that fine tackle. The climate affects even the native crackers the
same way. Where it's warm, and people don't have to hustle just to
keep living, they grow lazy. Some people call it the hookworm, you
know. My dad often writes articles about it. But to me it seems just
pure laziness, and nothing more."

"Now," said Larry, ready for argument at once, as he gathered up his
catch, and started down the bank toward the boat, "I just don't agree
with you about that business. It ain't just warm weather that makes
these crackers shiftless. Take the mountaineers up in West Virginia
and Tennessee. They sure get plenty of cold weather most of the year
round; and yet they're just like these crackers of the far South.
There is a hookworm, as sure as you live. I only hope we don't get it
fastened on us while we're down here."

"I see you've been reading up on that subject," remarked Phil. "And
some other time we'll get busy again over it. My dad is up on all
those subjects and I'm taking some interest myself. But if that's so,
then these green trout, as they call the big-mouth bass down here, must
have the hookworm bad; for they're just the laziest things I ever saw
pulled in."

Tony insisted on taking the catch, and preparing it for cooking; while
Larry started up the useful little Jewel stove. Phil would have really
kindled a fire under the twisted live oak ashore, only that Tony seemed
averse to such a proceeding; and he had promised the swamp boy to avoid
doing what was bound to bring the squatters down upon them during the
night.

The supper was cooked in detachments. First they had the fried fish,
for which the largest frying-pan had to be used. Crackers went well
with this; and later on the coffee being boiled, they enjoyed a
fragrant cup of Java, together with some cakes that had been put up in
air-proof packages, and were as fresh as the day they left the New York
bakery.

The night settled down. Clouds had covered the heavens at sundown, and
so they had next to no benefit from the moon, though it was evidently
mounting some distance above the horizon in the east.

Sitting there later on Phil wondered what the near future held in store
for himself and his chum. Would their presence be discovered by the
men from the settlement, so that before the coming of dawn they might
expect callers; or on the other hand, was it possible for him to carry
out his own plan, entering the squatter settlement of his ow