THE DROWNED LANDS. 141 



prow, and the sweat guttering on the foreheads of the oarsmen. 

 Yowler's head was lying over the edge of the canoe. Mike had a 

 paddle in his hand, steering, and I saw the deer-skin that decorated 

 the seat had been left behind. 



" Where away ? " called out Jackson, resting on his oars, as we 

 rounded a point where numerous openings and bays came to view, 

 and the boats glided together. 



" Any way is beautiful enough," answered the Doctor, in the 

 highest tone of enjoyment, chanting away snatches of songs, and 

 Lou Jackson joining the chorus. 



" Hyah, you Scip, you pull a baby oar." 



" Git out a de way dat air clam-boat ! " 



" Row, brothers row, 

 The stream runs fast." 



" That song isn't true in fact or music either, Doctor." 



" There goes Mike ; he will show us^the way." 



" The old rat, he has stolen the march ! Give way, boys ! All 

 together ! " and the boats filing off followed in the wake of Mike, 

 who was making for a level shore about two miles ahead, where 

 the bushes grew so dense you could scarcely see the land. As we 

 approached, we could see no passage beyond, and even Mike 

 seemed uncertain, for he steered along the beach a hundred yards 

 distant, examining carefully the bushes that grew close to the 

 water, coloured with red hawberries, and spiked with cactus. 

 Presently the prow of the hunter's canoe was turned shoreward ; 

 ours followed the leader. The boatmen bent to their work and the 

 boats flew. 



" Trail yer oars ! " called out Mike. 



The negroes threw their oars from the rowlocks, letting them 

 float by the side of the boat. Mike's canoe dashed into the bushes 

 and disappeared. Ours followed one after the other, and when we 

 lifted our heads from the crouching position we were compelled to 

 assume, the boats all lay floating together on a large lake com- 

 pletely land-locked, and cluttered up with reedy islands and bogs 

 of coarse grass, with here and there an osier nodding among lily 

 pads or floating scum. 



