The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-21
CHAPTER III.

MISS WlIcoXp was young woman
with a great notion of having her way.
She wanted to know what there was
to be seen in the lagoons and lakes,
and l told her, with one reservation;
but my tale did not quite hold water.
She guessed that there was something
left out, and demanded to hear what
1t was Whereupon l shrugged my
shoulders, helplessly, and told her
verse, merely lying in the solitary in
stance of personal name.
You said that he is a Harvard
MANI" she ruminated, when l had
finished. You mentioned also that
he rowed against you at Poughkeep-
sic. That fixes him. If you had done
me the compliment to remember, I
was up there that year. His name isn't
Foote at all?"
Perhaps It's got changed" l ad-
mitted weakly. Mems names do you
know, when they climb down the
scale as he's done"
Hum" she said, and pulled down
chart of the. Northern Gulf Coast
from it's cleat in the cabin roof. Now
show me exactly where this hermit
lives"
That charts all wrong"
Precisely. But you've been there,
and you know the lay of it. Here's
a pencil. Fill it in accurately, and tell
me the landmarks from the Gulf side"
If you go up there and see t. is
fellow, and sleep one night in those
swamps, you'll catch fever and die.
What more do you want to know
about that man? Stay here and
will tell you"
MY excellent Mac, / have pumped
you dry. For the rest l must see him
myself And l shall not die of fever,
because 1 shall get this yacht to take
me around to the outside, and go from
there, and so not have to spend a
night ashore at all!'
We'll" said I, eff you will do this
thing, at all events you shall do 1t de-
Gently There's a small creek on be-
yond, up which we will invite the Van
Sciaks to take the yacht. I'll bring
our sloop. We will go in with the pre-
tense of alligator hunting"
In an hours time the two yachts
were standing out board and board
over the shallow bar which guards the
entrance to the Bayou Secours. Then
we slipped out through the channel be-
tween Dauphin Island and Fort Nor
gan, and lifted to the swing of the out
er sea, running east along the Gulf
coast. Night had fallen before we made
the creek, and we tackled in over the
bar by blazing moonlight, with CEN
ter-boards up and the breeze eddying
light and fitful through the trees. That
night we took the rifles and the bulls
eye lanterns and shot dozen alli-
gators by way of giving ourselves
c9untenance.
OF course. Miss Wilcoxn did go to
see Atcheson. l took her to the island
myself through an intolerable maze
of lakes and waterways, and told the
Van Sciaks that we hoped to slay al
ligators by daylight. which is probab bly,
the baldest excuse a grown man with
a pretty invention ever made. But
shall give the girl credit for one thing
she didn't stay talking to the fellow
for more than ten minutes. When she
came back, and we rowed off she
found cause to comment that Atcheson
was a curious handful.
IT told you that before" I said.
"Now you've learnt it for yourself.
trust you're satisfedY
IT am entirely, Mac. l hope you
are, too"
II don't know about that. But do
know I'm extremely hot"
Well then, hurry and get back and
I'll fix you up a mint julep. We've ice
on board, and all the other necessaries.
and Mr.. Van Sciak has shown me how
to use swizzle-stick. He said II might
come in useful, as / had thoughts of
SETTLING uONi
80 I've been given to understand.
AS you have not had my congratula-
lions before. please accept them now
in all fullness. ] suppose I'm scratched
from the running now"
Completely, my dear boy. We've
no tastes In common. For Instance,
except for perhaps once, / loathe alli-
gator hunting"
And so we went back, and ! was
rewarded, not with one julep only. but
several.
The Van Sciaks wanted TO go TO Mis-
sissppi Sound next day, and as the
other man and I were bound for Pen
sacola. In Florida, the yachts separ-
ated. and / did not see Miss Wilcoxn
again for some time. But I heard OF
some Of her doings. which. 20 say the
least OF them, seemed eccentric. Also.
which was worse. they were unworld-
ly. Young men with culture and ten
million dollars are not 20 be picked up
every day. nor should they be thrown
lightly aside.
But when ] got back 10 New York.
ard. 10 my ACCOMPLISHMENT, saw Atche-
son there. then q light began 90 dawn
upon me. Ne had on frock-c0st down
10 his heels, and the laet gin ~ fhe
gods In the way ~ hat and tie. lie
shook me BY fhe hand and said ] was
great man. iie explained ~ me how
hermit cannot hemltizs unless be