Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-03-18
1.-The charts all wrong. The place
there isn't surveyed

1.-The charts all wrong. The plac'
there isn't surveyed"
Precisely. But you've been there
and you know the lay of it. Don't b
shy. Your powers, my dear Mao, in thai
direction are notorious. Here's pen
Gil. Fill it in accurately and tell nae
the landmarks from the gulf side. I"
eff you go up there and see this fel
low and sleep even one night in those
swamps, you'll catch fever and die
also the mosquitoes and the sand flies
will eat most of you before death comes.
Don be fool. What more do you want
to know about the man? Stay here, and
will tell you. -
"My excellent Mac, I have pumped
you dry. For the rest must see him
myself. And I shall not die of fever,
because I shall get this yacht to take me
around to the outside and &c from there,
and so not have to spend a night ashore
at all. Nor will the insects Of the
swamp devour me, because I own wide
brimmed hat and large and most ex-
cellent veil
In an hours time the two yachts were
standing out board and board over the
bar which guards the entrance to Bayou
Bon Secours. There was a romping
breeze from the nor ard, and we sped at
eight knots past the low shore, where
only the tree stems show above the wa
ter. Then we slipped out through the
channel between Dauphin island and
Fort Morgan, and lifted to the swing Of
the outer sea, running east along the
gulf coast.
Of course Miss Wilcoxn did 60 to see
Atcheson. took her to the island my
self, through an intolerable maze Of
lakes and waterways, and told the Van
Sciaks that we hoped to slay alligators
by daylight, which is probably the bald
est excuse grown man with pretty
invention ever made. But will give
the girl credit for one thing-she didn't
stay talking to the fellow for more than
ten minutes. What she said to him I
don't know. because my instructions
were to stay by the boat and see that it
didn't drift away. But when she came
back and we rowed off she found cause
to comment that Atcheson was curious
handful
II told you that BEFORE I said
chow you've learned it for yourself,
trust you're satisfed?"
81 am entirely, Mac. hope you are
too"
But when got back to town, and to
my vast astonishment saw Atcheson
there, then light began to dawn upon
me. He was marching down Pail Mall
as large as life and very respondent.
He had Oh frock coat down to his |
heels, the last gift of the gods in the |
way of hat and tie, and new reaped
chin, which stood out refreshingly white
against the rest Of his countenance He |
shook me by the hand and said I was |
great man. Then we went into club |
and talked for several hours without |
stop, and he explained to me how a |
hermit cannot hermitize unless he has a |
disease vulgarly known as the hump"
''It's enjoyable enough while you
have that, said Atcheson, "but when
the hump goes the bottoms knocked |
out of the hermit business altogether.
What filthy, squalid brute Unjust have
been all that time"
"But you liked it we'll enough?''
~ II believe I did, in my morbid way.
But it's over and done with now, thank
heaven, and I'm going to marry Yum
Yum, Yum Yum. your anger pray tar
ry'- Oh, bother, I've forgotten the
words. Jove I shall have a lot to pick
up again."
"That's fact said. "Ordinary
sanity, among other things And SO
you're going to marry Mary Wilcoxn,
after all?''
It's a sure thing. Of course her peo-
pie were mad, because I'm not very we'll
off, don't you know, and the other john
MES people are mad, too, at his being
cut out. But you're the person they
can't get over. It's you they were wild
at principally. They will persist in it
that you were at the bottom Of the
whole thing. Isn't it delightfully."- fun
,y?''
I didn't think it funny at all I make
luite sufficient enemies off my own bat
.or personal consumption. And besides,
Is have said, if the other fool hadn't
got his legs sunburned, shouldn t have
zone off solus i'll the yawlboat and med
He'd with Atcheson at all.-C. j. Cut
life Hyna in Chambers Journal.