Falls, the people were more
enlightened and many offers of hospitality were sung out to him from
shore. The citizens of that place displayed a deep interest in his
attempt to shoot the falls and rendered all the assistance in their
power. He shot them in safety, though narrowly escaping a big log that
was dashed over directly behind him. From that point to the completion
of the voyage, he everywhere met with kind words and encoragement.

On the evening of November seventh, he landed at Saybrook light, sixteen
days from Stratford Hollow.

The winter of 1879 and 1880 was spent in Florida, hunting, fishing,
alligator shooting and canoeing. He and a party of friends made a
canoe voyage far up on the St. John's river and through the Kissimmee to
Lake Okeechobee, where they had a great deal of sport shooting deer,
bears and alligators; but at the same time the numerous moccasins and
rattlesnakes afforded more amusement than was relished by several of the
party. Returning north to Jacksonville, Paul made a run down the St.
John's river to the sea, crossing the shark infested bar at the mouth
of the river.

On his way north during the spring, he made short trips on the Savannah,
Cooper and Potomac rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. In June he paddled
down the Delaware from Philadelphia to Ship John's light. That trip was
a very laborious one on account of the sluggish tide. The moment the
tide would turn against him, he would have to strike for the flat Jersey
shore, where in the long grass the myriads of energetic mosquitoes
almost set him frantic with their attention. Later he paddled the entire
length of Lake Quinsigamond, and in September he ran the Narragansett
from Rocky Point to Providence.

CHAPTER XIX.

One day in October, while Paul was walking down Broadway, New York, a
gentleman tapped him on the shoulder, saying: "This is Captain Boyton, I
believe?" On being answered in the affirmative, he continued:

"I have just returned from Europe, where I was looking for you. I have a
message for you from Don Nicholas de Pierola, but as I am known as an
agent of the Peruvian government, it is hardly safe to talk to you here,
as there are Chilean spies in New York as well as Lima. Meet me to-
night at this address." He slipped a card into Boyton's hand and stepped
quickly away.

That night Paul entered a house in Thirty-fourth street where he met the
stranger, who immediately proceeded to