y straight. Two boys paddled at a time, one upon
each side, while a third steered, and by relieving each other
occasionally they maintained a very good rate of speed.

The moon was well up into the sky again when the river spread out into
Escambia bay, and the boat was moored with a grape vine, in a little
cove on one of the small islands in the upper end of the bay, about
fifteen miles above Pensacola. The boys leaped upon land again gladly.
Their voyage had been made successfully, and they were at last in the
neighborhood of the danger they had set out to encounter, and the duty
they had undertaken to do.

CHAPTER XVII.

THLUCCO.

"What's your plan now, Sam?" asked Tom, when the boat had been
secured, and a fire built.

"First and foremost, where are we?" asked Sid Russell.

"Yes, an' how fur is it to somewhere else?" questioned Billy Bowlegs.

"An' is we gwine to somewher's or somewher's else?" demanded black
Joe, with a grin.

"One question at a time," said Sam, "and they will go a good deal
farther."

"Well, begin with Sid's question, then?" said Tommy. "His is the most
sensible; where are we?"

"We're on an island," returned Sam, "and the island is somewhere here
in the upper part of Escambia bay. You see how it lies on our map.
The bay ends down there in Pensacola bay, and there is Pensacola,
about fifteen miles away. We came here, you know, to find out what is
going on in Pensacola and its neighborhood, and my plan is to run down
past the town, to some point four or five miles below, in the
neighborhood of Fort Barrancas. There I'll set up a fishing camp, but
first I must get tackle, and, if possible, some duck cloth for a
sail."

At this point the conversation was interrupted by the sudden
appearance of a canoe's bow in their midst. Their fire was built near
the water's edge, and the canoe which interrupted them had been
paddled silently to the bank, so that its bow extended nearly into
their fire.

"Ugh, how do," said a voice in the canoe, "how do, pale faces," and
with that the solitary occupant of the canoe leaped ashore and seated
himself in the circle around the fire.

Joe was frightened, but the other boys were reasonably self-possessed.

"Injun see fire; Injun come see. Injun friend."

"White man friend, too," said Sam, holding out his hand. "Injun eat?"
offering the visitor some food.

"No. Injun eat heap while ago. Injun no hungry, but Injun friendly.
Fire good. Fire warm