ves rose out of a sea of
mud, and the roots stood up in a somewhat arched form, supporting their
stem, as it were, on the top of a bridge. Thus, had the ground beneath
been solid, a man might have walked _under_ the roots. In order to
cross the swamp, Jim Scroggles had to leap from root to root--a feat
which, although difficult, he would have attempted without hesitation.
But Jim was agitated at that particular moment. His step was uncertain
at a time when the utmost coolness was necessary. At one point the leap
from one root to the next was too great for him. He turned his eye
quickly to one side to seek a nearer stem; in doing so he encountered
the gaze of a serpent. It was not a large one, probably about ten feet
long, but he knew it to be one whose bite was deadly. In the surprise
and fear of the moment he took the long leap, came short of the root by
about six inches, and alighted up to the waist in the soft mud.

Almost involuntarily he cast his eyes behind him, and saw neither sheego
nor serpent. He breathed more freely, and essayed to extricate himself
from his unpleasant position. Stretching out his hands to the root
above his head, he found that it was beyond his reach. The sudden fear
that this produced caused him to make a violent struggle, and in his
next effort he succeeded in catching a twig; it supported him, for a
moment, then broke, and he fell back again into the mud. Each
successive struggle only sank him deeper. As the thick adhesive
semi-liquid clung to his lower limbs and rose slowly on his chest, the
wretched man uttered a loud cry of despair. He felt that he was brought
suddenly face to face with death in its most awful form. The mud was
soon up to his arm-pits. As the hopelessness of his condition forced
itself upon him, he began to shout for help until the dark woods
resounded with his cries; but no help came, and the cold drops of sweat
stood upon his brow as he shrieked aloud in agony, and prayed for mercy.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

JIM SCROGGLES RESCUED, AND GLYNN AND AILIE LOST--A CAPTURE, UPSET,
CHASE, ESCAPE, AND HAPPY RETURN.

The merciful manner in which God sends deliverance at the eleventh hour
has been so often experienced and recognised, that it has originated the
well-known proverb, "Man's extremity is God's opportunity;" and this
proverb is true not only in reference to man's soul, but often, also, in
regard to his temporal affairs.

While the wretched sailor was