e eye
could see. To the east and west the marsh extended back at least a
mile before it met solid timbered land, here and there, and an
occasional long point jutted out until it met the stream. Although the
weary lad strained his eyes in all directions, not a sign could he see
of the other canoes or of any human life. With a sigh of despair, he
sank again to his knees and crawled forward to where his chum lay half
unconscious and moaning in pain.

Dipping his handkerchief over the side, he gently sponged Charley's
pale face with it.

The contact of the cold water seemed to revive the wounded lad. He
opened his eyes and attempted to smile, although his lips were
twitching with pain. "What a nuisance I am, old chap," he said faintly.

"Not a bit," declared Walter, cheerfully, overjoyed at his return to
consciousness. "Here, take a drink of this cold water, and then I am
going to have a look at your wound."

With his hunting-knife, Walter cut away the bloody shirt from the
shoulder and exposed the gaping hole to view. It was still bleeding
slightly, but he noted with satisfaction that the bullet had passed
completely through the fleshy part of the shoulder without touching the
bone, a painful wound, but not a fatal one. He washed it clean with
river water and bound it up with strips from his own shirt. "You'll be
all right in a few days," he declared cheerfully. "Now just lay quiet.
I am going to paddle in to the nearest point and start a fire and make
you some broth."

Walter's heart was lighter than it had been in many hours as he again
resumed his paddle. Day had brought fresh hope and courage. Charley
was getting along far better than he had dared to hope during the
night. He soon would be well enough to take command, and then, thought
Walter, they would soon find their friends. He had great confidence in
Charley's ability to get them out of their present predicament.

Suddenly Walter paused in his paddling and sat staring at the point,
which was now scarce a hundred yards distant. A thin wisp of smoke
curled up above the thick growth of palmettos with which the point was
covered.

"Charley," he called softly, "there is someone on the point; they have
just started up a fire."

"Better sheer off and give it a wide berth, then," counseled his chum.
"If it were the captain or the chief, you would see the canoes."

"But the boats may be pulled up among the mangrove bushes," Walter
objected. "If