art of my body, detecting the
slightest pull at my clothing, the merest contact with any little twig
that might traitorously snap--in fact, by almost wishing myself along--I
came at last free of the palmettoes and lay beside him. From there our
progress was easier, and shortly we got to our hands and knees.

After following in this manner for two hundred yards Smilax stopped and
sat down.

"You do good," he said. "Wait; me go back."

"What for?" I asked, in surprise. "Tell me what Echochee said?"

"After 'while," he answered. "Me go fix pine needles where we crawl out;
then take look at all's-well-men. You wait."

I should never have thought about obliterating our trail in the pine
needles, yet now saw that it was a very necessary thing to do, for men
can not crawl on their stomachs without mussing the ground if it is at
all soft. In the morning those fellows would see our tracks leading from
the palmetto patch and, to a certainty, be waiting for us when we
returned.

He was back sooner than I expected, and we took a good swinging pace to
camp. Not till he had made a mere handful of fire and warmed over some
coffee (gods of good things, how delicious it was!) and I had lighted my
pipe (O, goddess Nicotine, what a pipe!) would he speak. Then suddenly
he said:

"We no lay out to-morrow."

"Why?" I asked, quickly alarmed that Sylvia had refused to come.

"No use. When men on guard call, we find 'em easy. No much palmetto; we
slip up good."

I laughed; not at what he said, but because to laugh was irresistible.
My nerves were just a little drunk on relaxation.

"Come across with what Echochee said," I told him.

He grinned and nodded.

"Echochee know me. Me no call like owl, for 'fraid all's-well-men no be
fooled; so crawl close and scratch on wall. She come to place inside,
then me put mouth to crack and say in Seminole: 'Echochee, me
Tachachobee.' She squat down by crack and whisper back: 'You lie. What
your father name?' Me say: 'Black boy got no father; Echochee friend,
Wanona, squaw of Kittimee, raise him.' Then she ask back quick: 'How
many pickaninny Kittimee and Wanona had?' Me say: 'Boy child.' She
whisper quicker: 'What wigwam stood in morning shadow to Kittimee?' Me
say: 'Echochee wigwam.' She say: 'Who next?' Me say: 'Pattawa, him shoot
long gun.' She wait 'while, and say: 'If you Tachachobee, what scar you
got on left leg?' Me say: 'No scar on left leg, scar on right leg; four
teeth of Pawpawlo