rt of the swamp.

Other water courses were passed, running away into unknown and
unexplorable wilds. It grew darker and darker, and the feeling of awe
and fear fell more heavily upon them.

At last, exhausted and discouraged, the professor stopped paddling,
crying to his companions, in a husky voice:

"Stop, boys, stop! There is something supernatural about that fiendish
boat! It is luring us to some frightful fate!"

"Nonsense, professor!" retorted Frank. "You are not superstitious--you
have said so at least a score of times."

"That's all right," returned Scotch, shaking his head. "I do not take
any stock in rappings, table tippings, and that kind of stuff, but I
will confess this is too much for me."

"Begobs! Oi don't wonder at thot," gurgled Barney Mulloy, wiping the
great drops of perspiration from his forehead. "It's the divvil's own
canoe, thot is sure!"

"Oh, it's simple enough!" declared Frank, nettled.

"Thin ixplain it fer me, me b'y--ixplain it."

"Oh, I won't say that I can explain it, for I do not pretend to
understand it; but I'll wager that the mystery would be readily solved
if we could overtake and examine that canoe."

"Mebbe so; but I think it nades a stameboat to overtake it."

Professor Scotch shook his head in a most solemn manner.

"Boys," he said, "in all my career I have never seen anything like this,
and I shall never dare tell this adventure, for people in general would
not believe it--they'd think I was lying."

"Without doubt," admitted Frank. "And, still I will wager that the
explanation of the whole matter would seem very simple if we could
overtake that canoe and examine it."

"Perhaps so."

"You speak as if you doubted it."

"Possibly I do."

"I am surprised at you, professor--I am more than surprised."

"I can't help it if you are, my boy."

"I am afraid your mind is beginning to weaken."

"Soay, Frankie," broke in Barney. "Oi loike fun as well as th' nixt wan,
but, be jabbers! it's nivver a bit av it can Oi see in this!"

"See that infernal canoe?" cried the professor, pointing at the mystic
craft. "It has stopped out there in the shadows."

"And seems to be waiting for us to pursue again."

"That's what it's doing."

"I'm ready!" exclaimed Frank.

"I am not," decisively declared Professor Scotch.

"Nayther am Oi!" almost shouted the Irish youth. "It's enough av this
koind av business Oi've been in!"

"We'll turn about," said Scotch, grimly. "That c