it, even fur a lazy man," he said. "'Pears to me
I'm always wantin' to sleep. Now, I like about sixteen hours sleepin' out
o' the twenty-four, but when it comes to keepin' awake jest long enough to
eat three meals a day I ain't in favor o' it."

"It must be a rich country, though," said Tom Ross. "No wonder them
Spaniards want to keep it."

That day they passed at some distance three canoes containing Indians, but
the canoes showed no wish to come near and investigate. Henry said that
the Indians in them looked sprawling and dirty, unlike the alert,
clean-limbed natives of the North.

"They probably belong," said Paul, "to the Natchez tribe who were beaten
into submission long ago by the French, and who doubtless lack energy
anyhow."

The Indian canoes went lazily on, and soon were lost to sight. Now a
serious problem arose. They were approaching the settled parts of
Louisiana. It is true, it was only the thinnest fringe of white people
extending along either shore of the river a short distance above New
Orleans, but they were coming to a region in which they would be noticed,
and they might have to explain their presence before they wished to do so.
Nor had they found any opportunity to capture Braxton Wyatt and his maps
and plans. Nevertheless, they hung so closely on the trail of Alvarez that
every night and morning they could see the smoke of his camp fire.

They stopped one evening in a cove of the river, sheltered by great
mournful cypresses, and Henry and Shif'less Sol went out again to
scrutinize the Spanish camp. They returned before midnight with unusual
news. Alvarez with his whole force had turned from the Mississippi and had
gone up a bayou about four miles. There he had landed some of his small
cannon and stores at a rude wharf, and showed all the signs of making a
stay, but whether short or long they could not tell.

"Alvarez must have a place, a plantation, I believe they call it, near
here," said Paul intuitively, "and he's going to stop at it. As he wants
to get Spain into a war with us he could plot a lot of mischief in a house
of his own away from New Orleans."

"Of course, that's it," said Henry with conviction. "Now if we could only
capture Braxton Wyatt and then carry off the fellow and his maps and plans
with us, it would be a great stroke. It might make Alvarez quit his wicked
plot."

Henry and Shif'less Sol slept briefly, and rising before daylight, went
forth to investigate again. Whe