Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-20

sheepheads. and indeed whatever else he
roud get.
He also stated that our crew (of one coll
pred mani would make suitable butt for
his future remarks. and put forward the
suggestion that l should take myself off.
Go and hunt alligators up the lagoons.
Bnd live like a savage in the swamps, and
Patch fever if there's any throwing about.
bald the man with the sunburnt calves;
Ithat'n be about your form.
So | ptied the crew and went off-ln pale
pink pyjamas and the ten-foot vawl 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 one like
knives. The atmosphere was a hot, moist
stew. Also there flies in all album
dance. which fancied themselves master
less dogs and bit accordingly.
The subsequent sail down the lagoon came
as one of the seven pleasures of life. There
was d great wall of trees on the landward
side To southwark from the ram
bsng line of dunes. came the dim below of
the surf as it creamed and crumbled on the
white gulf sand. And down the silver rip
pies of the lagoon there blew an air. family
salt. which chilled the wet cotton against
ones spine and pushed the yawlboat on
with the twinkle of fountains under her
stem.
The lagoon bayed to an end, and there
opened out another channel to be punted
through--a narrow. winding canal of twirls
and branches through quaking marshland,
n waterway ablaZe with yellow lilies Car
dinal birds peered at one from the bushes
and purple herons thrust out curious beaks
from the grass clumps.
Then there came lake with islands a
lake of water called by courtesy fresh,
which was lemon yellow to look through
and black to look upon. 1t swarmed with
fish, which took the hook. and were supped
upon for their sins; and because there was
no whisky in the yawlboat for dilution it
served a beverage in all its sulphurous
nastiness. Then the sun dipped behind the
forests at the back, and night followed
like the shutting down of box. One
mounted a bull's-eye lantern on the hat
band, which would shine down a rifles
sight, and put out again in the boat pad
ding stealthily. 1t is not always easy to
distinguish between FREELY and the CLEAN
from an alligator's eye and shots are ant
10 be wasted and the neighborhood scared
But on that night fortune helped and the
lead went home six several times. Then
their slayer laid him down to sleep on the
boats floor. with his head beside the CEN
terboard trunk
So passed my first night away from the
sloOp The morning was occupied in tho
process of skinning. and then once more
on towards 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 l came to
lagoon with wooded island in it, and
among the trees of the island when they
grew distinct from one another 1 saw 4
man.
/ bore down to him under sail flor ,lera
was a spanking breeze coming in from tho
sea-. and when We We're within hailing dis
lance the boat grounded.
do you want to land here?" he shouted
Il don't mind il do"
Then shove off again and drop down n
the tail of the island, and luff up sharo
where you see a barked tree on the beach
There's no deep water till you come to
there
l did as he told me. put the boats nose
on a small beach of pebbles, and waited
smoking. l waited half an hour maybe
and then he strolled up very leisurey with
his thumbs in the waistbelt of his trousers
1 can't say he seemed overpleased to see
me. He asked with point what / had come
for.
oh. I'm not hunting alligators profess
sionally. I'm here for amusement"
L concluded that he was there becaus, he
had got into trouble with the law of the
land or elsewhere but l did not suggest
this, because il is considered rude to touc1
upon family matters unlimited. But after
minute he preached the topic himself
m here for amusement myself" ne
Falu. m here permanently"
BY This time we had got into n biz Of
clearing inside the wall of trees-a patch Of
sorghum. another of sweet potatoes, an
1eet high. and goodly planting of green