there is no way to get through to Florida Bay,
where Madeira Hammock is, by water from Whitewater Bay."

"Your outlaw says there is, only you have to tote your canoe some."

"He isn't my outlaw. I don't sit up nights making maps with him, and
anyhow we can't tote the canoe through a mangrove swamp, and that's
what we're up against if we go that way."

"But our outlaw--the outlaw, if you like--says we can find little
creeks up toward the Glades that will take us almost through."

"All right. We'll start in the morning. I wish we'd cured about a
ton or two less of that meat. We'll have to make a lot of trips
across the carries. You don't see any way to take my alligators
along, do you?"

Two days were spent in following creeks that led to nothing and then
one was found with a deeper channel which led them for miles, after
which it broke up into several little waterways, which were almost
without current and so shallow that the boys had to wade and drag
their canoe. Their progress was slow, and they slept on a bed of
brush which had lumps and knots to bruise every soft spot on their
bodies. Their next trouble was a strip of mangrove swamp which a cat
couldn't have crawled through. After following along the mangroves
for an hour they found a creek which entered it. As they followed
this creek it grew wider and deepened. There was a slight current
that flowed with them; the water was brackish, and they knew it led
to the Bay of Florida and that the Madeira Hammock was near.

The mangrove gave place to a better growth, the soil became richer
and vegetation more luxuriant. Soon they had to cut away vines and
branches to clear the way for the canoe, but they counted their
troubles over. They were paddling gaily ahead when they saw in front
of them a branch that stretched across the creek about a foot above
the water. They had met plenty of similar obstructions, but this
was different. There was a big wasps' nest on the branch and the air
was filled with flying little pests. It was impossible to get around
the nest and it was doubtful if there was another creek that would
take them through.

"Let's get some dry palmetto fans and make torches. Then we can burn
and smoke the wasps out," said Ned.

"Dunno as I want to wade up to that nest and set it afire. Ouch!"
said Dick, who had sat down on what he thought was a stump, but had
turned out to be an ants' nest. "Holy smoke! Don't these things
bite? I don't believe wasps