66 BRUNO 



of Florida as a country full of unknown dan- 

 gers. At last I spoke, 



"Julius, do you think a big alligator could 

 have caught Bruno ? ' 



" I don't know," answered Julius, slowly. 



Then I knew that he was worried too. 



When the lamp was out, Julius went to the 

 door again and stood for some minutes whistling, 

 calling, and listening ; but no sound came except 

 the pine murmurs and the mournful notes of a 

 distant " Whip-WilFs-Widow." 



It was impossible for us to sleep. Having 

 always had Bruno at our bedside, we had 

 never before felt uneasy, and had provided no 

 way to lock our shanty. There was just an 

 old-fashioned string-latch with a padlock outside ; 

 and here we were, deserted by our protector ! 



Again and again through the night Julius 

 got up to call and listen. 



Towards dawn we both slept heavily, worn 

 out with anxious surmises. We were awak- 

 ened by a well-known whining and scratching 

 at the door, and when we both sprang up to 

 open it, in walked Bruno, looking just as he 

 usually did in the morning, lively, glad to see 

 us awake, and ready for his breakfast. 



We gave him a welcome so warm it sur- 



