id everything to the
remainder except to get into the fry-pan with both feet; and as usual he
sickened me.

When he'd cleaned up everything, I sent him off into the forest to
find a dry shell-mound for camping purposes; then I made fast both
boats, and Kemper and I carried ashore our paraphernalia, spare
_batterie-de-cuisine_, firearms, fishing tackle, spears, harpoons,
grains, oars, sails, spars, folding cage--everything with which a
strictly scientific expedition is usually burdened.

Evelyn was washing her face in the crystal waters of a branch that flowed
into the lagoon from under the live-oaks. She looked very pretty doing
it, like a naiad or dryad scrubbing away at her forest toilet.

It was, in fact, such a pretty spectacle that I was going over to sit
beside her while she did it, but Kemper started just when I was going to,
and I turned away. Some men invariably do the wrong thing. But a handsome
man doesn't last long with a pretty girl.

I was thinking of this as I stood contemplating an alligator slide, when
Grue came back saying that the shore on which we had landed was the
termination of a shell-mound, and that it was the only dry place he had
found.

So I bade him pitch our tents a few feet back from the shore; and stood
watching him while he did so, one eye reverting occasionally to Evelyn
Grey and Kemper. They both were seated cross-legged beside the branch,
and they seemed to be talking a great deal and rather earnestly. I
couldn't quite understand what they found to talk about so earnestly and
volubly all of a sudden, inasmuch as they had heretofore exchanged very
few observations during a most brief and formal acquaintance, dating only
from sundown the day before.

Grue set up our three tents, carried the luggage inland, and then hung
about for a while until the vast shadow of a vulture swept across the
trees.

I never saw such an indescribable expression on a human face as I saw
on Grue's as he looked up at the huge, unclean bird. His vitreous eyes
fairly glittered; the corners of his mouth quivered and grew wet; and to
my astonishment he seemed to emit a low, mewing noise.

"What the devil are you doing?" I said impulsively, in my amazement and
disgust.

He looked at me, his eyes still glittering, the corners of his mouth
still wet; but the curious sounds had ceased.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing. I thought you spoke." I didn't know what else to say.

He made no reply. Once, when I ha