across the bay, and arriving in the latitude of one of the deepest mud-flats I know (and, let me tell you, in these parts they are pretty considerably pappy,) "and now," said I, running the boat aground upon the softest part of it, "you must get out on this bank and walk ashore to the hut you see yonder, where you will probably find him; if not, wait, and he will soon appear."
"But this ground don't look hard," said he.
"Not just on this spot, perhaps, but a good jump from the boat will carry you to the hard part, and then you will be all right."
"But I don't see his boat."
"Oh no: old Dodge is wide awake; he always hides it in the mangroves."
"Oh—does he?" said the bailiff, as he was swinging his arms backwards and forwards to procure the desired impetus that was to propel him to a firm footing. Had his efforts been successful, it would have been something extraordinary, for the mud-flat only terminated at the beach, which was full a quarter of a mile off.
"Had my passenger," continued Dodge, "looked round at this moment, he would have smelt a rat, for I was fearful of hurting myself, such were my violent efforts to restrain laughing aloud. He made the spring, and—and, Ha!—I never can tell this part of my story for laughing,—and he was up to his waist in a quicksand. The fellow stuck fast and was petrified with rage. After a flounder or two, reminding me of a sting-ray left ashore by the tide, he partially recovered his senses, and slowly dragged himself towards the boat, which I pushed into deeper water. He was wading after her when I said ' Do you see that shark's fluke there above the surface? Your being of the same species is no protection for you, for they eat each other, and I shouldn't wonder but they prefer a land-
