The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-26
4 GAME DINNER.
End OF the Cruise Of the Hunting Party
on the Houseboat skeeter.


on the Houseboat skeeter.
When the PARTY whoee hunting and
fishing adventures on the houseboat Skee-
ter along the Gulf Coast have been related
in The Sun awoks on the last day Of their
outing they saw that the Skeeter was
anchored twenty yards out from a high
blun whose grassy top was crowned with
live oaks. On either side OF It, stretching
back. lay the acres Of . sugar plantation.
The bay was small and deep. Running
into II along the western edge OF the bluff
was a small. eluggish bayou. Beyond the
blum on either hand the sbore was fat and
sandy, . typical Gulf beach. hard and
smooth. and covered near to the water with
shells.
The little bay was Of horseshoe shape
and a. stin a. . pond. utterly protected
from the open sea rollers by q long island
Of sand not more than q hundred yards
wide, but tan feet high In the centre. A
scene morc still and freshening and beauti-
full could not he imagined. for there was
no wind, and the murmur Of the limbs Of
the live oaks above them blended with the
faraway murmur Of the surf on the Island
and made q whispering monotone.
When any article was dropped upon the
deck II sounded over the bay with doubled
noise, and their voices seemed 20 sharp
and distinct that they spoke softly Speed
ing by on whinnying wings came a water
turkey. its ungainly neck curved, It's legs
straight behind 1t. and. though II was 100
feet up, the beating Of its pinions seemed
close 1t hand, A small black and gray
gull poised at twice the height Of the mast
and dropped head downward like a bullet.
and its splash came over the water o. II
a man had slapped the. surface with a
board.
Welcome said the Farmer gently.
waving his hand in . semioircle. TO An
mandate plantation. The bayou there is
where the Skeeter lee up through the sum-
mer months, unless We take her out fish,
ing. The house 10 two miles away. There
will be teams this afternoon to take us
there. In the meantime, suppose We
would better pack up and get ready TO
leave ship
The guns were lifted from the racks
and taken apart and oiled. Then they
were slipped into their cases and strapped.
Not for many ., month would their brown
barrels rise over marsh and plain and the
thin blue smoke OF the nitrate jet from
their mouths.
They had few clothes to pack into their
grips. and fifteen minutes saw the work
ended Then they went down into the
hold to inspect the game.
II was notable sight that greeted them.
Tho hold Of the Skeeter had been packed
with solid blocks Of ice. A foot Of straw
was over II and on the Ice beneath the
straw lay the kills. They toesed the straw
aside and had before them every kind Of
game which the fruitful Southwest can
furnish In winter season.
backs and redheads, but there were NAL
iards and sprigs. bluebil and butterballs.
widgeons and squealers. gadwells and
teeis In dozens; there were i've brant and
q dozen Canada geese; there were wood
cock and many punches O. Jacksnipe;
papabottes and every variety OF shore
bird A dozen quaiis tied together by the
heads lay in q notified heap At one side.
There were squirrels and q haunch of
yenison; They found even The s, Mild turkey
before. They had eaten eobhler and
forgotten about this bird. They had POM
pano, sheepshead and redfish. Every bit
OF this game was frozen stih and was AZ
hard as rock. On deck sprawled the big
turtle they cAPuVo %" ''o ho"~ ~"Au
run.
They looked at The game awhile and
cndeavored to identity some OF the birds,
when and how they were killed. Then
they went back on deck and found that
the sun had climbed high and had started
"There'n he Q wagon this afternoon to
take away ali of that stuff down there
said the Farmer Some Of II will I've sent
to neighbors, and the remainder will Ire
distributed among the negroes. Not any
Of WIN BE- wasted ahsa one ss S0 ,hs Doctor
I've eaten game and fsh until IL seems
bee beef ! couldn't force down a bit
of duck or Ash with q ramrod'
Here, too said the Engineer and Jour
well. said the Farmer. its on my mind
10 have one more big feed before we leave
the Skeeter for good, ana I'll ask Alphonse
what ne cen do. You may feel Inherently
by 1 o'clock. In he meantime, to help
him out. let's get him some crabs and oys-
tiers,
Alphonse. the cook. came as they climbed
on board and deity swept oysters and
crabs into two big baskets. Then he
shsmbled into the galley erinnins' v
-Alphonse, knowing that 'h!s is his last
day on the boat. VII, surpass himself. He
told me that he wished you ell 10 remember
him"
They sluiced themselves With salt water
and lay about the deck under . rough avn
ing. The cabin WAC siihingly bot but they
were where the delightful light airs could
strike them. and they did not suffer. They
smoked. and, as shotgun people will. fought
all If their battles over sgein.
the thoughts OF each man were back with
some particularly long shot OF exnsper-
atine miss, but mostly. with the long shots.
for Il IL q Characteristic Of the tribe Of the
fields that they do not remember the misses
gripingly., whereas each success shines
more brightly for the lapse Of time.
They were placid and peaceful end com
templa,ive and mildly grateful, yet they
repeat their life at Bayou Marie. though
they knew that the hope was vain.
Nothing In over the same from year 70
year. Men change as the land and water
change, and though the wild fowl and the
sea, the bright creeks and the marshes,
the still bayou end tho oak trect would b*
there, tho time thst IVES gone wss gone, and
they could not duplicate or hiring back
those slippine. shinine hours.
Their calm was broken once by the savage
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