THE BUEIAL. 289 



to become of her ? She seems very calm ; I was afraid 

 she wouhl feel it more. She has not shed a tear or made 

 a sob since it happened." 



" A hound don't yowl much when he's hard hurt," ro 

 plied Mike. 



"What of the body, Mike?" I asked. "We must 

 bury it some time, and where." 



" Them sarpents won't let it stay buried long ; they 

 want his hayar." 



"You don't mean to say they would despoil his grave 

 for his scalp ?" 



" I mean they are 'bout among the islands, nosing us 

 out this minute like wolves." 



" Oh, Mike !" said the Doctor, looking around anx- 

 iously. 



" 'Taint likely they'll find us to-night, though they 

 know pretty much where we be ; but their spies'll be in 

 all the passes at light to see where we go, and what we 

 take ^\'ith us, and they'll dog us to Tampa, and ef they 

 can't get our hayar, they'll try to get his'n. We can't 

 carry him four days' journey to the fort." 



" We could bury him in the sea," said the Doctor, 

 " and there he would remain undisturbed." 



" His darter wouldn't give in to that," said Mike. 



" How do you know ?" 



" Wall, I reckon." 



" Then how can we bury him, and when ?" 



" The sooner the better," I replied. " Bring him hero 

 to-night — 'twould be least suspected." 



13 



