The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1896-07-24

l ACSAohs Whch We SSttmS %o,ovv
lyear."
give thousand year!" cried hi
father, letting the Congressional Rec
. ord fall. Have you gone daft, Julian p
well, father" said Julian, with 9
great laugh, throwing back the darl
curl that was always dropping into his
eyes, "Pll send for you to make us n visit
on the big hummocle in Okemolkokee
everglade by and by, and then we'll see. :
II don't know about it; l don't
know" said his father, picking up the
scattered leaves of his cherished docu-
ment. But Julian knew that his father
would lend old Cy to cambridge and him
self, and he made his preparations for
the enterprise, saying little or nothing.
Rachel had already agreed to come to
them whenever they should send for
her.
1t was a week from that day, with
pack of simple provisions, with
rifles. picks, hatchets and pruning
knives, and some Irvine hammocks in
addition, Julian and his party started
on their excursion, as they called it.
Julian carrying on his back-greatly
to old Cy's disturbance, but, then. old
Cy couldn't carry everything himself
"a bundle wrapped in moss, which he
gayly declared they must save first in
case of fire. for it was all their fortune
Dress your heart, honey" said old
Cy, where's dis yer fire gwine to be,
onlest Mars Dan knocks my pipe onto
cypress tree? An it's so damp in
dees yer swamps, 'spect it'll put de pipe
out anyhow"
They made their beds that night in
the hammocks that they slung high in
| the boughs. and that Julian had
brought along against the wishes of old
Cy, who thought a bed of broken boughs
fit for a king, snakes or not.
What a scene it was on which their
eyes opened in the early morning!
Cedars, superb as the cedars of Leb-
anon, dropping great circles of shade,
the huge live oaks trembling with webs
and festoons of gray moss that made
sheets of diamonds as it swung in the
sun. here and there q palm tree lifting
its green crown in the clear air, and
vistas into the rich verdure of the
swamp beyond, gay with every color
and sweet with every scent of honey
sucllle, vanilla, heliotrope and great I'M
known flowers.
In and out the thickets flashed wings
like jewels; scarlet tlamingoes stood in
the pools, the great white heron rose
heavily, and little alligators, that looked
as if they were living bronzes, crept up
to sun themselves on the banks.
After they had finished their frugal
breakfast, and rolled their hammocks
in the smallest knot they could make.
they pushed on after old Cyrus, who
knew the paths and by-pnths to every
where, and they were only week on
their way, adding to their larder game
brought down by their rifles. before
they came up from the swamp they had
skirted. and found themselves on the big
hummock of Okemolkokee everglade.
What strange place it was, and what
a wilderness of wealth it looked to
Julian! 1t was slight elevation, blu. a
few feet in all above the swamp, and its
rich lands had become forest of the
bitter wild orange, at present of no good
to anybody, except in its season of
bloom, when the rapturously delicious
fragrance drifted for miles on the soft /,
air.
I'VE will explore mile or two to-day"
said Julian, "aEd mark the trees we
think best to keep, and thin out all the |
others, the first thing we do"
1t was busy day they had of it, and
many Il busy day that followed, while
they let sun and air into the great |
thicket, and, as far as possible, saved |
trees in the regularity they would have
had if set out in an orchard. Three or
four times before they finished, Cyrus
left them and returned for provisions, |
the second time bringing his son Darius |
with them. And at last the wilderness |
was cleared, and every tree remaining |
in the first section had received the bud |
of the sweet orange, which had been the |
precious freight of Julian's moss
wrapped bundle.
Now" said Julian. while these are |
accommodating themselves to the new |
circumstances, we will go ahead and
clear our next years extension. don't |
know exactly how long this hummock |
is, but in time / mean to get all the |
worthless growth cleared out or SO much |
of it as belongs 10 father, If it's ten |
miles, and every tree left grated, and |
we'll have every sort of orange that |
grows; the blood-red Maltese, the spicy |
little Mandarin, and all the rest. This |
is better than standing behind counters !
or over desks, isn'ti it, DAMP"
Heap sweeter work than picking cot
ton on the field, honey" said old Cy.
What day it was 10 the boys and the |