e during the night, and fill all the
bottom lands. In that event he must continue marching down the east
bank of the river; not going very far out of his way, it is true, but
having to pass through what he was satisfied must be a much more
difficult country than that on the other side.

Night came at last, and they were yet not within sight of the stream,
notwithstanding their utmost exertions. Sam called a halt just before
dark, and selected a camping place.

CHAPTER XIII.

WHAT DOES SAM MEAN?

When the halt was called, Sam said, very much to the astonishment of
the boys:--

"We must build a house here, boys."

"A house!" exclaimed Tom, "What for, pray?"

"To live in, of course. What else are houses for?"

"Yes, of course, but aren't we going on?"

"Not at present, and it rains. We must dry our clothes to-night if we
can, and keep as dry as we can while we stay here, which may be for a
day or two. To do that we must have a house, but it need not be a very
good one. Joe!"

"Yes, sah."

"Build a fire right here."

"Agin de big log dah, Mas' Sam?" pointing to the trunk of a great
tree which had fallen in some earlier storm.

"No, build it right here. Sid, you and Bob Sharp go down into the
canebrake there and get two or three dozen of the longest canes you
can find."

"Green ones?" asked Bob.

"Green or dry, it doesn't matter in the least," answered Sam. "The
rest of you boys go down into the swamp off there and cut a lot of the
palmetes you find there,--this sort of thing," pointing to one of the
plants which grew at his feet. "Get as many of them as you can, the
more the better. The fire will be burning presently and will throw a
light all around."

The boys were puzzled, but they hurried away to the work assigned
them. Sam busied himself digging a trench on the side of the fallen
tree opposite the fire. The great branches of the tree held it up many
feet from the ground at the point selected, and it was Sam's purpose
to make the trunk the front of his house, building behind it, and
having the fire in front. The lower part of the trunk was high enough
from the ground to let all the boys, except Sid Russell, pass under
without stooping; Sid had to stoop a little.

The fire blazed presently, and by the time that Sam had his ditch done
the boys began to come in with loads of cane and palmetes. The
palmetes are plants out of which what we call "palm-leaf fans" are
made. They grow in bunches