e redoubled
at finding a mass of dwarf saw palmetto that would yield him a plentiful
supply of fronds with their queer serrated edges such as would stab
cruelly unless one took care to handle them properly.

Here, too, were some young palmetto trees with the new leaves within
easy reach. Working with a vim Perk speedily loaded his small boat with
green stuff, after which he returned to the sloop and proceeded to
scatter his material to the best advantage all over any exposed part of
the contraband vessel.

It necessitated a second trip before he felt satisfied for whatever his
shortcomings might be in other respects, Perk always tried to fulfill
his whole duty whenever he tackled a job.

By the time he had finished he was "reeking wet" as he called it, with
"honest-to-goodness sweat," not perspiration, but it was worth all it
cost to be able to feel that the sharpest vision on the part of a sky
pilot passing over the spot, and even equipped with powerful binoculars,
would not be able to detect the presence of the sequestered runaway
sloop.

"Good enough," he told himself, as he lay down to rest a bit and scan
the blue heavens so as to learn whether there was any sign of a cloud
chaser from horizon to horizon where the clumps of mangroves allowed him
a clear vision.

Several times he gave a little start, and proceeded to strain his eyes
so as to make doubly sure, but in every instance the moving dot he had
noted far away to the north or nor'east proved to be a circling buzzard,
keeping up his eternal weaving to and fro in search of a belated
breakfast after his own peculiar kind.

So the time passed, and Perk even dozed, lying there amidst his "Palm
Sunday greens," as he fancifully called the camouflage stuff, for the
climbing sun kept getting warmer, and induced somnolence, especially
after such an eventful night as the one he and Jack had just passed.

Later in the morning he sat up, took another cautious look around at the
clear sky, and then proceeded to enjoy a good, old-fashioned smoke, for
Perk was a lover of his under-slung pipe _a la Dawes_.

Noon found him thus, picturing his chum arriving at Tampa and
interviewing the Government official who could give him what assistance
he required so as to turn over the captured sloop and the contraband it
carried, both above and below decks.

At one time Perk out of curiosity--as well as a desire to be in a
condition to state the amount of spoils he and Jack had