frank admiration for the cleverness with which Charley had reasoned the
matter out to its logical conclusion.

"You have got a great head on you, old chap," he said, affectionately.
"It certainly seems as though you have hit the nail on the head this
time. I understand, now, why their leader was so anxious to have us
move away. They expect to encounter the Indians somewhere in this
neighborhood and they do not want any witnesses. What shall we do,
Charley?"

"We are in an unpleasant fix," said his chum, musingly. "The only safe
thing to do, I guess, is to take that convict's advice and move away at
once. If we interfere with their plans or even let on that we know
what they are, it will mean fight, with us outnumbered three to one."

"But we can't leave here and let those fiends ambush and murder those
unsuspecting Indians," said Walter indignantly.

"Certainly not," said his chum, heartily. "But we must be prepared to
take some risks. We can't fight that crowd in the open, they are too
many for us. We'll have to outwit them and put the Indians on their
guard without letting the convicts suspect that we have had a finger in
the pie. It would be an easy trick to turn if it were not for that
renegade Indian with them. I guess there isn't anything much that
escapes those black, beady eyes of his."

"You have a plan then?" said Walter eagerly.

"One, such as it is. You see, we are between those fellows over there
and the Everglades. A party of savages coming from the Glades would
have to pass us before coming in rifle range of the convicts' camp.
Now we could halt them here and explain matters, but that would give us
dead away to the enemy."

Walter's face fell. "They would be sure to catch on," he admitted.

Charley pointed far to the south where, half a mile distant, another
long point jutted out through the marsh into the river. "That is the
key to the situation," he declared. "The Seminoles are not expected
until to-morrow, if that man's remarks are true. Well, beginning
to-morrow morning early, one of us will be on that point while daylight
lasts,--Indians do not generally travel at night, and when we sight
them we will signal and warn them, and the convicts will be none the
wiser. The Seminoles are no cowards and we can join them and wipe that
scum of humanity off the face of the earth."

"Splendid," approved Walter enthusiastically. "But let's head for camp
now. The others will be wonder