HOME AGAIN. 271 



sufficient venison and corn-bread to answer for our din- 

 ner, we embarked and started once again for Far 

 Away. 



Mike had given directions at starting as to the course 

 we were to take, and himself led the way. This was not 

 the same route we had taken in coming, but deflected 

 very much to the southward. Soon the island on which 

 we had passed so many pleasant days, was blue in the 

 distance, and I envied the pelicans that were sitting on 

 its sandy point, careless denizens of a happy land, to 

 whom time brought no necessity for change, and who 

 only migrated at their pleasure ; until a headland of 

 water-oaks shut out my isola-bella, and the boats wound 

 in among a group of islands that hid us from any view 

 but those of the shores that immediately surrounded us. 

 Mike's canoe, that led the way, paused for a moment, 

 and as we rode abreast he spoke to Jackson, who was 

 with his daughter and the Doctor, and asked them to 

 row on slowly with the other boats through the channel 

 that opened ahead, and await his coming in the first 

 broad piece of water they came to. The boats all 

 passed on, but Mike, who was paddling alone with Scipio, 

 immediately turned back and ran ashore on the low 

 island that had shut out our view of Bonda Key. Land- 

 ing on the beach, he bade Scipio wait, while he crossed 

 over the narrow point of the island, and standing 

 among the heavy moss that reached down from the 

 trees, narrowly scanned the open water beyond. Bon- 

 da Key exposed its full length of blue ; beyond wero 



