t old Pete through so there
would not be any unnecessary delay.

It was evident that they were getting into a different section, a short
time after they left the road, for they began going up and winding among
little rocky hills. At last they came to a stopping place. They climbed
up an elevation and sat on some rocks among a group of dark trees.

"Now, lads, take it easy," said the Captain, "ye have had quite a
footin' and when morning comes, there will be some more ahead and at a
faster gait."

"Gosh, Cap'n," declared old Pete, "It's the most walking we've done
together since the time we corralled the last bunch of niggers on the
west coast of Africa."

"We certainly made money that trip when we sold that cargo of coons to
the traders on that Palmetto Island below Charleston. But we will clean
up about as much money when we round up those four boys and twice as
easy. Tell the two lads about that trip, Pete."

The old sailor sat on a rock, and taking out his bag of tobacco filled
his short black pipe with one thorny thumb, then he commenced his
narrative, with the glow of his pipe lighting up his weatherbeaten face.

"Well, orders is orders, and the Cap'n wants me to tell this yarn. I
might just as well begin it, lads. I never knew any good to come to
sailormen cruising around on dry land any more than on this trip." He
cast a wary eye at Captain Broom, but that worthy merely grunted and
Pete resumed his story.

"Our clipper lay at anchor in a wide bay with only a couple of men on
board and the Captain, myself and six men trailing inland for to find a
village of naygurs that our guides had told us of.

"It certainly was hot and steamy going through the jungles and every
once in a while a big snake as large as my leg would crawl across our
path and rustle away into the undergrowth. Once I felt one of 'em
a-twisting and rolling under my foot like a big log that had came to
life. I guess I must have jumped twice as high as my own head and I lit
on the back of one of the naygurs that was guiding us.

"He didn't know what struck him; probably thought it was a tiger for I
sunk my hooks into his hide. He let out a yell and went ripping and
snorting through that jungle and me not having sense enough to let go,
until a grape vine about as thick as a manilla rope chucked me under the
chin and I fell flat on my back and I guess that naygur is still
running."

Here the captain who was evidently enjoying the narrative h