water all gone), saw-grass _ojus_ (heaps)!' No,
they never got past Tiger's camp without stopping. Then Tommy got
drunk and Ned couldn't move him under four days. It's an even chance
that they are right there now."

"How far from here is Tiger's camp?" asked Dick.

"Less than forty miles, but you'd think it was four hundred before
you got there, if you tried to cross the swamp to reach it. Besides,
they would certainly be gone before you could possibly get to the
camp. Then you couldn't take a boat, and you've got to have one to
follow your friend."

"Can I buy or hire a skiff, here?"

"You can do a lot better. One of your Northern tourists left a
little beauty of a canoe with me, to be sold first chance I got. It
cost seventy dollars, delivered here, and you can have it for
twenty. It's only fifteen feet long and about two feet wide
amidships, but it weighs only forty pounds and when there isn't
water enough for the canoe to carry you, why, you can carry the
canoe. Then a few little traps go with it which you may find useful.
There's a broken fly-rod, which you can fix all right, and a little
single-barrel shot-gun, not worth much, but you can always pick up a
supper with it. There are also a pair of grains, a light harpoon,
and a cast-net which is torn some, but Johnny can fix it. Johnny's
got a rifle and all the camp kit two tough boys will need.

"Better take a piece of light, waterproofed canvas big enough to
keep off some of the rain when it storms, an axe, a bag of salt to
save the hides of the alligators you will be sure to kill if Johnny
goes with you, and some grits and bacon. Oh! you may need a
mosquito-bar, and if you do want it you're likely to want it bad.
Make it of cheese-cloth; that'll keep out sand-flies, too. Some of
my folks will run it up on the machine for you in a few minutes.
There may be some other little things that you'll need, but you can
trust Johnny to think of 'em. Now, Dick, you don't have to pay for
any of these things till you get good and ready. I'm used to giving
long credits and this time I'm glad to do it."

"Oh, Mr. Streeter, you don't know how grateful I am to you for all
you are doing for me. The money is the least part of it and I can
fix that all right. You wouldn't think I was a capitalist to look at
me, would you?" said Dick, laughingly. "Since I left home I've
rolled up quite a fortune as a fireman and a sponger and I can pay
my little bills and have money to burn be