Loosening the bonds that encircled the boy's ankles, his captors forced
him to walk to the foot of the bluff, where the rest of their band were
gathered. These received the new prisoner with extravagant
manifestations of delight, and after all had examined him, and his
weapons had been taken from him, he was again tightly bound and thrown
into the bottom of one of the canoes. Although he had caught a glimpse
of the other white prisoners, he was not allowed to communicate with
them.

As his captors desired to keep him well and strong, they gave him food
and water, both of which he at first thought of refusing, and thus
bringing his sufferings to an end as quickly as possible. On second
thought, however, he decided that this course would be cowardly, and
unworthy of his white blood. So he ate heartily all that was offered
to him, determined to keep up his strength, and to make a desperate
effort to escape should the slightest opportunity present itself.

Having reached this decision, Rene felt much calmer and more hopeful,
and as he was sadly in need of sleep, he determined to obtain as much
of that blessing as was possible. Shortly afterwards the Indians were
greatly astonished to find their new prisoner slumbering as quietly as
though no danger threatened him, and he had not an anxiety in the world.

While daylight lasted the Seminoles remained in that spot, but at
nightfall they launched their canoes, and set forth on their journey to
the great swamp of the Okeefenokee.

An hour later a few shadows flitted through the darkness over the
placid waters, past the two French ships that still lay at anchor near
the mouth of the river. Making no sound, they were unnoticed and
unchallenged, and in a few minutes they had turned and vanished amid
the vast salt-marshes that bounded the river on the north. Thus Rene
de Veaux passed within a few rods of the uncle who was so anxiously
awaiting his coming, and neither of them had the slightest suspicion of
the other's presence.

Lying in the bottom of a canoe, from which he was only taken when the
Indians went into camp, Rene knew not whither he was being taken, nor
had he any idea that he was making the very same journey that he and
Has-se had taken together some months before. He was not allowed to
communicate with, nor did he even see, the other white prisoners, for
they were carried in separate canoes, and at night all three were bound
to trees situated at conside