The guide went aft to find the canoe poles, which were fastened to the rail. While he was busy untying them, Vinton, who seemed to be in a talkative mood, continued to enlighten the boys.
“They’re hard to find, ’cause they’ve got to be straight saplings,” said he. “In the Glades a paddle ain’t much use, an’ if you break your pole and haven’t another with you, you’re in a bad fix.”
“See,” he added, as Dave returned with a pole, “here she is, an’ a good straight, strong one, too.”
The pole which he handed around for the boys’ inspection was about eight feet long, slender and supple, tapering at the upper end. About one inch from the larger end a triangular inverted bracket was nailed.
“It looks like the stilts we used to hobble around on,” said Billy, balancing the pole.
“It surely does,” agreed the captain. “That part of the pole that’s beyond the bracket keeps it from slippin’ on rocks, and its flattened end, besides the bracket, or foot, stops it from sinkin’ very far into mud. You’ll get the hang o’ it after you’ve seen Dave polin’. That will be in another day or two.”
The “day or two” proved short enough, for the beginning of the homeward cruise was pleasant, favored by perfect weather. At nightfall of the second day, the Arrow cast anchor off the mouth of a broad, shallow river. For two days they had been sailing through a labyrinth of small islands, and now they found themselves beached on a little cove at the river’s mouth. Here a clearing had been made in the luxuriant growth and a settlement had been established, consisting of four cabins and several tents.
Dave knew the place well; in fact, he had advised them to start inland from here, for he had friends who were willing to lend the amateur explorers two very serviceable log canoes. They had purchased other supplies, including a tent and rubber sleeping-bags, mosquito netting, leather leggings and heavy shoes, at Key West. Also medicines, in case of need.
“Well, here we are on the edge of the Everglades!” said Norton the next morning, when all the provisions and suitable clothing had been properly packed away in the two cypress dug-outs. “And now for an inland voyage to the Seminole country!”
Before them lay a sea of apparently pathless grass, through which the river crawled slowly until it seemed to be lost among huge lily-pads. Cutting through the saw-grass in all directions, spreading out like the lines in a human hand, were many shallow water-courses.