Near by, from the head of this lagoon, there
runs a narrow trail by which a great bend in the stream is cut off, and
a point much lower down upon it is reached. If thou wilt remain here
and nurse thy hand, I will cross to the lower stream by this trail; and
it may be that I will thus gain more speedy information concerning
those whom we follow."
Rene at once agreed to this plan, and was soon left alone to nurse his
hand and meditate upon his present strange position. From his savage
surroundings his thoughts ran back to the uncle whom he had left in
Fort Caroline to battle with sickness, and possibly with starvation and
the upbraidings of his own men. The boy's heart was full of tenderness
for the brave old soldier who had so promptly assumed the part of a
father towards him; and had he not been restrained by the consciousness
of the vital importance of the mission he had undertaken, he would have
been inclined to return at once and share whatever trials were
besetting the chevalier. From him the boy's thoughts sped to France
and the old chateau in which he was born. He almost laughed aloud as
he imagined the look of consternation with which old Francois would
regard him if he could now see him, lying alone in a fragile craft,
such as the old servant had never imagined, in the midst of a terrible
wilderness of great moss-hung trees, queer-looking plants, black
waters, and blacker mud.
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