maybe no see any for long time."

He told me now as we proceeded across the prairie that the Seminole
Reservation lay about fifty miles north of us, and I wondered what our
chances would be of getting a squad of "braves," should the _Whim_ not
show up and we found ourselves on the eve of a fight against rather big
odds. It was worth keeping in mind.

The "island," when we reached it, was by far the largest I had ever
seen, and proved to be an ideal place to camp. High pines and stately
palms grew here in great profusion, while there also might be found a
sprinkling of hardwoods; and yet in some parts there was enough sunlight
to permit the growth of really luxurious grass, as trim as if it had
been cut by the hand of man. Smilax, pointing to a number of tracks I
had not observed, said the deer kept it short by grazing. One's first
impression here was of a well-kept park, intersected by green avenues
that stretched beneath the best specimens of trees which a landscape
architect had carefully planned to leave standing. But there were wilder
portions; perhaps three acres of heavy jungle. About midway, festooned
with vines, was the pool I had hoped to find, of quite good size and
cool. It, like the other that had entranced me, nourished a few stalks
of iris, but there was no "bonnet" or other place on its closely cropped
bank for the wily moccasin.

"My private bath," I declared, feeling at this sundown hour the call
strong within me.

Smilax had remained behind. His reconnoissance as we entered the prairie
must be completed by another as we emerged from it; and I had left him
standing behind the trees looking back across our trail, searching for
any distant movement. At last he came up, saying:

"All right; you smoke."

"I don't want to smoke," I laughed. "I want to get in that pool, if we
can find another supply of drinking water."

"No need um," he grinned. "Big spring come up there," he pointed toward
the farther end. "Me know island now; been here one time."

I afterwards saw that he referred to one of those unique springs,
occasionally to be found in Florida--a transparent water of bluish
tinge, bubbling up through the bottom of its deep, self-made reservoir;
keeping the sand in a subdued state of agitation, and bringing pleasure
to the eye of man.

By the spirit of Pan, my pool felt good after the long day's hike!

The wind had changed with the waning afternoon and now blew gently from
the southwest, pro