Omaha daily bee., 1903-06-21

tt4JSS&l one day with his trousers rolled
9-AS to his knees, and had spent eight
hours sandwiched In between wind and
water and had naturally returned with
his calves bitten red raw by the sun. He
developed temper in consequence that
would have made him Stunned in the Pit.
and ] was driven into deed Of tempo
Tary separation.
But first. as / am standing here on my
defense, let II he clearly understood that
/ found Atcheson before / knew Miss
Wilcoxn was yachting with the Van Sciaks
IN Mobile bay. I had seen her last in
Firth avenue drawing room, and az the
complete truth be told. had slipped her
from my thoughts with a perfunctOry
hnndshake.
Being ignorant OF Atchesons existence,
! naturally did not seek for him specially.
He lived two days deep in swampy coun-
try, which Is not yet charted In the
United States maps our yacht was then in
the bayou Of Bon Secours (Which opens on
Mobile bay), and the Man with the Sun
burnt Calves said with many adjectives,
that movement for him was out of the
question. He remarked that he would stay
on the sloop and fish for gafftops'ls (as
they call the catfsh), and cavallOs and
shcepheads, and indeed whatever else he
could get
He also stated that our crew (of one
colored mani would make a suitable butt
for his future remarks, and put forward
the suggestion that l should take myself
of.
Go and hunt alllgatOrs up the lagOOns.
and live like a savage in the swamps, and
catch fever II there's any throwing about"
said tho Man with the Sunburnt Calves;
'thaf'u ha N hotit your form
SO l piued the crew and went off-in
pale pink 'pyJamas. and the tGnlfoot yawl
boat.
The sail to the head of the bayou was
simple. Then there were two miles to be-
punted to the long. narrow silver OF lagoon
which lies inside the sand-dunes of the
Mexican Gulf. The Expresses. and the
black pines. and the magnolias arched
above the cut. and fronds OF palmetto,
which grew on clumps OF soil. slashed at
like knives. The atmosphere was a
hot, mOist stew. Also there were flies in
all abundance. which fancied themselves
masteress dogs. and bit accordingly.
The subsequent sail down the lagoon
came as one of the seven pleasures OF life.
There was a great wall OF trees on the
landward side. To southwark from over
the rambling line of dunes, came the dim
below of the surf as II creamed and
crumbcd the white gulf sand. And
down the silver rpples of the lagoon there
New an hiT family salt, which chilled the
wet cotton against ones spine and pushed
tho yawl-bont on with the twinkle of
fountains under her stem.
Tho lagoon bayed TO an end and there
opened ont another channel to be punted
through-a narrow. winding canal of twirIs
and branches through quaking marsh land,
a waterway ablaze with yellow lilies
CFrdiral birds peored at from the
bushes, and purple herons thrust out curl
GUS beaks from the grass clumps.
Then there came a lake with islands,
a lake OF water called by courtesy fresh,
which lemon yellow to look through.
and black to look upon II swarmed with
FISH, which took the hook, and were supped
upon for their sins; and because there was
no whisky I'm the yawl-ooat for dilution.
II served as n beverage in all its sulphurous
nastiness. Then the sun dipped behind the
forests at the back, and night followed
like the shutting down or box One
mounted a bull'seye lantern on the hat
band. which would shine down a rifles
sight, and put cut again in the boat.
padding stealthiIy. 1t Is not always easy
TO distinguish between n nreny and the
gleam from an alIigator's eye. and shots
hood scared. But on that night fortune
helped and the lead went home six several
times. Then their slayer laid him to sleep
ON the boats floor. with his head beside
the center board trunk
SO passed my first night away from the
sloop The morning was occupied in the
process of skinning, and then once more
on toward the east. There were more
lakes and more canals. all full of their own
new wonders, and ever away in the dis
tance on the starboard hand was the noise
of the surf. In late afternoon | came to
lagoon with "a wooded Island in it, and
among the trees of the island, where they
grew distinct from one another l saw a
man.
l bore down 20 him under sail (for there
was spanking breeze coming i'm from the
sea- and when we were within haiIing dis
tance the boat grounded.
DO you want To land here?" he shouted
don't I gn