nds passed; they became minutes, but no
second shot shattered the sultry silence. Roger relinquished his rifle
and picked up his glasses. Again he scanned the muck land and its
boundaries without result. Presently he saw Blease emerge from the
elderberry jungle. The squatter stood staring toward Flower Prairie
where the shot had been fired. Then with a movement of relieved
tension he threw his rifle over a shoulder and started to walk easily
in the direction toward which he had gazed.

Roger followed him on the run. When he came to the little spring lake
in the prairie he saw Blease squatting on his heels calmly regarding
Higgins who, at the lakeside, was carefully washing the bloody shoulder
of the Seminole, Willy High Pockets.

"Darn it all, Willy, why didn't you sing out, why didn't you sing out?"
the engineer chattered in deep self-reproach. "Holy smoked fish! I
wouldn't have had this happen for a farm; you know that, Willy. Hold
steady; that's the stuff. Hell, Willy, I'll kick myself for the rest
of my natural!"

"'Twon't hurt him none; a little bleeding's good in this weather,"
drawled Blease.

"You shoot _ojus_ quick," said the Indian.

"I had to, Willy; I had to," protested Higgins. "Couldn't make you
out, and I couldn't risk any one getting the drop on me."

"Shoot first; look who is by'm by. _Holowaugus_. No good."

"I took him for one of Garman's gang," explained Higgins to Payne. "I
couldn't see for the brush."

"Did purty well, consid'ring that," ventured Blease.

"_Esoka--Bonus-che why-o-me_," said Willy.

"What?"

"_Why-o-me_--me want some."

"Is that what you came for?" demanded Roger.

The Indian shook his head.

"_Chobee eestee hotkee_ (big white man) send me."

"For whiskey?"

"No. _Chobee eestee hotkee_ come soon himself. He say I go here. I
come. Him shoot. _Esoka--bonus--chee why-o-me_."

"No. No whiskey," said Roger. "Who is this big white man, Willy?"

"Him come _ojus_ soon. _Etalitke_. (Talk much) Friend you. Gimme
tobacco."

Later, while Higgins and Roger were sewing up the wound in Willy's
shoulder, Blease suddenly uttered a warning whistle.

"Some one coming--walking heavy--through the saw grass."

"No shoot first, look by'm by!" protested Willy. As the intruder broke
out of the saw grass into plain sight he said: "Him _chobee eestee
hotkee_."

The visitor was bearded and ragged from dwelling in the swamp, but he
strode up to the camp wi