naterally
to the woods, makin' fust rate scouts an' hunters, an' ef that ain't proof
o' the stuff that's in people, nothin' is."

This day upon the waters was one of unbroken peace. The flood, as Henry
had predicted, continued to rise, spreading far into the woods and out of
sight. Now and then some portion of the shore, eaten into continually by
the powerful stream, would give way and fall with a sticky sigh into the
river. Uprooted trees floated in the current or became wedged in the
forest. But the sunlight remained undimmed and they began to grow familiar
with the river. It was a friend now, bearing them whither they would go.

About noon they saw two deer marooned on an island made by the flood, and
they shot one of them for the sake of the fresh meat.

Now ensued a long journey, unbroken by danger, but full of interest. They
came near enough once or twice to ascertain that the Spanish force was
just ahead of them, but they saw no chance to secure the precious maps and
plans or interfere in any other way with the dangerous project of Alvarez,
and they waited patiently.

The flood began to subside, but it was a mighty river yet, and would still
be so when all the flood was gone. They passed the mouths of great rivers
to right and to left, but they did not know their names, nor whence they
came. The air grew much warmer and they were very glad indeed now that
they had the sail, which, allied with the current, carried them on as fast
as they wished.

Shif'less Sol lay lazily under the sail, his limbs relaxed, and his face a
picture of content.

"I could float on an' on forever," he said sleepily, "an' I don't care how
long it takes to git to New Or-lee-yuns. I think I'm goin' to like that
place. I saw a trapper once who had been thar, an' he said you could be
jest ez lazy an' sleepy ez you wished an' nobody would blame you--they
kinder look upon it ez the right thing, an' that suits me. He said them
Spaniards an' French had orange trees about. You could lay in your bed,
reach a han' out o' the window, pull an orange off the tree, suck it, an'
then go back to sleep without ever havin' disturbed the cover. I never
seed an orange, but I know it's nice."

The same day they rowed the boat a few miles up a small but deep and very
clear river that emptied into the Mississippi from the east. Their object
was to fish, the greater river itself being too muddy for the succulent
kind that they wished. The incomparable "Ga