s to one another--for they were too
old hunters to be speaking now, when there might be a party of Seminoles
in that very wood--Speug and Jock hid themselves, each behind a tree
with rifle in hand, to cover the others, while "Piggie" and Bauldie drew
the boat up under cover of the bushes, and hid it out of sight, so that
even a Seminole's keen eyes would not have been able to detect it. The
trappers made another hiding-place, and left there the superfluous
garments of civilisation, confining themselves to a shirt and trousers,
and a belt which holds the pistol and tomahawk. Speug and Jock, as the
two veterans who could discover the trail of the Seminoles by a twisted
leaf on a branch, or a broken stick on the ground, warned their friends
to lie low, and they themselves disappeared into the brushwood. They had
gone to scout, and to make sure that no wandering party of Indians was
in the vicinity. By and by a wood-pigeon cooed three times, "Piggie"
nodded to Bauldie, and Bauldie hooted like an owl, then they knew that
it was safe to advance. The two rejoined the scouts, whom they found on
the edge of a clearing, leaning on their rifles in a picturesque
attitude. "Bull's-eye Charlie" led, and the others followed, pausing now
and again at a sound in the woods, and once at a signal from
"Bull's-eye" they separated swiftly, and each took up his position
behind a tree. But it was a false alarm. Then they went on as before,
till they came to a pretty spot on the other side of the island, where
they made their camp, cutting a pole for the tent, lighting a fire,
which they did with immense success, and proceeding to cook dinner. As
they had been afraid to fire, for fear of attracting any wandering
Indian's notice, they had no deer nor wild turkey, which, in other
circumstances, would have been their food; but they made tea (very
badly, and largely because they wished to use the kettle), and they had
bread and butter, which had turned into oil through the warmth of
Bauldie's person, a half ham which Speug contributed, a pot of jam for
which "Piggie" will have to account some day, and six jam tarts which
Howieson bought with his last farthing, and which had been reduced
practically to one in Jock's pocket. Speug had managed two bottles of
stone ginger-beer, which were deeply valued, and afforded them a big
mouthful each, as they drank without any cup, and shared honestly by
calculation of time.

[Illustration: "THEY DRANK WITHOUT A