CHAPTER XVIII
THE WANDERER AGAIN
"Give me a gun!" cried Ned. "I'm going to try and hit one in the eye.I've read that's the place to shoot 'em!"
Jerry steered the boat over to one of the "logs." Ned, who had securedhis rifle from the locker, took aim at the nearest creature. He wasjust about to pull the trigger, having drawn a bead on what he supposedwas the eye of the saurian, when the alligator raised its tail and gavethe water a slap that sounded like a clap of thunder. In an instant allthe other alligators disappeared, the one who had given timely warningdiving with its fellows.
"Just my luck!" cried Ned. "But I'll get one yet."
"There goes my butterfly!" exclaimed the professor, as he saw thewinged creature, he had been so anxiously watching, take flight overthe woods, where it was soon lost to view. "But, after all I don'tbelieve it was the kind I wanted, though it bore a close resemblance,"with which reflection the scientist comforted himself. "However, thatshows me we are in the right locality. I'm glad we discovered this newlake, boys."
"Let's name it," suggested Ned.
"Call it Alligator Lake," put in Jerry.
"No, Butterfly Lake would be better," suggested Bob, "because theprofessor hopes to catch his prize specimen here."
"Good idea," agreed Jerry. "Butterfly Lake it is."
Seeing a little cove about a mile ahead, Jerry steered the boat in thatdirection and, as it was found to be a good stopping place, the craftwas moored near the edge of the water. The boys and the professor wentashore. They found themselves in the midst of a patch of everglades,though close to the lake the land was more firm than anywhere else.
"I'd hate to be lost in a swamp like that," remarked Ned, indicatingthe vast expanse that lay about them.
"There are paths through it," said Mr. Snodgrass. "But I guess onlythe negroes and Indians know them. It would be quite risky for any oneunacquainted with them to venture in. The swamp would swallow a man asquickly as if he fell into quicksand."
"The boat for mine!" exclaimed Bob. "This is worse than the swamp Noddygot fooled on."
While supper was being prepared, the professor got out his nets andcyanide bottle in readiness for a chase after the prize butterfly.
"I'll begin the search the first thing in the morning," he said, and hewas up before daylight, walking along the shores of the lake lookingfor the brilliant creature with a pink body and blue and gold wings.However, the kind of insect he wanted seemed to be very scarce, and hecame back empty-handed after the boys had finished their meal, rathertired but not a bit discouraged. "I'll get it yet," he said. "We'llcruise along the shores."
They found the strange lake was quite a large body of water. Thelower end of it was so filled with stumps that they did not ventureto take the boat in for fear of striking a snag and stoving a hole inthe bottom. But, though they covered many miles they did not catch aglimpse of the rare butterfly.
Bob and Ned tried several shots at alligators, of which there weremany, but, though Bob was sure, once, that he hit one, the saurian didnot give any evidence of it, and sank from sight.
If the scientist did not get the butterfly he wanted, he was successfulin capturing a number of other specimens of insects, which seemed todelight him almost as much as if he had the pink and blue beauty.
"Even if I can't get the five thousand dollars," he said, "perhaps Ican bring back to the museum enough valuable specimens so that I willget the position I want."
"Oh, we'll get that butterfly for you," said Jerry, who was anxious tohelp the professor.
"Suppose we go back toward the river that connects Lake Okeechobee andButterfly Lake," suggested Ned. "That's where we saw the butterfly thatlooked like the one you want."
"A good idea," replied Mr. Snodgrass. "I'm sure it is to be found inthis vicinity, as all the books say it is usually to be seen in companywith the butterfly with plain blue wings, and that is the one we chasedyesterday."
Accordingly the _Dartaway_ was swung around, and was soon speedingtoward the narrow stretch of water that connected the two lakes. Asthey entered it the boys noticed that there was a current flowing fromButterfly Lake into Lake Okeechobee.
"I hadn't noticed that before," said Jerry. "Butterfly Lake must be oneof the feeders of the larger body of water."
As the _Dartaway_ emerged from the "river" upon the bosom of LakeOkeechobee once more Jerry pointed ahead and cried out:
"Look there, boys!"
"It's another boat!" said Bob.
"A houseboat to judge by the looks of it," put in Ned.
"I think it's our old friend the _Wanderer_," remarked Jerry. "I'll seeif they answer our signal."
He gave three toots on the compressed air whistle, and a moment laterthey were replied to from the houseboat, which was about a mile away.Then something like a white handkerchief was waved from the deck.
"They see us!" exclaimed Bob. "Those are the girls."
"Put over there, Jerry," said Ned. "I'd like to see 'em again."
"Which one?" asked Jerry with a laugh, and Ned blushed a bit.
Mr. Seabury and his three daughters were glad to meet the boys oncemore. The professor and the youths were invited aboard and, thoughMr. Snodgrass wanted to continue his search for the butterfly, he wasinduced to accept the invitation.
"We'll help you look for that curious insect," said Rose Seabury. "Weare going to stay on Lake Okeechobee for some time, and perhaps we'llcome across it."
"I hope you do," remarked the scientist. "I shall be very much obligedto you if you find a specimen and I'll share the reward with you."
"Oh, I didn't mean that!" exclaimed the young lady. "I'm sure if Icould be a little aid to the advancement of science it would be rewardenough."
Several pleasant hours were spent aboard the _Wanderer_ and afterdinner, for which Mr. Seabury insisted that his guests remain, they allsat on the cool upper deck viewing the beauties of the lake.
"Isn't that a canoe putting out from shore?" asked the owner of thehouseboat, pointing to a small object on the water.
"That's what it is," answered Nellie, looking through a pair of marineglasses. "There are negroes in it."
"Oh, those ugly black men!" exclaimed Olivia. "I can't bear them. Theyare not like the colored men up north."
"They seem to be headed this way," went on Mr. Seabury, taking theglasses from his daughter. "I wonder what they want?"
The canoe rapidly approached. In a short time it was close enough sothat, without the aid of glasses, there could be made out in it threenegroes. They were paddling straight for the houseboat, to which the_Dartaway_ was made fast. When the small craft came within hailingdistance one of the negroes called out:
"Is a gen'men dar what's lookin' fo' rare bugs an' butterflies?"
"I am," replied Mr. Snodgrass. "I particularly want a pink butterflywith blue and gold wings."
"We knows whar to find him!" exclaimed the foremost paddler. "We'llshow yo' if yo' uns'll come along."
"I wouldn't go with them if I were you," said Mr. Seabury in low tones."They may be very treacherous."