them in a place like
this."

"But they wouldn't try to touch us," cried Chris. "I shall chance it."

Ned looked anxious.

"Here, I say, Griggs," he said. "No games. We want a bathe horribly.
You don't think there really are any biting things in the water, do
you?"

"I dunno, my lad. This is a new place altogether to me. There are
plenty of vicious hungry things down in Mississippi and Florida, I know
that."

"But we're not in Mississippi nor yet in Florida," cried Chris. "I say,
Griggy, where are we?"

"Why, here, to be sure," replied the American.

"Don't talk stuff!" cried Chris angrily. "What part are we in?"

"I'm not a geography-book, my lad, and I don't know where we are, only
that we've travelled south-west. No finger-posts up here and no lines
to show where the States are divided."

"Now you're bantering again, Griggs," cried Chris irritably. "You must
know."

"If you come to that, why, so must you, my lad. But I really don't
know, only that we're well into the wild unsettled parts of the country,
and I should say nobody had ever been here before but prospectors--chaps
like the poor fellow who came crawling to us regularly done up."

"But where should you think we are?"

"Well, I'm inclined to think that we're got well into Arizona, my lad,
where the great unexplored salt deserts are."

"Very well, then, we've explored that part and come across the deserts,
and got into the good land now."

"Oh, have we?" said Griggs derisively. "Why, we've only just tasted a
bit of one. Do you know how big these wilds are?"

"A few miles across, I suppose--fifty or so, at the outside."

"That's mild for a guess," said Griggs. "Why, I believe, there's room
enough out in these wilds for us to lose ourselves and wander about for
years."

"Very well, then, let's wander," cried Chris. "That's nothing to do
with what we want to do here, and that's to bathe and get rid of all
this sand and dust."

"Well, then, if you'll take my advice you'll keep on the shallows close
to the edge, in case--Yah! Look at that!"

The boys were already looking, their attention having been caught by the
rising of a little wave caused by some fish or reptile rushing through
the water for a few yards before curving over, making a great splash as
it disappeared.

"A big fish seizing a small one," cried Chris. "Well, that won't hurt
us," and hurrying along the edge of the pool they were not long before
plunging in fo