but the remedy of my
people for such things." Then he added, with a sort of pride,

"The pale-faces are wise in many matters that we poor red men know
nothing of; but we have at least learned that for every evil there is a
remedy close at hand, and that wherever poisonous serpents are found
there also grows a plant that will render their poison harmless. In a
short time thy hand will be as sound as before it laid hold of
Chitta-wewa, the great water-snake."

"Tis marvellous!" exclaimed Rene; "and if thou wouldst return with me
to France, bringing with thee a few of these samples and thy knowledge
of their application, thou wouldst become a great medicine-man and
obtain much honor of my people."

Has-se only shook his head and smiled at this suggestion; then he said,

"For a time thou must lie perfectly quiet, and keep that upon thy hand
wet with cool water. Meantime I will carry out a plan of which I have
just conceived the idea. Near by, from the head of this lagoon, there
runs a narrow trail by which a great bend in the stream is cut off, and
a point much lower down upon it is reached. If thou wilt remain here
and nurse thy hand, I will cross to the lower stream by this trail; and
it may be that I will thus gain more speedy information concerning
those whom we follow."

Rene at once agreed to this plan, and was soon left alone to nurse his
hand and meditate upon his present strange position. From his savage
surroundings his thoughts ran back to the uncle whom he had left in
Fort Caroline to battle with sickness, and possibly with starvation and
the upbraidings of his own men. The boy's heart was full of tenderness
for the brave old soldier who had so promptly assumed the part of a
father towards him; and had he not been restrained by the consciousness
of the vital importance of the mission he had undertaken, he would have
been inclined to return at once and share whatever trials were
besetting the chevalier. From him the boy's thoughts sped to France
and the old chateau in which he was born. He almost laughed aloud as
he imagined the look of consternation with which old Francois would
regard him if he could now see him, lying alone in a fragile craft,
such as the old servant had never imagined, in the midst of a terrible
wilderness of great moss-hung trees, queer-looking plants, black
waters, and blacker mud.

From these reveries he was suddenly startled by the sound of a slight
splash in the water and