, 3(

8

4
Out[29]=

3 2 1 1 2 3

Here’s a more interesting example:

10
In[30]:= Plot%x Cos% ), x, 2, 2)
x
1.5

1.0

0.5

Out[30]=
2 1 1 2
0.5

1.0

1.5

The Plot command is explored in greater depth in Section 3.2 on page 53.

Manipulate
Version 6 of Mathematica introduces the Manipulate command, which allows the user to create a
dynamic interface (with sliders or buttons that can be manipulated in real time). Like Plot, Manipug
late takes two arguments. The first is the expression to be manipulated, the second is an iterator
which specifies the span of values that the controller variable is to assume. Here’s an example:

In[31]:= Manipulate$x2  1, x, 3, 3(

x
Out[31]=

You can now move the slider with your mouse to control the value assumed by x, and watch as the
value of x2  1 is displayed in real time. This is far more interesting to play with than it is to read
about, so be sure to try it! Click on the  button to the right of the slider to reveal a more sophisti-
cated user control panel:
 1.10 Typing Commands in Mathematica 17

x
3

As you mouseover each button on the panel, a tooltip message will display on screen with a brief
explanation of that button’s function. Go ahead and try each button in turn to get a feel for what
you can do. You can even type a value for the variable x into the input field and hit Return (Mac) or
Enter (Windows PC) to see the value of x2  1 in the display area.

Here’s a more interesting example:

10
In[32]:= Manipulate%Plot%a x Cos% ), x, 2, 2, PlotRange ‘ 2), a, 2, 2)
x

Out[32]=

2 1 1 2

1

2

As you type this input, be sure to leave a space between the a, the x, and Cos. The setting Plotg
Range ‘ 2 has been added after the second argument in the Plot command to fix the viewing
rectangle between 2 and 2 in both the x and y directions. This is needed so that the scaling on the
y axis does not change as the slider moves. You can find the ‘ symbol on the BasicMathInput
palette. Manipulate is explored in greater depth in Section 3.4 on page 76.

Square Root Function

Here you have two choices. You can use the square root button on the BasicMathInput palette:
18 Getting Started

In[33]:= 144

Out[33]= 12

Or you can forgo the palette approach and type Sqrt[x] to get the square root of x:

In[34]:= Sqrt#144'

Out[34]= 12

¿ It is a fact that every palette button with a placeholder (such as the square root button) has an
equivalent syntax that may be typed entirely from the keyboard. In most cases you will find
the palette version of the command easier to use. However, if you are a good typist and use
Mathematica frequently you may find it easier to work from the keyboard more rather than
less. If you ever want to know the name of the InputForm of a palette command, follow this
procedure: First use the palette version of the command to create an input cell. Then use a
single click of your mouse to highlight the cell bracket for the cell. Go to the Cell menu and
select Convert to # InputForm from the pop-up menu. You will see the two-dimensional
formatted command replaced by its InputForm alternative. In the future, you can just type
the InputForm of the command directly instead of using the palette.

Real and Imaginary Parts of Complex Numbers

Every complex number is of the form a  bÇ, where Ç represents the square root of 1. The real part
of the number is a, and the imaginary part is b. You can extract the real and imaginary parts of
complex numbers with the commands Re and Im.

In[35]:= Re#2  3Ç'

Out[35]= 2

In[36]:= Im#2  3Ç'

Out[36]= 3

In[37]:= Re$+2  3Ç/6 (

Out[37]= 2035

Extracting Digits from a Number

The command IntegerDigits will produce a list of the digits appearing in an integer.

In[38]:= IntegerDigits#2010'

Out[38]= 2, 0, 1, 0
 1.10 Typing Commands in Mathematica 19

The output is a list; it is comprised of items (digits in this case) enclosed in curly brackets and
separated by commas. Lists such as this are a fundamental data structure in Mathematica. Many
commands will produce lists as output and accept lists as input. Lists are so ubiquitous that many
operations that work on numbers will automatically be distributed over lists. For instance, we can
add 1 to every member of a list like this:

In[39]:= 1  2, 0, 1, 0

Out[39]= 3, 1, 2, 1

FromDigits will take a list of digits and assemble them back into a number.

In[40]:= FromDigits#2, 0, 1, 0'

Out[40]= 2010

Programming
The real utility of commands such as these lies in the ability to take the output of one and use it as
the input to another. Putting commands together in a way that does something useful is known as
programming. Mathematica is, among other things, a rich programming environment. Here we take a
number and form a new number by adding 1 to each of the original number’s digits:

In[41]:= FromDigits$1  IntegerDigits#2010'(

Out[41]= 3121

Think about how little code is required to do that, and then think how you might accomplish the
same task in some other programming language, or in Excel.

The following input illustrates this embedding of commands, one within another, but taken to
another level:

3
In[42]:= ArrayPlot%NestList%Function%x, IntegerDigits%Floor% FromDigits#x, 2'), 2)),
2
1, 0, 200), Background ‘ Gray)
20 Getting Started

Out[42]=

While what’s happening here is far beyond what one needs to know at this early stage, it is possible,
with a bit of perseverance, to see what is going on. We read from the inside out: starting with x,
which represents the base–2 digit sequence of a number, it multiplies the number (FromDigits[x, 2])
3
by , rounds down if the result is not a whole number, then displays its IntegerDigits base–2. This
2
is invoked successively, starting on the number 2 (i.e., the number whose IntegerDigits are 1, 0),
and then on the result, and then on the result of that, a total of 200 times. So beginning with 2, one
3 3 3
next gets of 2, i.e., 3, then of 3 (rounded down), or 4, then of 4, i.e., 6, and so on. The num-
2 2 2
bers are displayed in base–2, one above the other as successive rows in an array, with zeros repre-
sented by white squares and ones represented by black squares. Chapter 8 presents the basic com-
mands used here in more detail.

Naming Things
It is easy to assign names to quantities in Mathematica, and then use those names to refer to the
quantities later. This is useful in many situations. For instance, you may want to assign a name to a
complicated expression to avoid having to type it again and again. To make an assignment, type the
name (perhaps a lowercase letter, or a Greek character, or even an entire word), followed by =,
followed by the quantity to which the name should be attached. For example (look for T in the
BasicMathInput palette):
 1.10 Typing Commands in Mathematica 21

S
In[43]:= T
6
S
Out[43]=
6
S
Now whenever you place T in an input cell, Mathematica will replace it with :
6

In[44]:= T
S
Out[44]=
6

In[45]:= Sin#T'
1
Out[45]=
2

In[46]:= Sin#2T'

3
Out[46]=
2

In[47]:= Tan#4T'

Out[47]=  3

You can (and should) clear an assignment when you are done. This is accomplished with the Clear
command:

In[48]:= Clear#T'

No output will be produced when you enter the Clear command. You can check that no value is
attached to the symbol T by typing it into an input cell:

In[49]:= T

Out[49]= T

For a second example, we can assign to p the value of S rounded to 39 decimal places (the 3 fol-
lowed by 39 decimal places makes a total of 40 significant digits):

In[50]:= p N#S, 40'

Out[50]= 3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197

Using this approximation of S, we can approximate the area of a circle of radius 2:

22 Getting Started

In[51]:= p 22

Out[51]= 12.56637061435917295385057353311801153679

Note how Mathematica, in performing a calculation involving an approximate number p and an exact
number 22 , returns an approximate number with the same number of significant digits as p.

In[52]:= Clear$p(

For a final example, we’ll assign values to words. Each word is treated as a separate entity. The terms
miles and hour are not given values, but distance is assigned the value 540 miles, and time is
assigned the value 6 hour:

In[53]:= distance 540 miles

Out[53]= 540 miles

In[54]:= time 6 hour

Out[54]= 6 hour

distance
In[55]:= rate
time
90 miles
Out[55]=
hour

We can clear all of these assignments in one shot with the Clear command—just put a comma
between each successive pair of names:

In[56]:= Clear#distance, time, rate'

Since all built-in Mathematica objects begin with capital letters, it’s a good practice to make all your
names lowercase letters, or words that begin with lowercase letters. This practice assures that you
will never accidentally assign a name that Mathematica has reserved for something else. The only
Greek character that has a built-in value is S. All others make perfectly good names. You’ll find
these characters in the Special Characters palette.

It is also permissible to use numbers in your names, provided that a number is not the first charac-
ter. For instance, you might use the names x1 and x2. It is not alright to use the name 2x, for that
means 2 — x.
 1.11 Saving Your Work and Quitting Mathematica 23

1.11 Saving Your Work and Quitting Mathematica

Say you want to save a notebook that you created. Let’s suppose that it is a freshly created notebook
that has not been saved previously. Go to the File menu and select Save. You will be prompted by
the computer and asked two things: What name do you want to give the notebook, and where
would you like the computer to put it? Give it any name you like (it is good form to append the
suffix “.nb” which stands for “notebook”), and save it to an appropriate location. The details of this
procedure vary somewhat from one platform to the next (Mac OS, Windows, etc.), so ask a friendly
soul for assistance if you are unfamiliar with the computer in front of you. Keep in mind that the
saving and naming routine isn’t a Mathematica thing; it’s a process that will be similar for every
program on the computer you are using. Anyone who is familiar with the platform will be able to
help.

¿ The file size of a Mathematica notebook tends to be quite small unless the notebook contains
lots of graphics. Notebook files are also portable across computer platforms, as the files
themselves are plain text (ascii) files. The Mathematica front end interprets and displays
notebook files in much the same way that a Web browser interprets and displays HTML files.
For information on the structure of the underlying notebook file, select Documentation
Center from the Help menu, type “notebooks as Mathematica expressions” in the text field,
then read the tutorial Notebooks as Mathematica Expressions.

If you have created a large notebook file, and want to shrink its file size (for instance to make
it small enough to attach to an email) do this: Open the notebook and delete the graphics
cells. To do this, click once on a graphic’s cell bracket to select it, then choose Cut in the Edit
menu. Do not cut out the input cells that generated the graphics. Now save the notebook.
When you open the notebook next time, you can regenerate any graphic by entering the
input cell that created it. An even simpler approach is to select Cell # Delete all Output , and
then save your notebook. When you open the file later, select Evaluation # Evaluate Note–
book to re-evaluate every input cell in the notebook.

After a notebook has been saved once, the title bar will bear the name you have assigned. As you
continue to work and modify the notebook, you can and should save it often. This is easy to do:
choose Save from the File menu. This will write the latest version of the notebook to the location
where the file was last saved. Should the power fail during a session, or should your computer crash
for some reason, it is the last saved version of your notebook that will survive. Many hardened souls
will save every few minutes.

To end a Mathematica session, select Quit from the application’s main menu. If you have modified
your notebook since it was last saved, you will be prompted and asked if you care to save the
changes you have made since it was last saved. Answer Save or Don't Save as appropriate.
24 Getting Started

1.12 Frequently Asked Questions About Mathematica’s Syntax

Why Do All Mathematica Command Names Begin with Capital Letters?

Mathematica is case-sensitive, and every one of the thousands of built-in Mathematica commands
begins with a capital letter. So do all built-in constants, built-in option settings, and so on. In fact,
every built-in Mathematica symbol of any kind that has a name begins with a capital letter (or the $
or \ characters). Taken together, there are over 3000 such objects.

In[1]:= Length#Names#" "''

Out[1]= 3043

Why capital letters? The main reason is that you will find yourself assigning names to quantities,
such as x 3 or pi 3.14. Since you don’t know the name of every built-in object, there is a danger
that you may choose a name that coincides with the name of a built-in command or constant.
Without getting into the technicalities, that would be bad. But it can be avoided if you simply stick
to the convention of beginning all your assignment names with lowercase letters. By doing this you
guarantee that you will never choose a name that conflicts with any existing Mathematica symbol.

Why Does My Input Appear in Color as I Type?

Mathematica is ruthless in its demand for precise typing. Syntax coloring is an aid to help you
navigate these perilous waters. Symbols that are not in the system’s memory appear in blue. So as
you type a command such as Factor, it will be blue until the final r is added, at which point it turns
black. If it doesn’t turn black—oops, you mistyped it. When you use = to define your own symbols,
they too will turn black upon being entered. Brackets need to come in pairs, with each opening
bracket having a matching closing bracket somewhere down the line. An opening bracket appears
brightly colored, and turns black only when its mate has been appropriately placed. If your input
has any brightly colored brackets it’s not ready for entry. If you close a bracket too early, you may
see a disturbing red caret. For instance:

In[2]:= Plot#x '

Plot::argr : Plot called with 1 argument; 2 arguments are expected. j

Out[2]= Plot#x'

The caret indicates that you forgot something; Plot needs two arguments (a function and iterator),
and here we did not add the iterator. The caret points to where you need to type something.
 1.12 Frequently Asked Questions About Mathematica’s Syntax 25

Why Are the Arguments of Commands Enclosed in Square Brackets?

The numerical approximation command N is an example of what a mathematician calls a function;
that is, it converts an argument x to an output N[x]. In Mathematica, all functions enclose their
arguments in square brackets [ ], always.

You may recall that in our usual mathematical notation, we often write f +x/ to denote the value of
the function f with argument x. This won’t do in Mathematica, for parentheses ( ) are reserved for
grouping terms. When you write f +12/, for instance, it is not clear whether you intend for a function
named f to be evaluated at 12, or whether you want the product of a variable named f with 12. Since
parentheses are routinely used for these two very different purposes, the traditional notation is
ambiguous. You and I can usually flesh out the meaning of the notation f +12/ from its context, but
a computer needs unambiguous instructions. Hence in Mathematica, square brackets are used to
enclose function arguments, while parentheses are used to group terms.

When working with Mathematica, never use round parentheses for anything other than grouping
terms, and never use square brackets for anything other than enclosing the arguments to functions.

What Happens If I Use Incorrect Syntax?

If you want to find the natural log of 7.3, you must type Log[7.3], not log(7.3), not Log(7.3), not
log[7.3], not ln[7.3], and not anything else.

What happens if you slip and muff the syntax? First of all, don’t worry. This will happen to you. The
computer won’t explode. For example, behold:

In[3]:= Log#7.3

Here our input is close enough to the correct syntax that Mathematica suspects that we goofed, and
tells us so. Upon entering an incomplete or erroneous input, version 6 and higher will show a
warning flag in the expression’s cell bracket, and will often highlight the offending part of the
input. Click once on the warning flag and any relevant warning messages will be displayed.

In[3]:= Log#7.3
Syntax::bktmcp : Expression "Log#7.3" has no closing "'".

Syntax::sntxi : Incomplete expression; more input is needed.

You will certainly generate messages like this at some point, so its good to acquaint yourself with
some. Error messages are somewhat cryptic to the new user, and are rarely a welcome sight. But do
read the text of these messages, for you will often be able to make enough sense out of them to find
the source of the problem. In this case we left off the closing square bracket. Note that as you type
your input, each opening bracket will appear brightly colored until the corresponding closing
bracket is added, at which time both brackets will turn black. This makes mistakes of this type easy
to spot. If an expression has one or more brightly colored brackets, it is incomplete and should not
be entered.
26 Getting Started

But worse than getting an error message or input flag is getting neither. It is not difficult to enter
syntactically correct, but meaningless input. For example, consider this:

In[4]:= ln +7.3/

Out[4]= 7.3 ln

No warning is given (other than the command name ln appearing in blue before the cell is entered),
but the output is not the natural logarithm of 7.3. Mathematica has instead multiplied the
meaningless symbol ln by the number 7.3 (remember round brackets are for grouping only). Always
look carefully and critically at your output. There will certainly be times when you need to go back
and edit and re-enter your input before you get the answer you desire.
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looked as if it was capable of doing some wicked work.
“You see I’m the boss around Rock Island,” went on Carney, “and I
don’t take any talk from any one. I want you to get out at once.”
And saying this, he stepped back and pointed the gun at my head.
I did not think he meant to fire it. He thought he would scare me;
that was all. But it was not pleasant to have the barrel in line with
my head, and I stepped back and out of range.
“Now get on board of your sloop, and pull up anchor,” continued
Carney. “I don’t want any more talk.”
While he was speaking I watched my chance, and as he lowered
the gun I rushed forward, grasped it with both hands, and pulled it
away from him.
“Here! give me back that gun!” he exclaimed, as I retreated.
“Not a bit of it!” I returned. “You’ll find that two can play at that
game.”
And I brought up the barrel of the weapon on a level with his
breast.
“Don’t shoot!”
“I don’t intend to if you behave yourself. Just you march over to
your right.”
“What for?”
“Never mind; do as I tell you.”
With very bad grace Carney did as I had directed. When he had
reached a point fully fifteen yards away I told him to halt. The spot
was in the midst of a number of barren rocks, and here I felt sure
that I could watch him.
“Now I am going to take a look at your boat,” I went on. “Don’t
you dare to move while I do so.”
“Won’t do you any good,” he muttered.
 Without replying, I made my way through the rough brush and
over the rocks to where the mast of the boat could be seen. It was
but a short distance, and soon I stood face to face with the hidden
craft.
For an instant I did not recognize her. The blue-and-white hull had
given way to one of red, and the name had been scratched and
covered with several coats of paint; but the general appearance of
the deck and rigging had not been changed, and I was certain that
the craft was the missing Catch Me.
Had I come a day later, the job of transformation would have been
complete, and the sloop might have been lost to me forever. I
counted myself lucky at having made the trip of investigation as
soon as I had.
An instant later I looked around to see if Carney was where I left
him, and I was chagrined to note that he had disappeared.
 CHAPTER VIII.
A BLOW FROM BEHIND.

For an instant I did not know what to do. Carney had vanished,
and that, I was satisfied, boded no good to me.
With my gun ready for use, I picked my way back to the rock
nearest to my boat, intending to embark at once. The man was
probably not alone on the island, and had gone off for assistance.
Perhaps he would soon appear with the other two men Tom Darrow
had mentioned.
But as I jumped aboard my boat another surprise awaited me.
Carney was hidden under an old sail forward, and I had hardly set
foot upon deck when he jumped up and struck me a cruel blow from
behind.
“Take that for interfering with me!” he cried.
I caught but a glimpse of him; then came the blow, and I saw
millions of stars. I staggered forward, and for a while my senses
forsook me.
I think I remained unconscious at least a quarter of an hour. When
I came to I found myself lying on the bottom of my sloop.
Somewhat confused from the rough treatment I had received, I
raised my head and looked around me. Water was on every hand,
and I saw that the craft had been shoved off from the island, and
sent drifting down the lake.
As soon as I was able I ran up the mainsail, and then stood over
for the west shore. There was no use returning to Rock Island for
the present.
 Carney had his gun once more, and would not now hesitate to use
it. I must get some one to help me before going back for my
property.
I turned the matter over in my mind, and then decided to return
to the mill, leave the groceries and Mr. Norton’s tobacco, and then
sail down to the Bend for Tom Darrow, and perhaps one or two
others with whom I was well acquainted, and who I knew would
help me.
As I skimmed over the surface of the lake I decided not to tell Mr.
Norton of what had happened and of what I intended to do. It was
none of his affair, and he would no doubt claim the boat as part of
the estate under his charge. Perhaps I was not doing right according
to law, but I was no lawyer, and I thought I could run matters quite
as well as he could.
The distance to the mill-landing was soon covered, and then I
lowered the sail and prepared to tie up. As I did so I saw two
strange men walk out of the mill-room, followed by my newly arrived
relative.
I knew every man, woman, and child in the region, and I was sure
the two men were total strangers in the lake district. They were
short, small built, well dressed; and I could not imagine what had
brought them to the place.
The spot where I had tied up was partly hidden from the mill by a
number of bushes and trees. I saw that the painter was properly
fastened, and then walked slowly towards my home.
“Yes, there is no use of waiting any longer,” I overheard one of the
men say. “We have made enough mistakes already. Delay will mean
more.”
“Then you intend to go ahead to-night?” asked the voice of Mr.
Norton anxiously.
“Yes. By the way, how do you get on with the boy?”
 “Pretty well. He’s rather high-strung. I expect him back any
moment. I sent him over to Bend Center for some tobacco.”
“Good. Come, Bill; let’s be off before he returns.”
“Just as you say, Dick. You are running this deal, not I.”
And with these words the two men passed out of hearing, and
made for the boat I had seen anchored in the inlet when I had gone
down to the Bend in the morning.
This conversation surprised me not a little. At first I had intended
to come forward and show myself, but now I was glad I had not
done so.
Who were the two men? and what was their mission to the mill?
Plainly they were well known to Mr. Norton; and yet he had just
come from the West, and had not been in Bend Center for many
years.
Perhaps these men were also from the West, and, knowing Mr.
Norton was at the mill, had stopped over, most likely from Bayport,
to see him. This was a rather lame explanation, and it by no means
satisfied me. As to what was to be “gone ahead with” that night I
had not the faintest idea.
Ordinarily I would not have given the entire matter any attention;
but, as I have said, Mr. Norton’s way of doing things did not suit me,
and I was anxious to find out something about him, and what I was
to expect from him in the future.
I waited for several minutes after the men had gone, and then
making rather more noise than was necessary, walked up to the mill.
Mr. Norton met me at the door. “Back at last, I see,” he said. “Got
that tobacco?”
“Yes, sir;” and I handed it over.
“Good. I’m nearly dead for a smoke. Do you use the weed?”
“No, sir.”
 “That’s right. Never start. It’s costly, and does a fellow no good.”
I took the groceries I had brought, and put them in the pantry. Mr.
Norton filled his pipe, and began to puff away vigorously.
“Always have to smoke when I’m thinking,” he remarked as he
blew a cloud of smoke to the ceiling.
I was on the point of asking him the subject of his thoughts, but
checked myself.
“What are you going to do now?” he inquired.
“If I can, I would like to get off for the rest of the day,” I returned.
“Has that grinding got to be done?”
“No, sir; to-morrow will do.”
“Then you can go. I didn’t think about this news of your father’s
death being so new to you, or I wouldn’t have asked you to go to
work to-day. Fact is, I’m all upset with traveling around. That’s what
riled my temper up last night.”
“I’m not used to such treatment,” I could not help remarking.
“I suppose your father was very easy. Well, we’ll let what’s gone
alone, and take a new start. What time do you expect to be back?”
“Some time this evening.”
“All right.”
“By the way,” I went on, as I walked towards the door, “weren’t
there two men here just before I came?”
Mr. Norton jumped to his feet.
“What’s that?” he exclaimed in surprise.
I repeated my question.
“I didn’t see them,” he answered. “What made you think they
were here?”
 His reply rather staggered me. I had not expected so deliberate a
falsehood.
“I thought I saw them,” I said simply.
“Must have been mistaken. Nobody here since you went away.”
I walked down to the sloop in a thoughtful frame of mind. What
did this false statement mean? Surely there was some mystery
connected with the visit of the two strangers,—a mystery that Mr.
Norton was anxious to conceal.
I was half inclined to turn back and find out what was “in the
wind;” but I concluded that for the present it would be useless to do
so. No one but my uncle was about, and he would not tell me a
word.
When I reached the pier at the Bend I found Tom Darrow at his
accustomed place, disposing of a big mess of fish he had caught
during the morning. I told him of what had happened at the island,
and he agreed to go with me without delay.
“Never mind taking anybody else,” he said. “I know Andy Carney.
He is a rough customer, but a regular coward at heart. When he
sees that we mean business he’ll cave right in.”
“I trust it is as you say, Tom,” I replied. “He was pretty ugly this
noon.”
“We’ll manage him, never fear.”
“If we get the sloop, I wish you would take charge of her for me,”
I continued. “I don’t care to take her down to the mill-landing.”
“I will, Rube.”
Tom jumped aboard, and we were off and up the lake. It was now
getting well on in the afternoon, and by the time we approached the
island the sun was setting.
“We’ll have to be careful,” I said; “Carney may be on the lookout
for us.”
 “He wouldn’t dare to fire at us,” laughed Darrow.
But I shook my head. Carney was a desperate character, and I
would have felt safer had I had a gun on board, which,
unfortunately, was not the case.
At length we rounded the south shore of Rock Island, and stood
up for the north end. As we did so Darrow drew attention to another
craft directly ahead.
“There’s a boat I’ve seen a number of times in the past few days,”
he said. “If I ain’t mistaken it’s the same I saw towing that raft
behind it—the raft that I guess was the Catch Me on her side.”
I looked, and was sure I had seen the boat before. Then we ran
closer to her, and just as we passed around a bend I caught sight of
the boat’s side, and recognized her as the same craft the two
strangers had used on their visit to the mill.
 CHAPTER IX.
THE TWO STRANGERS.

The discovery I made was totally unexpected, and for the moment
I did not know what to make of it. Darrow noticed my peculiar look,
and asked what was up.
“That’s just what I would like to know, Tom,” I replied. “Let us run
in here out of sight. I want to tell you something.”
I pointed to a cove close at hand, and the old fisherman turned
and we swept behind the bushes.
“You are sure that is the same boat you saw towing the sloop?” I
questioned eagerly.
“Guess I am. My eyes don’t deceive me very often, though they
are getting old.”
“Is the boat a strange one around the Bend?”
“Yes; but it belongs on the lake.”
“Is it Carney’s?”
“Maybe it is. But did you see it around the island when you were
here before?”
“No; it was over at the mill.”
And I told him what I knew of the boat and the two men who had
sailed her.
“Well, that’s strange,” he said. “Most likely the two chaps are on
board now.”
“If so, what are they doing here?” I demanded.
 “That’s to be found out,” returned Darrow slowly. “It’s more than
likely they ain’t up to no good—with all due respect to your uncle,”
he added hastily.
“Never mind about that,” I said. “To tell you the truth, I don’t like
Mr. Norton one bit. He treated me like a dog from the start, and
there is something in my breast that tells me that he does not mean
me well.”
And I told the old fisherman of all I had gone through since the
sad news of my father’s death had been received.
He was deeply interested and highly indignant by the time I had
finished.
“Ford was right,” he burst out; “I wouldn’t mind helping him to a
ride on a rail myself. He ain’t fit to be the guardian of a cow. You will
have to watch him, or he’ll spend the proceeds of your father’s
estate on himself. If I were you I’d make him prove that he loaned
all the money to your father that he says he has.”
“I’ve been thinking about that. I imagine all the business ought to
be brought before the court.”
“So it had. If I was you I’d go over to Squire Slocum’s house some
time, and state the case.”
“So I will.” I paused for a moment. “But we are off the track for
the present. We must go ahead, and see if these two men are in
league with Carney.”
“They must be,” said Darrow, as we allowed my sloop to forge
ahead again. “If not, how could they have his boat?”
“They might have hired it, and left him waiting for them on the
island,” I suggested.
But I did not believe such to be a fact, and Darrow agreed with
me. The three were evidently banded together, and for no good
purpose.
 At length the sloop ahead disappeared up the mouth of a long
inlet. Seeing this, we allowed my craft to come up to the bank some
distance behind, and here I tied fast, and we went ashore.
“Now let us be careful,” I whispered. “I want to see what the three
are up to without being seen.”
“All right; I’ll be as careful as a cat,” responded Darrow.
We picked our way around the rocks and through the bushes
silently. Presently the murmur of voices broke upon my sharpened
ears, and I knew we were drawing close to our objective point. I
placed my hand on the fisherman’s shoulder as a signal for him to
halt, and listened with all attention.
“Hullo, Carney!” some one suddenly called.
There was no answer, and the cry was repeated.
“Hullo! Is that you, friends?” came back the reply.
“Yes. Where are you?”
“This way.” There was a moment’s pause, and then the party of
three were joined. “You’ve been pretty long, strangers,” went on
Carney.
“We had to fix a number of things,” was the reply.
“Did you get everything straight?”
“Pretty much so,” replied the fellow who had been addressed as
Dick.
“Good for you, Mr. Avery!”
I was intensely interested in this bit of conversation. It proved
beyond a doubt that Mr. Norton and the two strangers were in
league together and that Carney was in the circle. The four were up
to no good; but what their plans were for the future was not yet
made plain.
“How are you getting on with your boat?” went on Yates the third
man.
 “Slowly.” Carney paused for a moment. “I’ve had a visitor since
you’ve been gone.”
Both men were surprised.
“Who?” both asked in a breath.
“Reuben Stone.”
Yates and Avery uttered an exclamation.
“You don’t mean it!” cried the latter.
“It’s so.”
“What did he want?”
“Wanted the boat. He said it belonged to him. He rescued the
people who were on board, and they gave him the craft for the
service.”
“Well, that’s the oddest thing I ever came across!” ejaculated
Yates. “Norton didn’t say anything about the boy coming over here.
What did you do?”
“Sent the boy about his business. Told him the boat wasn’t
anywhere near the island.”
It will readily be seen from the above that Andy Carney knew how
to draw upon his imagination. I could not help but smile at his
version of our meeting.
“You are sure the boy knows nothing about the boat being here?”
“Positive.”
“Because we don’t want him to be nosing about here later on.”
“Don’t fear about that. I’m going to take her away as soon as I
can. Do you men want to get over to Bayport now?”
“Yes,” replied Yates. “Land us about half a mile above the town.”
“All right.”
 The three men moved off towards the place where the sloop had
been left. They passed close to where Darrow and I were in hiding.
For an instant I thought we would be discovered, but then they
disappeared around the rocks.
“We will follow them,” I whispered.
“Don’t you want to stay behind and get the boat?” asked Darrow.
“Yes; but I want to see them off first.”
So silently as shadows we followed the trio to the shore, and saw
them enter Carney’s boat.
In doing this they ran within half a dozen yards of where my own
craft was tied up. For an instant my heart stood in my throat. Would
they see her? If so, what would be the consequence?
But the three did not notice the craft, and soon they were a
goodly distance from the shore. With a sigh of relief I rose from my
cramped position, and told Darrow to follow me.
In a moment we were within sight of the Catch Me. Since I had
been gone Carney had been working like a beaver changing her
appearance. He had shortened her mast and spars, put a different
kind of a top to the cabin, and finished the painting.
“In a day more, no one would be able to recognize her,” I said. “I
suppose he thought he would be safe after he had finished his
work.”
“It’s a big swindle!” cried Darrow. “But you’ll cut him off short. No
doubt he intends to come back for her as soon as he has landed
those two men, who, to my guessing, are no good.”
“That’s just my idea. Well, we’ll get the best of him this time. New
paint or not, I must get the boat out of this inlet, and tow her over
to the Torrent Bend shore.”
“That’s the talk. Come, we’ll get to work without delay.”
“But you may get all paint, Tom,” I protested.
 “I won’t mind that; I’ve got on my old clothes. Come ahead. Won’t
Carney be surprised when he finds the boat gone!”
“He might have expected that I would be back.”
“But he didn’t expect you quite so soon. Of course he run a risk,
but now he thinks it is all right. No doubt he will keep an eye on all
boats steering for the island while he is making the run to Bayport.”
We were soon at work on the Catch Me. I got out the anchor
rope, and by hard tugging we managed to slide the craft off the
rocks upon which she was partly resting.
Then by taking off our shoes and stockings, and wading in the
shallow water, we dragged her out of the inlet, and anchored her
some distance from shore.
After this I made my way across the island to where I had left my
small craft. I soon had her untied and over to the spot where I
wanted her. Darrow then came on board, and we fastened the
painter to the bow of the Catch Me, and started for the shore above
the mill.
“I don’t want to take her where Mr. Norton can see her,” I
explained. “I want to keep her out of sight until I’ve seen Squire
Slocum, and got his advice about my father’s estate. Even if the man
is my uncle I don’t like him, and his actions seem very suspicious.”
It did not take us long to cover the distance from Rock Island to
the shore. Here I knew of a pretty little cove, well hidden by bushes,
that was rarely visited. I ran into it, and there secured the Catch Me,
intending to let her remain there until matters were more settled all
around.
“Now if you are done with me I’ll leave you right here,” said
Darrow as I was about to go back to my small boat. “I want to go up
the main road a bit, and see Gus Hallett.”
A moment later I was left alone. I hoisted sail, and was soon
standing down to the mill landing. As I approached, another boat
rounded the bend. I saw that it contained two strangers, and Ben
Pointer the Bend Center constable.
“There is Stone now,” I heard Pointer say.
“Is it? Then arrest him on the spot,” returned one of the strangers.
“I am sure he is the thief.”
 CHAPTER X.
A SURPRISE.

I was never so astonished in my life as when I heard one of the

new-comers in the boat order the constable to arrest me at once. I
had done no wrong, and I could not make the matter out.
“Hullo, Stone!” sang out Constable Pointer. “Hold up; we want to
see you.”
“I’m going to tie up at the landing,” I replied; and as I spoke I
lowered the sail.
The two men in the other boat did the same, and soon all hands
were standing on the little wharf.
“What do you want of me, Pointer?” I inquired, looking from one
to the other of the three men.
“He’s going to arrest you, young man,” replied the elder of the two
others.
“Arrest me! What for?”
“You know well enough.”
“I haven’t the least idea,” I returned. “I haven’t done anything
wrong.”
“Too thin! Do you know who I am?”
“I do not.”
“My name is Williams—Richard Williams, and I’m the owner of the
Catch Me, the craft you have stolen.”
I was rather surprised at this speech, but relieved to think that I
was not accused of some other crime.
 “I did not steal your boat, Mr. Williams,” I replied as calmly as I
could.
“I have pretty plain evidence that you did,” returned the boat-
owner warmly.
“Nevertheless, you are mistaken, and you ought to know it.”
“I ought to know it? Young man, what do you mean?”
“Didn’t Mr. Markham pay you for the boat?”
“Pay me! Not a cent, sir; not a cent!”
I was surprised.
“He didn’t pay you?” I gasped.
“No, he didn’t; and besides, even if he did, the boat is still mine.
When a man hires a boat for a day he isn’t supposed to keep her
forever.”
“Do you mean to say he didn’t even pay you for hiring her?” I
asked faintly.
“No, he didn’t; and you know it. He was the biggest rogue at the
hotel, and when he left he owed me nearly fifty dollars for boat-
hire.”
The news actually staggered me. Mr. Markham a fraud! I could not
believe it.
“Well, he told me he would pay you for the boat, and then she
should be mine,” I explained. “I saved him and his family from
drowning when the boat went over. He even wanted me to take a
reward besides, and took me to the bank to get the money.”
“And did he get the money?” questioned Mr. Williams.
“No; he had some difficulty, and”—
“Rather guess he did have some difficulty,” sneered the boat-
owner.
 “That man was nothing more nor less than a swindler,” put in the
constable. “He tried his best to do the bank out of several thousand
dollars.”
“I can hardly believe it,” I replied. “He looked every inch a
gentleman.”
“Where is the boat?” demanded Mr. Williams.
“She is just in the cove above, sir. I suppose, then, she doesn’t
belong to me,” I added, with a sinking heart.
“Hardly, young man; unless you want to pay four hundred dollars
for her.”
“I couldn’t pay four hundred cents.”
Considerably downcast, I led the way to where the Catch Me rode
at anchor.
All my high hopes concerning her and what I might realize by a
sale melted away.
“Then you didn’t take her on purpose?” asked Pointer, as we
walked along.
“Certainly not,” I replied. “I thought she was my property.”
“It’s quite likely men are giving away such valuable presents,”
sneered the man who had not yet spoken.
“Nevertheless, he appeared wealthy enough to do so, and he said
I could have her,” I cried hotly. “I wouldn’t steal a pin!”
There was no reply to this, and presently we came in sight of the
Catch Me.
“That my boat?” ejaculated Mr. Williams.
“That’s the Catch Me,” I replied. “Some men tried to steal her and
alter her appearance.”
“A likely story! This is some of your own work”—
“It is not!”
 “And I say it is. I believe you are in with this Markham,” stormed
Mr. Williams. “You towed the boat in here, and expected to fix her up
in such a fashion that no one would know her again. Pointer, I want
him arrested.”
I started back. The word arrest sent a chill through my body.
“Believe me or not, Mr. Williams, I am innocent,” I cried. “Mr.
Markham gave me this boat—at least he said I could have her. I
went on a hunt for her, and took Tom Darrow the fisherman with
me. I found that a fellow named Andy Carney had taken her to Rock
Island, and was at work on her. We waited till Carney and his chums,
two in number, had left the island, and then we hooked fast and
dragged her over here. That’s the whole story, and it’s the truth.”
And I looked the boat-owner squarely in the eye as I spoke.
My manner had an effect upon him. He bit his lip.
“You say Darrow helped you find the boat?” he asked.
“Yes, sir. If you don’t believe it, ask him. Every one in the Bend
knows Tom wouldn’t lie about it.”
“And you say a fellow named Carney took the boat in the first
place?”
“Yes, sir. He had two strangers with him.”
“Then if your story is true I will have Pointer arrest that man. This
mutilation of my property is shameful. But you must come along and
prove your story.”
“Tom Darrow isn’t at the Bend now. He left to call on Gus Hallett,
who lives about half a mile up the main road.”
“Is he there now?”
“I think so.”
“We’ll go up and see him at once,” said Mr. Williams.
Leaving the other man in charge of the Catch Me, with instructions
to sail her over to Bayport, the boat-owner told the constable and
me to lead the way.
We met Darrow just coming away from the Hallett cottage. He
was surprised to see me, and more surprised when I informed him
of the object of our coming.
“What! Rube steal that boat!” he exclaimed. “Why, Mr. Williams,
it’s plain to see you don’t know much about the Bend! The Stones
are every one of them as honest as a summer day is long.”
And then he told what he knew of the affair.
His statement corroborated mine so well that the boat-owner was
forced to believe that I had told him the truth; but he was still
indignant regarding the treatment the Catch Me had received, and
he made us promise to appear against Carney whenever wanted.
We then walked back to the mill-landing. As we did so, Mr. Norton
came out of the mill, and approached with a questioning look on his
face.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“Nothing much,” I replied briefly.
“There seems to be,” he went on.
“Who are you?” asked Mr. Williams.
“I am Enos Norton, this boy’s uncle and guardian.”
“Ah, indeed! Well, you can be thankful. We came very near
arresting the boy.”
Mr. Norton was greatly taken aback. He asked half a dozen
questions at once, and he grew pale at the mention of Carney’s
name.
“Have—have you arrested that man?” he faltered.
“No; but we’re going to,” replied Constable Pointer.
“Of course, of course,” said Mr. Norton uneasily. “He has done a
great wrong. Reuben, you should have told me that Mr. Markham
gave you the sloop.”
To this I made no reply. A little later Mr. Williams and Pointer went
on board their boat, and Darrow accompanied them. They were
bound for Bayport, and expected to catch Andy Carney on his return
to Rock Island.
I walked to the mill slowly, Mr. Norton following. I was deeply
perplexed. What did Mr. Markham mean by his course of action? Had
he really intended to dupe me, or was there some mistake?
Mr. Norton watched me closely, but said no more until we were
inside of the mill; then he slammed the door shut and faced me, his
face growing dark with passion.
“Reuben!” he cried, savagely.
“Well, sir?” I returned.
“I want to talk to you.”
“What about?”
“What do you mean by trying to play an under hand game on
me?” he demanded.
 CHAPTER XI.
MR. NORTON’S MOVE.

It was plain to see that Mr. Norton was deeply angered; indeed,
he seemed to be in as violent a rage as it is possible for a man to
attain. His teeth were tightly closed, and his hands twitched
nervously.
I made no reply to his last words, and then he went on,—
“Don’t you understand that I am your guardian, and that I am to
be informed of all your affairs?”
“I understand that you are to know all about the mill matters,” I
said evasively.
“And about your matters too. Why didn’t you tell me about the
boat, and your going after her?”
“Because I didn’t choose to do so, sir.”
I did not like his manner of speech, and I spoke defiantly. Had he
been more reasonable in his actions I should have answered him as
respectfully as was possible.
“You didn’t choose to do so?” he repeated.
“No, sir. It was my own private affair, and had nothing to do with
my father’s estate.”
“Humph! don’t you know that you are a minor?”
“I do know that.”
“And that you have nothing but what is included in your father’s
estate, and subject to the claims I have against it?”
“I don’t know what the law is on that point. I shall find out very
soon.”
 Mr. Norton changed color.
“What do you mean by that?” he asked in a low voice.
“I mean that I am going to see the proper authorities, and have
the case go on in the proper way.”
“Do you mean to say that you are going to see some lawyer?”
I nodded.
“You young fool, you! What good will that do?” he retorted.
“It may do a good deal of good. I don’t know anything about the
law, and I want matters straight.”
“You’ll incur a lot of unnecessary expense; that’s all. We can settle
this matter just as well between ourselves. I have bills for all that is
due me, and after these are paid the balance shall be held in trust
for you.”
I made no reply. Had Mr. Norton been a different kind of a man I
might have been satisfied with his plan, but I could not bring myself
to trust him.
“Did you hear what I said?” he demanded.
“I did, sir.”
“And agree to it?”
“No, sir; I am going to see Squire Slocum about the matter.”
“You will gain nothing by it.”
“I shall be better satisfied.”
“Do you mean to say that you don’t trust me?”
To this I made no reply.
“Answer me!”
“I’m going to have the thing settled by law, sir.”
“And how soon?” he sneered.
 “As soon as possible. I’ll go and see Squire Slocum to-morrow.”
I had hardly uttered the words when Mr. Norton grasped me by
the collar and jammed me up against the wall.
“You’ll do nothing of the kind!” he foamed. “I won’t have the
money squandered in court!”
“Let go of me!” I cried.
“No, I won’t; until you promise to behave and do as I say!”
“I—I—won’t promise.”
Mr. Norton’s grasp was a tight one, and I was in danger of
choking. I tried to break away, but he held me fast.
“You will promise!” he stormed. “I am not to be tricked by a boy!”
For reply I kicked out with my right boot as hard as I could. The
blow caught the man in the shin, and howling with pain he relaxed
his grip, and I squirmed away and made for the door.
“Stop! stop!”
“I won’t stop,” I returned, when I was at a safe distance. “I am
not to be treated like a dog.”
“Come here, Reuben! I’m not going to treat you like a dog. I only
want you to act reasonably.”
“I am acting reasonably.”
“No, you’re not. Come in here and get supper ready. It’s time we
had it—going on eight o’clock.”
What was I to do? I was tremendously hungry, and to a growing
boy his appetite is an important thing. I lingered on the doorstep.
“Come in here and prepare supper,” he repeated.
“Will you promise not to touch me if I do?”
“Yes, I’ll promise,” he replied somewhat doggedly.
 For an instant more I hesitated, and then I re-entered the living-
room of the mill. Mr. Norton did not offer to lay hands on me, and I
set to work getting the evening meal on the table.
“Do you know this Carney?” he asked after a long spell of silence.
“I know of him,” I replied briefly.
“Who were the other two men?” he went on, pulling out his pipe
and filling it.
“Strangers around here,” I said, but did not add that they were the
two that had called on him during my absence.
“Were they with this Carney when he went away?”
“Yes, sir.”
Mr. Norton got up and took several turns about the room.
“Got that supper ready?” he asked abruptly.
“Almost.”
“Well, hurry up! I want to go down to Bend Center this evening.”
“This evening!” I exclaimed. “It’s rather late.”
“Isn’t the tavern open?”
“I suppose it is.”
There was another period of silence, and we sat down to eat. I
wondered what had put Mr. Norton in the notion of going to the
Bend that night. Was he really going to the tavern, or was he going
to head me off by seeing Squire Slocum before I had the chance of
doing so?
It did not take him five minutes to finish, and then he arose and
put on his hat.
“Do you know the way?” I asked.
“Of course I do,” he snarled. “Didn’t I live here years ago?”
 That was true; and this put the thought into my mind that perhaps
he was going to call on some old acquaintance.
But then I remembered that one of the two strangers had said
that something was to be done that night. Did Mr. Norton propose to
take a hand in this?
“When will you be back?”
“In an hour or so. You had better go to bed. I suppose you are
tired.”
“Yes, sir.”
In a moment more Mr. Norton was gone, and I was left alone. I
cleared away the dishes, and then sat down in the big rocker to
think matters over.
I was confused over the things that had happened since Mr.
Norton’s arrival. His claims and the affair of the Catch Me bewildered
me. I was but a boy, brought up almost in the backwoods, and I
could not reason out what was going on.
But I was satisfied that something was wrong. It seemed to be in
the very air, and I could not help but feel it.
Then my mind reverted to my father’s untimely end, and I shed
bitter tears as I thought over how I had been thus suddenly left
alone in the world.
My meditations were interrupted by a heavy knock on the door. I
sprang to my feet, wondering who the visitor could be.
An instant later the knock was repeated, even louder than before.
I bade the person enter. The door swung open, and I found myself
face to face with Andy Carney!
I was startled, and stepped back. The fisherman saw that I was
alone, and he shut the door behind him and locked it.
“Carney!” I exclaimed.
 “Yes, it’s me,” he replied. “Guess, young fellow, you didn’t just
expect to have me call on you.” And he leered at me wickedly.
I began to feel uneasy at once. There was nothing at hand by
which I could defend myself.
“What do you want?” I asked, as coolly as I could.
“I come over to get even with you. What do you mean by setting
Rich Williams on my track?”
“Mr. Williams was after his boat.”
“Thought you said it was your boat?”
“I thought it was; but the man who gave it to me didn’t pay for it,
and so I had to give it up. Did you see Mr. Williams?”
“Did I see him?” The fellow uttered a short laugh. “Yes, I seen
him; and it was all I could do to get away. But I want you to
understand that you have got to shoulder this scrape. I’ve got
nothing to do with it.”
“You altered the boat,” I returned; “and you tried to steal her too.”
“Stop right there!” he cried. “Do you see this? I mean business.”
And as he spoke he drew out a pistol.
 CHAPTER XII.
A MIDNIGHT CRIME.

I saw the pistol, and I was properly alarmed. It is said that there
are those who can look in the barrel of such a weapon unflinchingly.
If so, I am not one of the kind.
I did my best to get out of range; and seeing this, Carney laughed
again.
“Scared you, did I?” he said.
“I don’t care to have a pistol pointed at me.”
“No, I suppose not, nor a gun either,” with another laugh.
“What do you want here?”
“I told you I’d come to get square with you.”
“What do you intend to do?”
“Anybody here with you?”
“None of your business!”
“Hold up there!”
And again the weapon was pointed at my head.
“This is my house, and I want you to leave it,” I returned as
steadily as I could.
“I’ll leave it when I please. Hullo there!” he shouted at the top of
his voice.
I expected to see some one enter in response to his call, but I was
mistaken.
 “Guess you are alone,” he went on after a pause. “Now tell me,
how much money have you got in the house?”
I was startled at this question. Undoubtedly the man meant to rob
me.
“Haven’t a dollar.”
“Come, now, no lying.”
“I have told you the truth.”
“Then I shall take a look around myself.”
“Did you come here to steal?” I demanded.
“None of your business! Sit down in that chair, and don’t you dare
to move until I tell you.”
And Carney emphasized his words with a shake of the pistol.
I sat down in the chair as directed, and the fisherman began a
rapid search of the apartment. It was not long before he came
across the hand-satchel Mr. Norton had carried when he arrived.
“Locked, eh?” he said, as he examined it. “Where is the key?”
“I haven’t it! It belongs to my uncle.”
“Your uncle! Where is he?”
“Just stepped out.”
“Glad you told me. I’ll get through before he returns.” Carney
stepped to the mantel-shelf and took off a number of small things of
value. “You are sure about that money?”
“I know I haven’t a dollar,” I returned.
“Turn out your pockets.”
“I’ll see you in Halifax first!” I burst out. “You sha’n’t go a step
farther in your doings, not if I have to die for it!”
And watching my chance, I sprang at the man, and pushed his
pistol aside.
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