"Hans?"
"Yes."
"Professor! professor! He's not here to defend himself."
"Oh, well! Oh, well! Ha! ha! ha! Quite a joke—quite a little joke, you know! You always appreciate a joke, Frank. You are full of fun yourself."
As under the circumstances there was nothing else to do, they finally paddled slowly forward, looking for a piece of dry land, where they could stop and camp for the night.
They approached a small cluster of trees, which rose above the rushes, and it was seen that they seemed to be growing on land that was fairly high and dry.
"We'll stop there," decided Frank. "It's not likely we'll find another place like that anywhere in the Everglades."
As they came nearer, they saw the trees seemed to be growing on an island, for the water course divided and ran on either side of them.
"Just the place for a camp!" cried Frank, delightedly. "This is really a very interesting and amusing adventure."
"It may be for you," groaned the professor; "but you forget that it is said to be possible for persons to lose themselves in the Everglades and never find their way out."