at this sight. In it he was joined by all the others as soon as
they saw the cause of his mirth.

After the Elmers had been helped up the steep incline of the boat,
and were comfortably fixed near the fire, Captain Johnson and Jan,
who said he didn't mind mud now any more than an alligator, took
light-wood torches and set out to discover what had happened. As
Jan climbed down the bank into the mud, and held his torch beneath
the boat, he saw in a moment the cause of the accident, and knew
just how it had occurred.

As the tide ebbed the lighter had been gradually lowered, until it
rested on the upright branches of an old water-logged tree-top
that was sunk in the mud at this place. The water falling lower
and lower, the weight upon these branches became greater and
greater, until they could support it no longer, and one side of
the lighter went down with a crash, while the other rested against
the bank. Jan, who had been sleeping on the upper side of the
boat, was thrown out into the water when it fell, as some of the
Elmers doubtless would have been had not their canvas shelter
prevented such a catastrophe.

The rest of the night was spent around the fire, which was kept up
to enable Jan to dry his clothes. By daylight the tide had risen,
so that the lighter again floated on an even keel. By sunrise a
simple breakfast of bread-and-butter and coffee had been eaten,
and our emigrants were once more afloat and moving slowly up the
tropical-looking river.

About ten o'clock Captain Johnson pointed to a huge dead cypress-