his pail down and was giving the well bucket a
switch as though intending to dislodge any stale water it might contain.
From this little incident Jack understood that undoubtedly the man must
himself have left the water they had used up in the bucket when last at
the well and subconsciously remembered the fact.

He went about the job of lowering the rope with the manner of one quite
familiar with the necessary movements, pulling the rope from the barrel
of the windlass hand over hand. Then there came a splash, a gurgle and
following these symptoms of success the man, with a jerk at the rope,
managed to sink the bucket.

Next he started to turn the handle in order to fetch the bucket to the
top of the well. In order to get a better purchase on the handle, he
took a step to the left, and as luck would have it, struck his knee
against the crouching form of Perk.

Then came a quick look downward, since he was naturally curious to know
what sort of object he had collided with--possibly he may even have had
a sudden suspicion it would turn out to be some native beast from the
neighboring swamp--possibly a panther, since such animals had been known
to frequent the western shore of Okeechobee as a hunting-ground in days
gone by.

Of course he instantly made a startling discovery, since there was
enough light to show him the form of a man doubled up against the rocky
well curbing.

It would have been instinctive for the man to have let out a yell on
making this discovery but he did not have the chance to give tongue, at
least fully, for Perk made a lightning-like spring and had both hands
clasped about his throat effectually throttling the intended shout so
that it emerged only as a queer sound, rather on the order of a bull
alligator's bellowing suddenly cut short.

That was but the beginning of the affair as Perk knew only too well it
must prove to be. He found he had a tough proposition on his hands for
the man struggled desperately, as who would not on finding his wind
suddenly cut entirely off with a pair of iron-like hands pressing his
throat as though it were gripped in a vise?

Jack sprang up, ready to lend his pal any necessary assistance if only
the opportunity showed itself. Just then all he could make out in the
dim light was a whirling set of wildly struggling figures, looking for
all the world like one of those teetotums children delight in
spinning--only on an exaggerated scale.

Then they went down with