“Why don’t you come on?  Can’t you swim?”

“Yes,” answered Frank; “but didn’t you see that alligator?  I almost ran over him before I saw him.”

“O, that’s nothing,” answered George, carelessly.  “If alligators were all we had to fear, we would all be safe at the North in less than two months.  They are death on darkeys, but they will not touch a white man in the water, if he keeps moving.  There’s not the slightest danger.  Come on.”

Frank was very much inclined to doubt this statement; but, screwing up his courage to the highest pitch, he stepped into the water again, and struck out.  When he reached the middle of the stream, he saw a large, black object rise in the water but a short distance from him, and, after regarding him a moment with a pair of small, sharp-looking eyes, it disappeared, with another of those roars which had so startled him but a moment before.  He kept on, however, and, in a few moments, reached the shore in safety.

“Now,” said George, “there is, or was about five years ago, a cabin on this island, where our negroes used to put up when they came here fishing.  Let us see if we can find it.”

He commenced leading the way, through the thick bushes and trees, toward the center of the island, and, after a few moments’ walk, they suddenly entered a small, clear spot, where stood the cabin of which George had spoken.  But a far different scene was presented than they had expected; for a fire was burning near the cabin, and a man stood over it, superintending the cooking of his supper, and conversing in a low tone with a companion who lay stretched out on his blanket close by.  Both were dressed in the rebel uniform, and their muskets and a cavalry saber were hung up under the eaves of the cabin.  George at once hastily drew back into the bushes, while the captain threw forward his musket, and whispered: 

“Major, I pelieve it’s petter we shoots them rebels.”

Before the major had time to reply, a large dog, which the fugitives had not before noticed, arose from the blanket where he had lain beside his master, and uttered a low growl, whereat the rebels seized their weapons, and were beating a precipitate retreat, when a loud “halt!” from the major brought them to a stand-still.

“We takes you all two brisoners,” said the captain, as he advanced from the bushes, followed by the remainder of the fugitives, who all held their weapons in readiness.  “Drop them guns.”

The rebels did as they were ordered, and the major said: 

“Now we will talk to you.  Who and what are you?”

The men hesitated for a moment, and at length one of them, turning to his companion with a meaning look, said: 

“We’re caught, any way we can fix it, Jim, and we may as well make a clean breast of it.  We are deserters.”

“What are you doing here?”

“We came here to get out of the way of you fellows who were sent after us.  It is as good a place of refuge as we could find, and, to tell the truth, we did not think you would discover it.  You must have followed us with blood-hounds.”