for one full meal anyway."

"No thank you, not any in mine. I'm going where the rest do, make up
your mind to that. If the old boats have to be watched stay yourself,
Lil Artha, that's all. You couldn't coax or hire me to remain alone a
single night in this awful swamp, not if you tried till doomsday. I
like company, and if I have to I c'n even put up with you as a steady,
Lil Artha. Now that'll do for you. It isn't to be considered for a
second."

Of course, Lil Artha was only having a little fun, because there was no
thought of leaving anybody behind to stand guard over the two abandoned
skiffs; and least of all would Elmer have dreamed of appointing the fat
and timid scout for such a duty.

When deciding on such a radical change in their plans, Elmer did not
forget that it might also be well for them to conceal the two boats.
Should the man they were hunting chance to come upon the skiffs he
might think it good policy to smash in the planks to such an extent
that they would be useless for further voyaging; and possibly the
scouts would be glad to get out of the swamp by the same means they had
taken when entering.

"First of all, let's hide the boats somewhere," he suggested. "They're
pretty heavy, of course, but seven of us ought to be able to carry
them, one at a time."

"It needn't be for far either," Lil Artha assured them, "because here's
a jimdandy place close by. Everybody on the job, and see what you can
lift."

After all it was nothing to speak of, for the two skiffs were easily
handled, and nicely concealed from view. When the boys had removed all
traces of their passage, anyone might walk by within five feet of the
patch of bushes and never suspect what lay there so neatly hidden.

"There, that job's done," said Elmer; "now finish packing, and we'll be
off."

Landy hurried now. He had a lingering fear that there might be more in
that obscure threat made by Lil Artha of desertion on their part than
appeared on the surface. The more he considered being left alone in
that dreary swamp the faster Landy's fingers flew. He also kept a wary
eye on the tall scout, and had Lil Artha shown any intention of
hurrying off he would have surely found Landy tagging at his heels,
whether he had his pack or not.

Meanwhile, Elmer, having quickly arranged his possessions, because of
long familiarity in the packing line, had gone over once more to the
bush patch where on the preceding night Lil Artha h