o Charley Tommy not been Osceola Camp, two
moons. Been Big Cypress; hunt 'gator. Maybe so hunt with white man.
Not been Charley Tiger camp this moon.' The girls left that camp day
'fore yesterday. Only other trail from Tiger's camp goes t' Miami.
We c'n camp right here 'nd ketch 'em sure."

Johnny proposed that while waiting they do some alligator hunting.
They got out their canvas and rigged up a regular camp. Dick wrote a
few lines on a scrap of paper, addressed it "Mr. Edward Barstow,"
and fastened it on a palmetto tree, in such a way that no one
passing along the trail could fail to see it. The boys then unpacked
the canoe, and turning it upside down on a bit of dry land stowed
their stores under it. They gathered a lot of grass for their beds,
arranged for an early start in the morning, and slept dreamlessly
till morning came. The hunt was to be on foot, and Johnny insisted
that Dick carry the rifle, while he made up a light pack for himself
of axe, frying-pan, forks and a little bacon, corn meal, bait and
matches. When Dick saw Johnny's pack, he said to him:

"Won't we get back to-night?"

"Mebbe so, but you can't allers tell. We might get to follerin'
sumthin and be gone two or three days. I don't reckon we're goin' to
get lost, though we may be bothered some."

"If there's a chance of that we haven't got enough to eat."

"Got plenty. All we really want is a rifle, matches and salt. They'd
be good for a month."

"What do you do for bread?"

"Cut the bud out of a cabbage tree."

The boys tramped across the prairie to a belt of cypress, where
Johnny stopped for some minutes, looking back to study the landscape
and take note of every clump of trees and bit of water in sight.

"I thought you were not afraid of getting lost," said Dick.

"I ain't afraid. I could alters git home all right, but I'd hate to
lose the canoe."

The cypress strand was swampy, and they crossed it by stepping from
root to root, excepting that once, when Dick was looking at a
moccasin, he made a misstep and landed in the mud, where he sank to
his waist. The woods were narrow, and beyond them was a broad
prairie with clumps of trees and pools of water scattered through
it. As they walked and waded they crossed the tracks of many animals
and birds, to most of which Johnny could give names. There were
plenty of 'coons, a few wildcats, some deer, and one bear, while
between the little ponds alligators had worn regular paths.

"What'