d
I'll be with you," he observed.

Presently both of them were over in the water, which only came to their
knees.

"Ready, now, Will. When I say the word, turn on all speed astern. How
about it, pard?" Frank said to Jerry.

"Right, here," came the reply.

"Then go!"

After the motor started working, the two in the water lifted. Just as
Frank had anticipated, the thing was easy. Back went the _Jessamine_
with a rush; indeed, Jerry was not quick enough in trying to draw himself
aboard, and they left him there, marooned on the 'coon oyster bar.

"Hi, you! Come back here after me! Think I'm Bluff, and want a mortgage
on the whole blooming bed, don't you? Shove me the little dinghy, if
you're afraid of scratching more of the varnish off Cousin Archie's
boat!" he shouted.

"Hold on! Please wait! I want to get a picture of him standing there in
the big bay, just as if he owned the sea. It's Neptune, coming out of the
water, you know," called Will beseechingly.

So Jerry felt constrained to humor the artist, and assume a position
that, according to Will's idea, accorded with his condition of
lonesomeness.

"I think we'll just pole along, fellows, and not run the motor. I guess
we don't want to go very far in, anyhow, for we'll have the dickens of a
time getting out again in the morning," remarked Frank.

"There's some sort of a shack over yonder on the mainland," remarked
Will.

Frank took a look.

"Possibly the place where some of those turtlers put up when out after
their game. They keep the green turtles in what they call a 'crawl,'
until ready to set sail for Cedar Keys. I'm told we'll see lots of them
there," remarked Frank.

"I can see an old boat drawn up on shore, but not the first sign of life
about the place. There's a buzzard sitting on a dead tree--yes, a row of
'em! My! I hope there ain't anybody dead in there!"

Will had brought out Frank's marine glasses, and was looking through them
as he gave utterance to this forlorn expression.

"Oh! let up on that, Will! You give a fellow the creeps. Just why should
there be any one dead yonder? Buzzards are found everywhere in Florida,
millions of 'em. I reckon the shack is deserted. To prove it, I'm going
to paddle over and see, just as soon as we get fast to our mudhook
again," remarked Jerry.

"And that will be right now," said Frank. "Give it a toss, Bluff. Here we
seem to be in a little spot deeper than the rest of the bayou, and with
room to swi