Copyright, 1882, by James Elverson.
Copyright, 1896, by J. B. Lippincott Company.
Electrotyped and Printed by J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia, U. S. A.

CONTENTS

CHAPTERPAGE
I.—“The Best Thing You ever heard of”[ 7]
II.—A Sea Voyage[ 16]
III.—“A Continent before Us”[ 27]
IV.—With Hook and Line[ 38]
V.—Chap’s Alligator[ 50]
VI.—The Rolling Stone[ 65]
VII.—The Two Orphans[ 73]
VIII.—“Captain of Himself”[ 83]
IX.—Friends and Enemies[ 92]
X.—Phil’s Uncle and Chap’s Sister[ 101]
XI.—Two Expeditions[ 111]
XII.—Chap leads the Indians[ 119]
XIII.—Adam leads his Party[ 127]
XIV.—Chap’s Ambassador[ 140]
XV.—The Forces meet[ 145]
XVI.—Mary Brown sends a Message[ 154]
XVII.—The Channel-Bass[ 163]
XVIII.—Chap boards the Maggie[ 172]
XIX.—Waiting for a Visitor[ 182]
XX.—The Visitor arrives[ 190]
XXI.—The Metropolis of the Indian River [ 197]
XXII.—The Colonel[ 204]
XXIII.—A New Expedition planned[ 211]
XXIV.—Coot Brewer takes the Helm[ 219]
XXV.—Among the Alligators[ 224]
XXVI.—The Maggie comes to Town[ 234]
XXVII.—The Race through the Woods[ 243]
XXVIII.—A Plot against Chap[ 251]
XXIX.—How Adam was bagged[ 259]
XXX.—The Countess [ 267]
XXXI.—A Point of Honor[ 273]
XXXII.—Chap is down upon Aristocracy[ 282]
XXXIII.—Which finishes the Story[ 289]

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE
The panther was now within four or five feet of the boat [ Frontispiece.]
The rescue[ 21]
Adam tucking the other under his left arm[ 81]
“Crouch down there, you varlets!”[ 177]
“Don’t fire!” screamed Coot[ 226]
“Now we’ll give it to him”[ 261]

CAPTAIN CHAP

CHAPTER I.
“THE BEST THING YOU EVER HEARD OF.”

It was the month of October, and yet for the boys who belonged to the school of Mr. Wallace, in Boontown, the summer vacation was not yet over. Mr. Wallace had been taken sick, and although he was now recovering, it was not expected that he would be able to resume the labors of his school until about the middle of November.