u do with the dog?" asked Dick, after an awkward pause.

"Take him back to the boat and bury him," answered the young Southerner.
"I don't want the wild beasts to feed on him."

"Hadn't we better follow up that man first?"

"We can do so, if you wish."

They passed on and looked around that vicinity with care. It must be
confessed that they were afraid of being shot at, but nothing of the
sort occurred. At one point they saw some footsteps, but these came
to an end in a creek flowing into the lake.

As the ground in that vicinity was very treacherous there was nothing
to do but to return to the launch and this they did, Harold Bird and
Dick carrying the dead dog between them. All were sorry that the
canine was dead, for they realized that the animal had done its best
for them against the bob cats.

They had no spade, but with some flat sticks managed to scoop out a
hole of respectable depth and in this they buried the canine. Over
the spot the young Southerner placed a peculiar stick to mark the spot.

"He was a fine dog and was once the pet of my father," he said. "Some
day I may place a monument over his grave."

They left the vicinity and continued on their trip around the lake,
scanning every indentation of the shore for a possible glimpse of the
_Dora_. There were many winding places, so it was noon before the
task was half completed.

"This is growing to be a longer hunt than I anticipated," remarked
Fred. "I thought finding the houseboat would be dead easy."'

Lunch was had, and once again they went on the search, this time at
a point where a bayou joined Lake Sico to a smaller lake. Here they
had to move with care, for the bayou was filled with the hidden roots
of trees long since thrown down by storms.

"Of ve ton't look out ve peen caught in dem dree roots," observed
Hans, looking down into the water. "Say, ton't da look like vater
snakes?"

"They certainly do, and they are almost as dangerous--for the launch."

Soon came a grinding tinder the boat and the screw came to a standstill.
A tree root had caught fast, and further progress was out of the
question until the screw could be cleared.

"I'll go over and do the job!" cried Tom. "I know how." And the others
being willing he divested himself of most of his clothing, leaped
overboard, and was soon at work. It was no light task, as he had to
cut the root in several places with a jackknife.

"We had better land and look around," said Harold Bi