176 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



no doubt, with his countrymen ; but I reckon their 

 infernal hunt is over. I hear no more shots." 



"Then we will go to him. But where are our 

 horses ? " 



" I've a notion," said one of the younger men, " the 

 stranger don't rightly know what he wants. Your 

 horses are grazing half a mile off. You would not 

 have had us make the poor beasts swim through the 

 creek tied to the stern of the boat 1 'Lijah is with 

 them." 



" And what will he do with them 1 " 



" Joel is going back with the boat, and when the 

 fire is out he will bring them round," said the elder 

 Yankee. " You don't suppose 1 " added he He 

 left the sentence unfinished, but a smile of scornful 

 meaning flitted over his features. 



I looked at Carleton. He nodded. ""We will 

 go with you," said I, " and trust entirely to your 

 guidance." 



" You do well," was the brief reply. " Joel," 

 added he, turning to one of the young men, " where 

 are 'the torches 1 We shall want them." 



" Torches ! " exclaimed I. 



The Yankee gave me a look as mxich as to say 

 You must meddle with everything. " Yes," replied 

 he ; " and if you had ten lives, it would be as much 

 as they are all worth to enter this swamp without 

 torches." So saying, he struck fire, and selecting a 

 couple of pine splinters from several lying in the 



