"Don't crow till you're out of the woods," advised Frank.

"Begobs! Oi belave he'd be plazed av we didn't get out at all, at all!"
exclaimed Barney, somewhat touched.

In a short time they came to the termination of the cypress woods, but,
to the surprise of Barney and the professor, the swamp, overgrown with
tall rushes and reed-grass, continued, with the water course winding
away through it.

"Pwhat th' ould boy does this mane?" cried the Irish lad.

"It means," said Frank, coolly, "that we have reached the Everglades."

"Th' Ivirglades? Well, pwhat do we want iv thim, Oi dunno?"

"They are one of the sights of Florida, Barney."

"It's soights enough I've seen alreddy. Oi'd loike ter git out av this."

"I knew you wouldn't get out this way, for we have not passed the
rookeries of the herons, as you must remember."

"That's true," sighed the professor, dejectedly. "I hadn't thought of
that. What can we do, boys?"

"Turn about, and retrace our steps," said Frank.

But Barney and the professor raised a vigorous protest.

"Nivver a bit will yez get me inther thot swamp again th' doay!" shouted
the Irish lad, in a most decisive manner.

"If we go back, we'll not be able to get out before darkness comes on,
and we'll have to spend the night in the swamp," said Scotch, excitedly.
"I can't do that."

"Well, what do you propose to do?" asked Frank, quietly. "I don't seem
to have anything to say in this matter. You are running it to suit
yourselves."

They were undecided, but one thing was certain; they would not go back
into the swamp. The white canoe was there, and the professor and the
Irish lad did not care to see that again.

"Whoy not go on, Frankie?" asked Barney. "We're out av th' woods, an',
by follyin' this strame, we ought to get out av th' Iverglades."

"What do you say, professor?" asked Frank, who was rather enjoying the
adventure, although he did not fancy the idea of spending a night on the
marsh.

"Go on--by all means, go on!" roared the little man.

"Go on, it is, then. We'll proceed to explore the Everglades in company
with Professor Scotch, the noted scientist and daring adventurer. Go
ahead!"

So they pushed onward into the Everglades, while the sun sank lower and
lower, finally dropping beneath the horizon.

Night was coming on, and they were in the heart of the Florida
Everglades!

The situation was far from pleasant.

Barney and the professor fell to growling at each other