Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1892-09-09

in the stern. Five minutes before the
crocodiles and cranes, water turkeys,
bitterns and herons had had the black,
oozy river all to themselves as it slug.
gishly made its way through the swampy
palmettos and cypress.
The boat bumped along slowly, strik-
ing against cypress trees and fallen tree
trunks. The paddlers looked anxious
for the chance of finding a comfortable
camping ground was growing slighter
before young Will Loring began to be
sick of his escapade. He had left the
camp eight miles away without orders
and taken two of his company with him
to do Indian scouting on his own &C
count.
Little more than year before he had
been schoolboy, playing soldier in the
streets of St. Augustine with other
youngsters. When the Seminole War
of 1885 broke out, sweeping with wave
of fire and massacre across the State, he
ran away from home and joined con-
pany of volunteers. His daring and
coolness at the battles of the With
lacoochee and Alaqua, in connection
with the social Importance of his family,
had given him his epaulets at an age
when other boys of the same years were
still in terror of the schoolmaster's birch.
''Wall, Lieutenant" drawled one of
the men as he peered wearily into the
depths of the dark cypress arches, severe
in orrid fix, | reckon. II we keep on
we'll run plum into a nest Of then lnjin
devils, dead shore"
Both the soldiers were Crackers, bred
in the woods and swamps, good shots
and skillful hunters, though thin, SLOUGH
ing figures were not ornaments to a
dress parade.
"Keep on padding" said young L,r-
ing in low tones, but with an air of stern.
ness, which did not set well on his
smooth face and mischievous black eyes,
sand await my orders" Then feeling
that he had asserted his authority, he
continued with burst OF boyish conf
dence. 81 tell you what it is, Scfaggs,
we'll have to get back to that hammock,
about Il mile up the river, where we can
find pine knots to cook supper; don't
you think sol"
"Bless you, Lieutenant, dye banker
to lose yer skelpi No supper tonight
but drink of swamp water, aud chew
OF raw bacon. I'll bet there's hun
dred of red yarmints in two miles on
US"
'You're not afraid, Scraggs, are your
said the youngster with a lordly air "a
fellow who can bore potato tossed In
the air at hundred yards with ride
ball, ought TO have pleniy OF spunk,"
"a leetle more skeery than war forty
year ago, answered the Cracker, with q
twinkle in his eye. "lIowsomever, as
men OF iay inches do, reckon I've got
as much el'ar grit as most on EN-"
This talk had gone on in half whispers.
The darkness WAS increasing every min
uie. The boyish officer In spite Of his
airs was evidently uneasy, for his eyes
shot continual glanees ahead and on boIh
sides Into the swamp, a. the dngont
glided at a snail's pace. They sele
nearing another bend In the stream,
when through the tangle Of leaf aud vine
there was red gleam like huge tiEehy
Without waiting orders sefaggs whifled
the boat back With a powerful paddle,
aud turned 10 his oIAcef with eyes al
most starting from their sockets, shaking
Lis head IN warning,
eIHjuas, lnjnas, Lieutenant VIII, q
dozen on em, he shapsEed, Il seei
che hiad end Of lao canoes lisa Ioaa' tho
bend. Thar must he hummoek shaF
shsyIs ea@gsl, Iaslps ilss so'