wilderness of fable.

CHAPTER XI

PATHFINDERS

Considerably impressed by her knowledge he was careful not to embarrass
her by saying so too seriously.

"For a frivolous and fashionable girl who dances cotillions, drives
four, plays polo, and reviews her serious adorers by regiments, you're
rather perplexing," he said. "Of course you don't suppose that I really
believe all you say about these beasts and birds and butterflies."

"What has disturbed your credulity?" she laughed.

"Well, that rabbit which crossed ahead, for one thing. You promptly
called it a marsh rabbit!"

"_Lepus palustris_" she nodded, delighted.

"By all means," he retorted, pretending offensive scepticism, "but why a
_marsh_ rabbit?"

"Because, monsieur, its tail was brown, not white. Didn't you notice
that?"

"Oh, it's all very well for you to talk that way, but I've another
grievance. All these holes in the sand you call gopher burrows
sometimes, sometimes salamander holes. And I saw a thing like a rat run
into one of them and a thing like a turtle run into another and I think
I've got you now--"

Her delightful laughter made the forest silence musical.

"You poor boy! No wonder your faith is strained. The Crackers call the
gopher a salamander, and they also call the land turtle a gopher. Their
burrows are alike and usually in the same neighbourhood."

"Well, what I want to know is where you had time to learn all this?" he
persisted.

"From my tame Seminole, if you please."

"Your Seminole!"

"Yes, indeed, my dear, barelegged, be-turbaned Seminole, Little Tiger. I
am now twenty, Mr. Hamil; for ten years every winter he has been with us
on our expeditions. A week before we start Eudo Stent goes to the
north-west edge of the Everglades, and makes smoke talk until he gets a
brief answer somewhere on the horizon. And always, when we arrive in
camp, a Seminole fire is burning under a kettle and before it sits my
Little Tiger wearing a new turban and blinking through the smoke haze
like a tree-lynx lost in thought."

"Do you mean that this aboriginal admirer of yours has already come out
of the Everglades to meet you at your camp?"

"Surely he is there, waiting at this moment," she said. "I'd as soon
doubt the stars in their courses as the Seminole, Coacochee. And you
will see very soon, now, because we are within a mile of camp."

"Within a mile!" he scoffed. "How do you know? For the last two hours
these woods and glad