of, to say nothing of the shooting."

"How far is it across the land?" I inquired.

"Not more than nine or ten miles."

"We can walk that distance easy enough."

"The ladies can't walk nine miles."

"I think we had better go on shore and consult Colonel Shepard and Mr.
Garningham," I added; and we started to do so.

Our passengers, even the ladies, were enthusiastic for the plan. They
all wanted to go across to the salt water. Before we went on board we
had engaged four mules and two wagons, which were to be taken on board
of the steamer the next morning. I had every sort of fishing-tackle in
abundance, and both the colonel and Owen had complete outfits of rods
and reels, with a vast variety of lines, hooks, squids, sinkers, gaffs,
and landing-nets. Each of them had two sporting pieces, and all the
equipments of a hunter.

Before six in the morning, the mules appeared on the wharf, drawing the
wagons, which were nothing but "hay-riggings." They had stakes and
rails, so that seats could be put on them. Of course the mules made a
row about going on board; but they went, for all that. We took in an
abundance of forage and grain for them. We did not consider it
necessary to take any drivers, who would only increase the load for the
mules. At seven the passengers appeared. The native guides and
sportsmen said we were going off on a "wild goose chase"; to which
Cornwood replied that he should catch the goose and bring him back to
Enterprise. I rather liked his pluck, and determined to do the best I
could to make the enterprise a success.

We were under way as soon as possible, and had no difficulty in getting
to Lake Harney, in which the water was not more than three feet deep in
many places. But that, and even less, was enough for us, for it gave
one foot clear under the sterns of the twin boats.

"Now comes the tug of war," said Cornwood, as we entered the river
above the lake. "The water looks very high to me, but the bottom
shifts. Will you station a deck-hand on each side of the boat to sound,
captain?"

I went down to the main deck, and placed Buck on one side, and Hop on
the other. They were provided with poles, marked off in feet. I had
seen them used by other boats on the Ocklawaha, and so had the
deck-hands. The poles were ten feet long, but they were to report no
depths above four feet; for if we had four feet, it made no difference
how much deeper the water was.

"No bottom!" called both of them, for