The Pony Rider Boys in Louisiana

y,

ler, wide awake in an instant in

that r

you s

s that

did you thi

swered the fat boy sleepily. "Good

. At this rate we'l

ur feet wet," returned Chunky. "I'm slee

campfire but the blackened, ill-smelling embers. The others evidently had not been awakened by the rain, or, if they had, they had not aroused themselves to discu

ou'd bettah pull in youah fee

ep. But so warm was the water and so soundly had he slept that the boy was wholly unconscious of his condition. Tad f

lean water, Ich

ed a bucket full ob de r

sleepy-head as Stacy. No, I don't know enough to get the whole of me in out o

ots the lad, still in his pajamas, stepped to the door of the tent. In his amazement at finding his feet o

e he sat he could see the fog rising from the swamp. He could smell it,

land, all about it a lake of muddy water. The boy wondered, for the moment, if the Mississippi had overflowed and drowned out the jungle, but upon

suming all sorts of fantastic shapes. One could imagine that they were dragons and centipedes, while one formation looked like a camel kneeling.

ked up his rifle, then returning to

careful aim at the black speck swaying from side to side

black wriggling head. But on the other hand there was an uproar in the tents. The Pony Rider Boys, awake on the instant, leaped out in

epped on a sharp stub and in trying to recover himself, fell face down

howled th

black muck and his pajamas looke

y pushed me! You

uked Ned. "Don't you

wake me up before you moved

pen yet, Chunky," answered Tad with a

are," crie

water?" exclaim

of an island," nodded Ned. "

I heard a gun go o

" answe

the guide, who, having pulled on his boo

on something floating i

to be shooting at t

ked the guide, surmising t

back to put his rifle

for firewood?" asked the

ood in my tent," a

ned Tad, whereat Lilly tugged s

the morning to get ahead of y

had seen me when Ichabod awakened me, you woul

s it?" a

in the water, while the

pening for an instant. "Lucky none of those savage pigs was about

ndful of black muck that Ned shied at him, an

to clean that o

o that. He was to blam

ean the mud from the tent. By the way, w

e because of the water that covered the ground on either shore. Tad nodded his under

ld pig for my own breakfast,

hose wild ones are tough as boot leather. We

ed Ned. "We have had lot

bout v

xury," smiled Tad. "

the same as letting go at them in comparatively open woo

ut the next question is,

n shoot as well as you ride and do other things, I reckon t

ctise on those horr

they all drowne

yonder," answered the guide, pointing. "You will see what birds of prey

eaked barred owls. The bird was having a desperate battle with something. A

snake!" c

You have guessed r

fascinated gaze this b

is it?" questioned

Ichabod, what is that sn

sah. Ah reckon i

gger can get to a direct

was what he was tryin

up sufficiently to do the cooking. The rain was still beating down in torrents and a heavy mist hung over the jungl

d. The waters were always foul and muddy, and alive underneath the surface, though the boys could only surmise this. They had

stems of the canebrake that stood row upon row in straight lines, as if

course, was eaten inside the tents. The boys now wan

ou see it is running off in a pretty swift current already. Of course the water

in the canebra

eady told you. There is one thing to be thankful for

ey will do when the rain stops and

f the deluge on the roofs. The interiors of the tents were steaming; the heat was greater than before the rain. The tents smelled st

pped themselves in their rubb

heavy mists rose in clouds. One felt that Nature was pluming herself after her long bath. Black squirrels chattered in the tops of the tall cypress, t

sible that the cane just ahead of them was the haunt of savage beasts, that the little lakes and bayous were alive with alligators, savage garfish and monstrous snapping turtles

w experiences and thrills, and they were destined to have their full share o