"And I'm not so sure but what we would be wiser if we obeyed their
warning, but I hate to run away from such a crowd," observed Charley
gravely.

"I feel the same way," agreed Walter, "but it would be cowardly to go
now and leave the Seminoles to their fate."

"Aye, aye, lad, truly spoken," said the captain, firmly, "stay we must."

"Golly, I jis guess dis nigger ain't none scairt of their
threatenings," chimed in Chris.

"Well, we seem to be pretty well agreed," Charley said, trying in vain
to shake off the vague feeling of impending evil, that had suddenly
settled over him. "Speaking for myself, I feel too keyed up and
anxious to do anything much until we get this thing over with. I move
we get all our gear into shape and try to plan some way to get the
plume birds hereafter without killing. That will take us until dark, I
guess. Then let's quietly take our blankets and move back into the
forest a ways. Our neighbors may take a notion to pay us a visit
without waiting for to-morrow."

The others readily agreed to this proposal and were soon busy trying to
scheme out some means to take their feathered prey alive.

It was Chris who at last solved the problem.

"You know dat stuff we used puttin' dem boats together?" he demanded.

"A quick drying glue," exclaimed Charley, catching the idea at once.

"Golly, I should say hit was," grinned Chris, "hit dun stick my fingers
together so tight that it peared like I'd never get 'em apart. Now
doan you reckon by spreading hit thick-like on dem limbs whar dem birds
roosts dat hit would hold 'em down till we-alls got ready to pry 'em
off?"

"The lad's got the right idea, I reckon," allowed the captain. "We
could fix the limbs up just before dusk and needn't bother about 'em
any more until it was broad daylight."

The boys were unstinted in their praise of Chris' suggestion until the
little darky forgot the humiliation of the day and was once more his
bright, vain, cheery self.

As night shut down on the point, more wood was heaped upon the fire, a
hasty lunch was made from the remains of dinner, and, taking their guns
and blankets with them, our hunters stole off into the depths of the
wood. They soon reached a little open spot that they had noted during
the day. Their blankets were spread out upon the moss-covered ground
close together so as to be encircled with the hair rope which Charley
had brought to protect them from snakes while sleeping.

Before