When the boat touched the bank he put down the oars and jumped ashore.
“I’ll take the shot-gun,” he said, “’cause I don’t want to lose any of John’s things. And you might as well give me them victuals you’ve wrapped up, for if the ’gators don’t eat you, you’ll git to the boat before you’re hungry; and I’m likely to want something on the way.”
The gun and the luncheon were handed to him without a word, and he began to make his way over the level ground toward the woods.
Chap and Phœnix now each took an oar, and pushed off, while Phil sat in the stern.
“Did you ever see such a good-for-nothing, contemptible coward as that, in all your life?” said Chap, not waiting until Coot should be entirely out of hearing.
“I never did,” said Phil.
“Nor I,” added Phœnix. “But for one, I’m glad we’re rid of him. He wasn’t a bit of good to us. And now, what are we going to do?”
“Go back to the boat as soon as we can, I should say,” said Phil.
“Right through the alligators?” said Chap.
“There isn’t any other way that I know of,” replied Phil; “and we might as well do it first as last.”