The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-21
, AN ALABAMA HERMIT.
III CliTCLIPFE HYNE.
Copyright, 1908, BY Cutoline Hvn'.
CHAPTER I


Az q matter OF accuracy my yachtmat
was far more guilty than I. -.
He had gone a fishing one day with hi
trousers rolled to his knees, and had spen
eiaht hours. sandwiched in between wine
and water, and had naturally returned
with his calves bitten red raw by the sun
He developed a temper In consequence
that would have made him Stunned In thu
Pit. and I was driven into deed Of tenn
porary separation.
But first, as am standing here on my
defence, let 1t be clearly understood that
found Ateheeon before knew Miss Wtlcoxr
was yachting with the Van Sciaks in Mobile
Bay. had seen her last in a Fifth avenue
drawing room. and Gf the complete truth
be teid) had slipped her from my thoughts
with q perfnctory handshake.
Being ignorant OF Atcheson's existence,
naturally did not seek for him specially
He lived two days deep in swampy country
which Is not yet charted on the United
States maps.
Our yacht was then in the bayou Of Bon
Secours (which opens Of Mobile Bay. and
the Man with the Sunburnt 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 gaHtops'ls Gas they call the catfish). and
cavallos and sheepheads, and indeed what
over else he could get.
He also stated that our crew (of one
colored many would make q suitable butt
for his future remarks, and put forward
tho suggestion that ] should take myself
of.
go and hunt allgators up the lagoons,
and live like a savage in the swamps, and
catch fever, II there's any throwing about. '
said the Man with the Sunburnt Calves;
@that'll be about your FORM.
So I pitied tho crew and went o6-in
pale pink pajamas and the ten-foot
yawl.
The sail to the head Of the bayou was
simple. Then there were two miles to be
punted TO the long, narrow silver Of la
COON which lies inside the sand dunes Of
the Mexican Gull.
The oypresses and the black pines and
tho magnolias arched above the cut. and
OF soil, slashed at one like knives. The
atmosphere was Q hot, moist stew. Also,
there were hies In all abundance, which
fanoied themselves masterless dogs, and
bit accordingly.
came a. ono Of the seven pleasures Of life.
There was great wall OF trees on the land
TO southward, from over the rambling
line Of dunes, came the dim below OF the
sur. as It creamed and erumbled on, the
white Gulf sand. And down the silver
ripples Of the lagoon there blew an air
family salt, which chilled the wet cotton
against ones spine, and pushed the yawl
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. Husking marsh
Cardinal birds peered at one, from the
bushes. and purple herons thrust out
curious beaks from the grass clumps.
Then there came. a lake with islands,
lake Of water, called by courtesy fresh,
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 whiskey in the yawl for d!lution,
served as bever age IN all Its sulphurous
nastiness.
Then the sun dipped behind the forests
at the back, and night followed like the
shutti ng down OF box, One mounted
. bullssye antern on the hat band, which
out again in the boat, padding etealthily
1t is not always easy to distinguish be-
tween freely and the CLEAN from an ALI.
gators eye, and shots are apt to be waste q
night fortune helped, and the lead went
home six times. Then their slayer
laid him down to sleep on the boats floor,
with hts head beside the centreboard
trunk.
SO passed my first night away from
the sfoop. The morning was occupied
in the process of skinning, and then once
more on toward the east There were moro
lakes and more canals, all full of their own
new wonders: and ever away in the dis
tba otor hoa ri ha pfl tho nnjsa
of the surf.
In the late afternoon came to a lagoon
with wooded island in it, and among
the trees Of the island, when they grew
bore down to him under sail for there
was spanking breeze coming in from
the sea), and when we were within hailing
distance the boat grounded.
DO you want to land here?' he shouted.
II don't mind il do
Then shove off again and drop down
to the tail of the island and luff up sharp
where you see barked tree on the beach.
There's no deep water till you come to
there"
I did as he told me, put, the boats nose
smoking. I waited half an hour maybe,
and then he strolled up very leisurey with
his thumbs in the wastbelt Of his trousers.
s"e me. He asked with point what l had
oh, I'm not hunting alligators profes-
sionally. I'm here for amusement"
I concluded that he was there because
he had got into trouble with the law Of the
land or elsewhere, but did not suggest this,
because 1t is considered rude to touch
upon family matters unlimited But after
a minute he hroached the topic himself.
I'm here for amusement myself he
said. s1m here permanently"
BY this time We had got into a bit of
clearing inside the wall of trees-a patch
of sorghum. another Of sweet potatoes,
another Of corn with stalks that stood ten
feet high. and a goodly planting of green
tobacco plants, with stumbling palmetto
shack at the back.
Faith, J said, you've queer notions of
pleasure resort.
I'm q man." he said, with an ilnag gina
ton. Consequently l make most com
Portable hermit. Come in and take
hammock"
He was Harvard man. It was wonder.
FIJI what lot Of pc ople we knew in common
when We began to talk things over. and il
turned out that we had rowed against one
another on the Hudson.
of course, he broke out, at once, you
are the MacHinnie who swan down in your
clothes the last night Of the races because
you said you hadn't been allowed a decent
dip all through the training
Whereat we both laughed, and knew
one another extremely well. After this
I aakaN him ~ ha nj