Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1885-01-22
IN A LOUISIANA SWAMP.
A BLOODY .SKIFF DRIFTING TO
THE GULF.

Night in the Alligator and Owl Envi-
roned Cypress Forest---PIucking
Tropical Roses In December, and
Finding the Fisherman's Hall.
BY EDWARD PAYsON HALL.
For the Sentinel.
Like a doughty fisherman, / try to
bait nay hook with something attract
i've and palatable to the generality of
readers-with something that will
draw" While the young folks would
eagerly dexour a novel, were [ to
write one, audt the aged would relish
and never refuse sermon, all classes.
are equally and invariably pleased
and entertained by vivid sketches. of
real life. The stereotyped saying that
"Truth is stranger than fiction might
be advantageously altered to more
forcible ami really descriptive express
ion, thus: "Truth is more interesting
than fiction
One afternoon in December, 1856,
myself and companion named Hayes
might have been seen struggling to-
keep our light hunters pisogne in ''the
trough of the wave" and also endeav
oring &c make our course stand off
a good half mile from the shore of
Lake Pontchartrain, lest the storm
which was raging, should, in the might
of its angry billows, strike our kDel
upon and capsize us in the muddy sed
iment, hundreds of feet deep. The
water. that far out at least, being SO
very shallow we could easily touch
the muck bottom with our paddles.
After searching for many hours f
fearful exertion and suspense, we at
last found shoreward passage deep
enough, which the wash of a sugar
drain" from one Of the plantations had
of the lake; and continually thread
ing its channel, we landed and
camped, just before dusk, in the midst
of gloomy cypress forest, our noe
turnal rendezvous pleasantly festooned
by moss curtains from tree-top to
ground surrounded by thousands OF mu-
sical owls, and belle eaguered by hordes
of yawning aligators. / mistoek one
of these last for a log, while searching
|
moved beneath me, ]! called to my
companion for fire-brand and the
guns, and we soon dispatched and
skinned him. Well, musquitoes
swarmed, owls hooted, gators bel
lowed; yet we two tired mortals slept.
skin on the lake neaf US; drIrrrIfg Co
ward the Gulf. We got into our
pirogue and soon overlook it, finding
it quite bloody from stem to stern, and
tenantless;an old musket, with xhlct
the last occupant had evidently sho
himself Ly- accident and staggered
overheard, pair of over-alls, a fiasl
of liquor, some fishing-tackla, and
powder horn were all it now con
tained. We transferred ourselves ans
, baggage to the skiff, tied our plrogu
/ to her stern, and raised sail, flew o.
with the breezes toward the SOUTH
Noticing at length that continuou
pile of drift-wood and all sorts G
: wrecked curiosities had been cast u
by Yesterdays storm along the entir
: shore, I requested my companion
I wait within call, while I landed an
walked along upon the drift, hopin
i to find some strange or valuable a
= ticles commingled with it. He a
e cordingly put me ashore, and we gai
b journeyed and conyersed side by sl'
g and in sight of each. ethea-I on foe
3 he steering the bloody skift-in t
r mornings romantic freshness o
IL youthful and elastic spirits rising
tt the climax of enjoyment, The balm
o. breath of spring, which ever linge
~ in the lap of the brief winters 9th
1d semi-tropical cline, bathed eve
ne sense in a tide of voluptuous emotion
mt the rising sun was flooding the we
by surf with shimmel of golden gau
~ and adding a supernal blush to
DIS nmgaifcent clusters of roses VIII
oW hung in. wild luxuriance from HI
tn dreds of bushes, that crowned
brow of the beach. Pluck
and arranging a large noses
of these flowers. / waved it alb
nv head, and shouted to Hays
dr. "IVhat would. your folks up in Ii
,ill ana think, eoHaH they see us n
9TH gathering these beauties in Decem
Id while they are skating on the ic
ure the Wabash?" The words had sea
nan ly passed my lips, when u sight
sla- nv gaze which sent chill OF no
ton through my whole frame, and sud-
on ly depressed my highly-eiated .sp
OF to, the depths of. pity and dist
ex- There, right before me, and SO Gle
the had nearly stepped on him, face.dt
e to ward, .hugging the sandy beach
ives his outstretched arms, blue shirt, lie
ion. er belt,land seal-skin pants, bcsme
ator with great clots of blood, bioated
es of wafer % to double his natural size,
ople stark, cold and ghost-lika,. lay
stranded corpse Of the unforh
fisherman, whose skill Hays was
,,;, moment SO gaily sailing grew
aTaIo III. and faint at the ghastly specta
trial the sudden nevulsion of feelin
IlIctsd @ doubt making the effect the NOR
mean %sn- full. The roses dropped like fire
other from my trembling grasp; l call
vigor Hays, in quite different tone
lapar, al,o1,. that in which I had the momen
:ls.g fore exultingly addressed him,
ETC. Gods sake to come to land, an
ces on hold such a sight as he he'd neve
:, ',,snts etc before!" He did. so; and havI
Com formed the nearest oyatc, (Lou
m ST., French for coroner, and to hln
Ally ing surrendered the skiff, we m
EHouss our pirouge once more and e
dany- mard - the Teyas frontier,