Here, on mangrove-wood piles, was a short pier with a boathouse at its far end.
"I keep my launch and my fishing-boats in there," explained Milo, as he climbed out of the car.

"If it wasn't for that pesky swamp.

I could have had this pier directly back of my house, and saved a lot of distance." "Why not cut a road through the swamp ?" suggested Brice, following him along the pier.
Again Standish gave vent to that great laugh of his--a laugh outwardly jovial, but as hollow as a shell.
"Young man," said he, "if ever you try to cut your way through an East Coast mangrove-swamp you'll find out just how silly that question is.

A swamp like that might as well be a quick-sand, for all the chance a mortal has of traveling through it." Gavin made no reply.

Again, he was visualizing the cleverly engineered path from the beach-edge to Milo's lawn.