"Do you see it, too, Payne? Do you see a creek?"

Payne's reply was to scoop up a handful of water and carry it to his
lips.

"Yes, I see a creek," he replied. Higgins followed his example. He
splashed his head in the clear, cool water, running clean and fresh
through a limestone channel from its source in the Everglades. Payne
did likewise. Then each drank a sparing sip of the precious stuff and
sat down to sip carefully and at intervals until the torture of thirst
had left them.

"The buzzards?" cried Payne, looking in vain for the grisly watchers.

Higgins grinned.

"They're awful wise birds, those fellows. They've turned back."

They remained by the creek until they were rested, forded it and went
on.

The ground now was hard and dry. They found themselves in a sparse
pine forest where walking was easy. By nightfall they were out on an
open prairie, and at midnight they came to the trading post at Legrue.

The trader blinked as he responded to their knocks. In response to
Payne's request for information as to the nearest telegraph office he
stared stupidly.

"Where in the name of alligators you been wadin', boys?"

"Devil's Playground."

The trader winked.

"All right, boys, I ain't askin' no questions. If you say Devil's
Playground, all right." He winked again. "I ain't no snooper. Come
in."

"How far to the nearest telegraph office?" repeated Payne.

"Why, that's twenty miles, up to Citrus Grove, where the railroad ends.
You can make it easy to-morrow."

"Good walking?"

"Just like this all the way."

"Higgins, you stay here and rest."

And Higgins growled in response: "Come on!"

In the middle of the afternoon of the next day the operator at Citrus
Grove spent five minutes in waking Payne. He had been paid five
dollars to perform the feat when a reply should arrive to the long
telegraph Roger had sent to his lawyer, when at dawn he and Higgins had
stumbled into the station. The reply was quite satisfactory:

"Deal closed with Southern Cypress Company. Thirty dollars an acre.
Company reliable, progressive. Glad to have live development man take
hold. Their title clear. Will see to transfer at once. Wait at
Citrus Grove for surveyor who leaves at once. Garman unknown to them.
Will look him up."

Payne turned over on his side and went to sleep, the yellow bit of
paper clenched tightly in his fist.

XVII

A week later Payne stood alone on the little Flowe