hat under the sun has happened to the
steadygoing _Tramp_. The only thing I'm bothering about is the chance
of our being stuck in here for weeks. That would keep me from being
present when that plagued will is read, and I'd lose my share of
uncle's money."

"Oh! don't worry about that, me bye," returned the cheery Irish lad.
"Sure, we're bound to run acrost some native cracker sooner or later,
who will be moighty glad for a few dollars to guide us out of this
nasty place. But howld on, Jack, me arrms are that tired wid pushing
through the mud they fale riddy to drop off."

"And as night is coming along I suppose we'd better try and find some
patch of land on which to camp. A fire would cheer us up. How many
matches have we got with us, Jimmie?"

"Och! that's the silly thing for me, Jack. I meant till till yees whin
ye wint shoppin' in that little place of Friar's Point till lay in
another stock; and sure it shlipped me moind intoirely. The supply is
bastely low, so it is. I don't think we've got more'n a dozen or so
lift roight now."

"That's bad," remarked Jack; and immediately added, seeing the gloom on
Jimmie's freckled face, because it had been his fault: "But we won't
worry about it. If it comes to it I believe I know how to make a fire
without matches. I've seen an Indian do it, and even succeeded myself
once with a bow, a pointed stick and some tinder to ignite. Besides,
long before a dozen days we expect to be out of here."

"If we only had Buster along I wouldn't moind so much," remarked
Jimmie, with one of his old time flashes of humor. "For do ye say,
he'd last a week or more in a pinch."

When they finally discovered a dry piece of ground the night was almost
upon them. The moon, more than half full, hung up in the heavens; but
on account of the thick growth of cypress and other trees they could
not expect much light from that source.

"Looks more like a real swamp than anything we've struck yet," declared
Jack, as he looked around at their ghostly surroundings, with the
trailing Spanish moss festooning many of the trees.

"Wow! what's that?" shouted Jimmie, as something went into the dark
water with a tremendous splash.

"I didn't see exactly," replied Jack, immediately; "but honestly I
believe that must have been our first alligator taking a plunge."

"An alligator, was it?" echoed the other, nervously. "But why did he
want till make all that splash, Jack, darlint?"

"Why, we sc