n' get de eggs," he said; "nebber fear."

"We must dispose of the eagle first," I answered; and Tim and I both
firing, the huge bird, fluttering wildly, fell to the ground.

As we approached, it endeavoured fiercely to defend itself with its
talons and beak; but Tim, clubbing his rifle, dealt it a blow on the
head which put an end to its struggles. Its mate not making its
appearance, Jup again ascended, and returned with a couple of eggs,
greatly to Lejoillie's satisfaction.

Eager as we were to get on, we had to lie by during the heat of the day,
selecting the thickest shade we could find. After the sun had begun to
sink in the west, we marched forward until nearly dark. We found it,
however, generally necessary to allow ourselves time for an hour's
hunting, to secure a sufficient amount of game for our support.

We had, as may be supposed, kept a sharp look-out for Indians; but we
had seen none, nor had we discovered any recent trails, though we
occasionally came upon their abandoned camps, as well as the paths they
had formed through the forest or across the prairie. We were somewhat
surprised at this; but Carlos said he suspected that those who had
inhabited that part of the country had moved northward, or had retreated
to the Everglades in the south, where the Palefaces could not follow
them. Circumstances afterwards occurred to show that he was right in
both surmises--that the old men, women, and children had been sent into
the impenetrable fastnesses in the south, while the warriors had gone
north to join the forces at that time assembled under Powell, or Oceola,
as the Indians called him.

We were now approaching Lake Kissimmee, which we intended crossing on
our way to the Saint John. Reaching a pine-island--as those sandy
elevations are called, rising out of the plain--where we intended to
camp, we saw the lake before us. It was a question now whether we
should march round its northern shore, or save ourselves a journey of
twenty or thirty miles by crossing in a canoe, or on a raft which we
proposed to construct. We held a consultation on the subject. Should a
storm arise, we should be exposed to no small danger; while alligators,
from the experience we had had before, might, we thought it possible,
strike the bottom of the canoe or raft and upset it.

For the sake of obtaining a variety of food, Tim and I set off with our
fishing-tackle--of course, carrying our guns--towards a large stream,
whic