We were upon a rather narrow tongue of land, the two diverging forks of the stream closing us in.  So, after a short conversation, we continued to ride straight forward, keeping rather close to the edge of the woods, so as to better conceal our passage.  Our advance, while not rapid, was steady, and we must have covered several miles before the east began to show gray, the ghastly light of the new dawn revealing our tired faces.  Ahead of us stretched an extensive swamp, with pools of stagnant water shimmering through lush grass and brown fringes of cat-tails bordering their edges.  Seemingly our further advance was stopped, nor could we determine the end of the morass confronting us.  Some distance out in this desolation, and only half revealed through the dim light, a somewhat higher bit of land, rocky on its exposed side, its crest crowned with trees, arose like an island.  Tim stared across at it, shading his eyes with one hand.

“If we wus goin’ ter stop enywhar, Cap,” he said finally, “I reckon thar ain’t no better place then thet, pervidin’ we kin git thar.”

I followed his gaze, and noticed that the mulatto girl also lifted her head to look.

“We certainly must rest,” I confessed.  “Miss Beaucaire seems to be sleeping, but I am sure is thoroughly exhausted.  Do you see any way of getting across the swamp?”

He did not answer, but Elsie instantly pointed toward the left, crying out eagerly: 

“Sure, Ah do.  The lan’ is higher ’long thar, sah—­yer kin see shale rock.”

“So you can; it almost looks like a dyke.  Let’s try it, Tim.”

It was not exactly a pleasant passage, or a safe one, but the continual increase in light aided us in picking our way above the black water on either hand.  I let my horse follow those in front as he pleased and held tightly to the bit of the one bearing Eloise.  It had to be made in single file, and we encountered two serious breaches in the formation where the animals nearly lost their footing, the hind limbs of one, indeed, sliding into the muck, but finally reached the island end, clambering up through a fissure in the rock and emerging upon the higher, dry ground.  The island thus attained proved a small one, not exceeding a hundred yards wide, rather sparsely covered with forest trees, the space between these, thick with undergrowth.  What first attracted my gaze after penetrating the tree fringe was the glimpse of a small shack, built of poles, and thatched with coarse grass, which stood nearly in the center of the island.  It was a rudely constructed, primitive affair, and to all appearances deserted.  My first thought was that we had stumbled upon some Indian hut, but I felt it safer to explore its interior before permitting the others to venture closer.

“Hold the horses here, Tim; let me see what we have ahead first.”