The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-20

a | 1t
met that Hawkins and Constantine knew
r where the pan-fshing was apt to be al
tnat IL should be, and there was q chanc,
= tbo r ecu. snappers. It was forty miles dowr
from the wharf at IL A. NJ, the skipper hop.
ca TO make anchorage by sunset. There II
never much wind on this part OF the Gull
IN tne summer unless West Indian cy.
oione Is due. but what little there Is blows
steadily, first from the sea and then from
the land. 1t was Just enough to curl the wa
yer INTO mimic white-caps and to make. the
oiu san OF the Oriole sing humming song
WIN a melodious undertone In It. These lit
tie waves slapped against the seward side
OF the ancient craft, and, as there was mo-
tning at all In her hold save enough ballast
20 keep her upright, she sounded like a
urum. me lawyer and the doctor got I'D
near the bowsprit and watched for the float
ing masses of Jelly called Portuguese men
o-war; Hawkins, his long legs carelessly
crossed ana his arm flung over the wheel,
cap pulled down to his eyebrows lay fiat ON
ms BACK, staring unwinkingly at the blue
SKY and breaking now and then into snatch
Oh Sreek sea song. In the intense sun heat
brlggs, his trousers rolled up to his knobby
knees. sat In the shadow OF the sail and
RUBBED rattlesnake oil into himself.
"hen the sun hung round and red upon
the horizon and every little wave was
crowned with blood--like froth, the barge
IKE schooner swung slowly In toward the
mainland. fifteen miles distant, surRed
through narrow channel between two
small Islands, and half-hour later came to
anenor In a wide, shallow sheet Of water
as utterly protected from the ocean as II
she had lain high and dry upon o prairie
The great sail was let down with a run
and hung In confused mass partly cover
ing the deck. Nobody thought of Glowing
IT up, nor did anybody intend to put a
hand to 1t until ready to start home
ward. They all took a drink from the
Jug and then ate fried bacon and bread.
This made them thirsty, SO they took an
| other drink. A bright moon came up and
| turned all the bay about them into burnish-
ed metal. The night was warm, though
breezy, and each man was stripped to bare
Feet and his undsrolothing. To liven things
up, Chariey Motto, having once more visited
the Jug, threw the sack ofpotatoes overheard
into ten feet OF water, and DOC" Payne
threw Faulkner after the potatoes. That
made two big splashes, and everybody
laughed. man along this coast unable
to swim would be as much OF a curiosity
as man unable to breathe, and no attention
was paid to Faulkner, who swan around
awhile, then boosted the potatoes along
side, and was hauled aboard. A candle
was lighted and made to stand upon the
rough deck by spilling some of it's grease
on the planking and jamming the butt into
1t before 1t CONCEALED Seven-up was the
game that four of them played, Faulkner
and Briggs having fiocked by themselves
and started lying match about geese. In
little while 1t became noticeable that
the candle was always blown out when 1t
was the shippers deal, and when relight-
ed 1t was found that he had turned Jack
AS the winner Of each game was permitted
to take drink, while the other three look
ed at him sourly and said, Drink hearty"
Constantine protested violently against the
swindle and to save trouble everybody
went to bed, merely sprawling upon a
blanket, looking at the moon, and listen |
Ing to the lip-lipping Of the water along
side. until sleep came.
There is no morning or evening twilight |
thus far south. First, the light breaks up |
on the water, and by the time that objects |
are distinct, the sun leaps up with a rush. |
The morning star was high in the stead |
fast blue, when Hawkins rose, stretched !
himself, got to his feet walked around and |
strongly kicked each sleeper. They were |
up in an instant. and in another instant |
were over the side In series Of headlong
plunges, cutting the smooth water like
into their clothes. cup of cold coffee
all around, small slice Of bread, and they
were ready for business. Constantine's
stomach, which was not improved by the
whiskey. was yelling for pompano. The
oriole carries two small boats. and three
men got into each OF them. The inner
shore Of the island, high blum wall of
sand, sparsely covered with coarse grass.
was not more than quarter of mile
away and they made for 1t. Reaching a
small bay which showed a good deal of
sea-weed and driftwood on the banks, they
dropped over their hooks. baited with small
pieces Of white bacon fat. The pompano
does not like bacon, but the small southern |
herring does. The object was to catch a
herring. One was hooked in o moment,
a brightly scaled swimmer, barred In black
and not more than three inches long. It
was cut into bits directly, and small
up, and then the fun began. The POM
pano. as are several other sea fishes, 10
a cannibal and prefers the flesh Of its own
kind to anything else obtainabie. Like
other parrish, It furnishes no sport to
speak of. The men were using ordinary
perch-line floats. When a float was drag
ged under water, they gave slight jerk
Of the wrist and hauled in their prey with
ten inches in length and will weigh q pound
and a half In general contour, 1t is not
unlike a founder, being broad In proportion
to It's length, fiat. and seemingly thin. Its
one may seize the back fin between the
thumb and forehnger, draw 1t out, and
two slabs Of delicate snow-white flesh are
exposed to view, perfectly homeless. The
flavor Of this fish, when eaten soon after
It's capture. is indescribable. 1t is rich, de-
licate. and Of q delicious quality not found
in any other thing that wears scales. The
pompano should be cooked upon q gridiron;
and tho Oriole is fitted with set Of broil-
ers especially for Its treatment.
Until the sun was an hour high the men
hauled in pompanos as fast as they could
disengage them and drop the hooks into the
water. Then, suddenly. without hesitation
and all together. every member of the
school, which had gathered about the boats
and could be plainly seen, quit biting. They
would begin again late In the afternoon
The boats returned to the schooner with
more than a hundred OF the fish Tapping ]
about in the water In the bottoms Of the
lealy craft. All hands began cleaning, and
when they had finished, Constantine took
charge OF matters. Fifteen minutes after
ward he was industriously curing his
stomach. 1t Is a delightful characteristic
of the pompano that q man may eat as
much OF it's flesh as he chooses, eat until |
there is not room In him for another morsel |
and an hour afterward feel that he has
eaten nothing for a week. This Is
supposing, Of course, that he takes the
fsh straight and does not weight himself
down with bread and other things. The
pompano epicure, the man used to 1t, when
in Its best condition, never thinks OF dis
RracInR the magnlncent meat with condi- |