t underfoot, coons and rabbits, disturbed
for the first time in their fastness. Water holes appeared rarely, and
the water in them was unfit for drinking. Despite the shade it was
stiflingly hot.

Higgins began to pant. He was broader and stockier than Payne and less
favorably built for wedging his weight through the growth. Neither
spoke a word. At the pauses they consulted compasses, laid out the
trail straight north and drove on. Payne's breath also soon was coming
in sharp pants; and the leg muscles of both began to weaken with the
treacherous going. Grimly they held to their pace, waiting the release
of fresh reservoirs of energy, the coming of the athlete's "second
wind," to relieve them.

When it came they had need for it, for the jungle growth now was
thicker. Heavy creepers and vines had appeared among the elder bushes,
their phenomenal growth often matted thickly together as high as a
man's waist. Bushes which formerly had given way at the thrust of a
shoulder now hung toughly, suspended by the inextricable grip of the
vines. Along the ground the matted creepers caught and clung
tenaciously to ankles. The carpet of them hid with fair leaves and
blossoms treacherous water holes into which the travelers plunged at
times foot deep. In one such a plunge Payne's boots sent squirming a
nest of slimy water moccasins. A moment later he slipped and all but
fell on the hard slippery back of a hidden turtle.

A gleam of light in the solid growth ahead promised an open space for a
rest and breathing spell. With a silent agreement they plunged
straight for it. As they wedged their way into sight a flock of black
buzzards rose lazily from something upon the ground, their wings barely
lifting their gorged bodies, their foul red heads reeking with the
putrid feast they were so loath to leave.

Higgins voiced his disgust in one swift curse, but Payne bored silently
on in a wide circuit round the stench.

A broken trail in the jungle soon told the story. The tracks of a
single steer were discernible, pointing toward the opening, and there
were no tracks returning. The animal, lost in the thicket had fought
its way out till, in the open space, its strength gone, it had
collapsed.

Payne stopped at the animal's tracks.

"That steer came in from the west. It couldn't have come very far
through this jam, so probably that cattle prairie isn't very far out
that way. We could go out there. I suppose some o