And, with these words, he ran to the top of a little sand hillock to see as much of the continent as he could. “If I were you fellers,” said Adam, “I’d make that young man captain. You’ll never be able to manage him if you don’t let him go ahead.” “Good!” said Phil; “let’s make him captain, and you, Phœnix, ought to be treasurer, for you carry the funds.” “And what’ll you be?” asked Phœnix. “You’re mixin’ up your officers,” said Adam; “but as a party of this kind is a little out of the general run, I guess it won’t matter. As this is a land expedition,” he said to Phil, “you might be quartermaster, and I’ll be private.” “All right!” cried the boys. And when Chap came running down from the sand-hill he was informed of the high position to which he had been chosen. “My friends,” cried Chap, drawing himself up and clapping his breast with his hand, “you do me honor, and I’ll lead you--I’ll lead you----” “Into no end of scrapes,” suggested Phil. “Perhaps you’re right. That may be so. But you’re bound to follow,” said Captain Chap. “He’ll lead you sure enough,” laughed Adam. And then he added to himself, forgetting that this was a land, and not a nautical expedition, “I’ll keep my hand upon the tiller.” [Illustration] CHAPTER IV. WITH HOOK AND LINE. After standing for a few moments to take a last look at the steamer, which was now rapidly making her way southward, our party prepared to take up the shortest line of march for the Indian River. The boys slung their overcoats and valises over their shoulders, and these, with their water-canteens and provisions, made for each of them a pretty good load. But Adam had a still heavier burden, for he carried the roll of tarpaulin in addition to his other traps. “I am not captain,” said Adam, addressing Chap, “but I’ll go ahead, for I’ll be able to find my way over to the river better than you will.” “All right,” said Chap. “Adam was the first man, and you can take the lead. But I am captain, for all that, and I expect to be obeyed.” “Expect away,” said Phil; “it’ll keep your mind busy, and stop you from making plans for blowing us all up North in one bang.” “Silence!” cried Chap. “Forward, march!” The way from the beach back to the river was a very hard one, and a good deal longer than Adam had expected it to be. For a time they walked over loose, soft sand, which was piled into little hills by the wind, then they came to a thick growth of palmetto-trees, the ground being covered with underbrush of the most disagreeable kind, consisting mainly of a low bush, called the “saw-palmetto,” which was made up of leaves three or four feet long, with sharp teeth at each edge. A variety of tangled vines, concealing rotten palmetto stumps, of all sizes, helped to make the walking exceedingly difficult. But some man or animal had been that way before, and through the almost undistinguishable path, which Adam seemed to scent out, rather than to see, the party slowly made its way.