place."

"But how are we to get a fire, Pete?" said Nic anxiously, for an intense
feeling of hunger now set in.

"I'll zoon show you that, lad," replied Pete; and he did. In a very
short time after, by means of a little flint he carried in company with
his pocket-knife, the back of the blade, and some dry touchwood from a
rotting tree, he soon had a fire glowing, then blazing, for there was
dead-wood enough to make campfires for an army.

Another quarter of an hour passed, and the big fish was hissing and
spluttering on a wooden spit over the glowing embers; and at last they
were able to fall to and eat of the whitest, juiciest flesh--as it
seemed to them--that they had ever tasted.

"Bit o' zalt'd be worth anything now, Master Nic, and I wouldn't turn up
my nose at a good thick bit o' bread and butter, and a drop o' zyder'd
be better than river water; but, take it all together, I zay as zalmon's
nothing to this here, and we've got enough to last uz for a couple or
three days to come."

"Now for a few big leaves to wrap the rest in," said Nic at last, after
they had thoroughly satisfied their hunger.

"Right, Master Nic; but I must have a good drink o' water first."

"Yes," said Nic, suddenly awakening to the fact that he was extremely
thirsty, and he rose to his feet to utter a cry of horror.

"Pete--Pete! The boat! the boat!"

Pete leaped up and stared aghast, for the action of the running stream
had loosened the thin remnants of the rope with which they had moored
their boat. These had parted, and the craft was gliding rapidly away, a
quarter of a mile down the river.

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE.

A STERN-CHASE.

"Oh, why didn't I watch it?" groaned Pete, in agony; and his next glance
was along the bank of the river, with the idea of running till opposite
the boat.

He groaned again as he grasped the fact that he could not run, only walk
for two or three yards before the dense tangle of the forest commenced,
and progress through that was impossible.

"Means zwim for it, Master Nic," he cried, with an attempt at being
cheery; "but look here, lad, if you zee me pulled down by them 'gators
or vish, let it be a lesson to you. Don't you try the water."

Then to himself, as he plunged in:

"Why, o' course he wouldn't. What's the good o' saying that?"

The water was deep and clear close in to the overhanging bank, and Pete
dived out of sight, scaring some occupant of the river, which swept
itself a