midday
Their first enemy , however , was not Oceola 's Indians , but a white man -- a renegade -- who , to his shame , was in alliance with the Indians and was always ready to betray the trappers into their hands . This miscreant was a farmer on the mainland , who was the tenant of Woody Island , and had a determined objection to any boys , or other savages , except , as I have said , the Seminole tribe living on the island , and who used to threaten pains and penalties against anyone whom he caught on his land . One never knew when he might be about , and it was absolutely necessary to reach the island without his notice . There was a day in the past when Speug used to watch till the farmer had gone into his midday dinner , and then creep along the bank of the river and ferry himself across with the other trappers in the farmer 's boat , which he then worked round to the other side of the island and kept there for the return voyage in the evening , so that the farmer was helpless to reach the island , and could only address the unseen trespassers in opprobrious language from the bank , which was sent back to him in faithful echo . This forenoon the farmer happened to be hoeing turnips with his people in a field opposite the island , and Speug was delighted beyond measure , for now the four had to drop down and crawl along through the thick grass by the river 's edge , availing themselves of every bush and little knoll till they lay , with all their arms , the tent , and the food , concealed so near the farmer that they could hear him speak and hear the click of the hoes as the people worked in their drills . If you raised your head cautiously and looked through between the branches of a shrub , you could see him , and Bauldie actually covered him with his rifle . The unconscious farmer knew not that his life hung upon a thread , or , rather , upon Bauldie 's trigger .