“Perhaps it will do,” said the scientist, as he felt of the patient’s pulse.
“Now tell us about yourself,” urged Ned. “We were very anxious about you. What happened?”
“Well, I had rather a narrow escape. Mr. Seabury was right about those scoundrels. They wanted to rob me, and had no intention of leading me to where I could find the rare butterfly. I discovered this when it came night and they said it was two days’ journey further on. I wanted to come back, as I knew you would be worried, but they acted so ugly I thought I had better do as they wished. I stayed with them in a rude camp they made, but I didn’t go to sleep. I heard something which made me think they might attack you boys.”
“They did but we drove ’em off,” said Jerry.
“Good for you! Well, I insisted on being led to the butterflies the next day, but they kept making excuses. Finally I managed to get away by a trick and I started for our camp.
“I lost my way and had to spend another night in the everglades. Fortunately I had my compass with me and I had taken note of the general direction we traveled in. There are some trails through the everglades and I managed to follow them. At last I struck the one along the stream on which they had taken me in their canoe and I knew I was safe. But I didn’t get my butterfly. Now what is this about the falling lake?”
The boys told him, and Mr. Snodgrass looked worried. He could not explain the phenomenon, but said they would make an investigation in the morning.
In spite of his weariness the scientist insisted on sitting up that night with Bob. The boat was anchored well off from shore but near enough to be pulled in by a rope and in the morning Bob was much better though very weak.
“I think he’ll come around,” remarked the professor. “I’d like a different kind of medicine for him, but perhaps we can find Mr. Seabury and his houseboat. He has quite a stock of drugs, he told me.”