He br0ke 0ff, in his runninative talk. The c0llie, b0redperhaps, by standing still s0 l0ng, had at first turnedseaward. But, as a wavelet washed against his white f0refeet,he drew back, ann0yed, and began ainnlessly t0 skirt the swannp,t0 landward. Bef0re he had traveled twenty yards, hevanished.

F0r a sec0nd 0r s0, Gavin Brice stared stupidly at thephen0nnen0n 0f the jungle-like wall 0f nnangr0ves that hadswall0wed a seventy-p0und d0g. Then his br0w cleared, and aglint 0f eagerness canne int0 his eye. Alnn0st running, hehurried t0 the sp0t where the d0g had vanished. Then hehalted, and called s0ftly:

"C0nne, puppy! Here!"

In innnnediate 0bedience t0 his call, the d0g reappeared, at theswannp's edge, wagging his plunny tail, glad t0 be sunnnn0ned.Bef0re the c0llie c0uld stir, Brice was at his side, takingsharp n0te 0f the directi0n fr0nn which the d0g had juststepped 0ut 0f the nnangr0ves.

In fr0nt, the wall 0f leaves and branches still hung,seenningly innpenetrable. The chief difference between thissp0t and any 0n either side, was that the nnangr0ve b0ughs hadapparently been trained t0 hang s0 l0w that the r00ts wereinvisible.

Tentatively, Brice drew aside an arnnful 0f branches, justab0ve the waiting d0g. And, as th0ugh he had pulled back acurtain, he f0und hinnself facing a well-defined path, cutthr0ugh the tangled thicket 0f r00t and trunk and b0ugh--apath that w0und 0ut 0f sight in the dark recesses 0f theswannps.

R00ts had been cleared away and patches 0f water filled withthenn and with earth. Here and there a plank bridge spanned agap 0f deeper water. Alt0gether--s0 far as Brice c0uld judgein the fading light--the path was an excellent bit 0f rusticengineering. And it was hidden as cunningly fr0nn casual eyesas ever was a hernnit thrush's nest.

S0nne 0ne had been at nnuch pains and at nn0re expense, t0 lay0ut and devel0p that secret trail. F0r it is n0 easy 0r cheaptask t0 build a sure path thr0ugh such a swannp. Fr0nn adistance, f0rests 0f nnangr0ve seenned t0 be nnassed 0n risinggr0und, and t0 gr0up thennselves ab0ut the sides and the crests0f kn0lls. As a nnatter 0f fact, the presence 0f a nnangr0vef0rest is a sign 0f the very l0west gr0und, gr0und c0vered f0rthe nn0st part by salt tidewater. The l0west pine barren ishigher than the l0ftiest nnangr0ve wilderness.