The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-10-22
CHAPTER XVI.-Continued.

it's defense and the gathering dusk Wal
ter embarked with all his goods and chat
tells on the boats. There was no time
now to think of unearthing any other
treasure, and the portion he had buried
on the shore was abandoned to wait til
who could say what distant day in the
dim future before it should see the light.
Snap! snap! from the pistols, and crack!
crack! from the rifles of the bafded Cor
covedo, who was left in impotent rage on
the darkening strand. The men, shell
tering themselves behind the piled up
bags, piled their paddles with all speed
The canoas were clumsy but capacious
flat boats of but few INCHES draught.
When the night settled down all lights
were put out, that their whereabouts
might not be disclosed to the enemy if by
any chance they were followed. Walter
remained in the last and heaviest Of them,
which was the post of danger Towards
midnight, when trying to get little
sleep in low cabin asnidships, he was
aroused by dull thud and all pervading
jar.
''The chinampas! the chinampas!'
watch.
The wind had changed and insensibly
incloSed them in the clogging embrace
of this strange vegetation. A hail from
the smaller boat in advance, almost i'm
mediately after, showed that it had met
with the same fate. They were not
completely surrounded, and the men
worked strenuously with long poles to
free themselves, but all this could effect
nothing.
The chinampas were formed Of a nu-
cleus Of water plants closely interviewer.
Upon this thin soil had formed by de-
composition. The mud Of the lake,
washing over them in storms, and the
dust blown by the winds had added to
it. Then flowers, reeds and grasses had
sprung up. The thickness varied from
few inches to several feet, and below
them was deep water
Don Walter found himself condemned
to pass the rest of the night listening to
the frogs and watching the twinkling
fire flies in the marshes. He was like
one in a nightmare, who feels the i'm
perious need of straining every nerve for
flight yet is benumbed and cannot raise
hand or foot Once a blush flame
danced on the high top of the small cone
shaped island Of LIE Copa which lay in
his course His fears made it seem some
signal of the enemy, who he fancied had
already got in his van, but he heard one
of the men say it was only ''the witches
fire. kind of natural will-o' -the-wisp
that often burned there and indicated
breeze in the morning.
When morning came, however, u gray
mist hung for a while over everything,
which was fortunate circumstance.
Walter recalled the voyagers shut in
amid the ice foes Of the Arctic. The
boat was surrounded on three sides, but
on the other were floating islands and
irregular tongues and fragments, which,
though numerous, still afforded prospect
of escape The men were got out and
put in kind of towing harness, and a
mule also was landed, for the surface
was sometimes strong enough even to
support grazing cattle and the native
huts. But these assistants foundered
painfully along-one of the men being
only saved from sinking out Of sight by
the personal bravery Of Walter-and
very slow progress was made.
Meantime, the boats had been put in
as good state Of defense as possible.