Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1904-07-14
The Cruise Of the Red Bird.

a sail and enjoy mullet and ero-
ker fishing. Ten OF US skipped
gaily dewn the beach, and amid
peals of laughter and merry jests,
launched forth upon the shining
water. At the bow sat the
"Cape'n" fat and jolly, and
strangely smiling, as he manipu-
lated the tiller.
isn't it glorious!" | never
want to go home againl" | could
live on the water forever!" cts
heavenly to ride the waves, "
were some of the enthusiastic ex-
pressions from the cruisers. l
Just know I'm going to look as
nice when | Gomez back as | do
now" said a charming girl in a
red silk blouse and linen skirt.
She had been warned against
wearing anything that bordered
upon responsibility.
There was a wicked twinkle in
the Capen's eye, and presently
the little vessel lurched, and a
great wave gave the blouse and
skirt their first souse in sea water.
We scudded before the wind
for mile or so, and then a
strange quietude possessed some
of the gayest. "Our Boy" the
champion fisherman on dry land,
who was going to catch whale
or a shark, and loads of game
fish, said he believed he'd let
somebody else have his hook.
For a few minutes he lay in the
bottom of the boat, a limp, mise
rable heap, land then he fed the
fish generously, and returned to
his post of holding down the bot
tom. He held his job to the end
of the cruise.
| The Red Bird cast anchor about
a mile off the coast from Missis-
sippi City, and rocking in the
breeze, we cast our hooks ano
took in the unwary mullet anc
worthless catfish. But one by
one the girls grew quiet, and pale
about the gills, and unselfishly
DESTROYS Of letting some one else
do the fishing. One head after
another went over the side of the
vessel, and the wretched owner
retired to the bottom of the boat
l remember joining feebly in the
, laugh, when the fourth victim
collapsed, and then l pulled up ;
beautiful two pound mullet
: Somehow it didn't revive MI
; spirits, l felt like my last FRIEND
had deserted me. AS in the dis
/ lance, | heard the Capen' ,sug'
. gest that we return to shore, anc
after what seemed ages, we were
! under Roadway. l remembe1
) asking if any one wanted to offe
me a free trip to Europe, for i
! they did, wouldn't take it. Fo
,, the first ten minutes l was afrait
l was going to die, then / wished
| could die then l began to b,
afraid wouldn' die, but live OF
, in misery and eternal sea- sick.
ness. retired meekly to thu
, bottom of the boat, and sat ir
several inches of dirty bilge water
! with a few energetic crabs, the
J gasping mullet, the ancient shrimp
We had carried along for bait
and the other victims, and won.
dered if it was thousand mile;
from Mississippi City to Gulfport
| Our host, Prof. Cornell, The
Capen', one girl, and a young
man, kept their heads-and stom.
achs, and helped the drabbeled
miserable sea- sick victims into {
boat, and to shore. We trailet
up the beach in the wake of oul
/, hostess, who was as sick as hel
followers. Each wretch crawleG
to bed, and for hours slept The
sleep of utter exhaustion. Sup.
per might have been a success
with the cook, but not with the
crew of the Red Bird.
| But later on, our host suggest.
ed a swim, as being peculiarly in
MIGRATING, and l joined the par
ty of bathers. At the first plunge
from the boat, it seemed like my
feet We're corks and my head q
lump Of lead, but / soon learned
to float, and venture into deer
water. The plunge restored my
bouyancy of spirits, and acted as
a powerful tonic and sedative.
slept as never before, the sound,
dreamless sleep of the old time
darkey. And the spell is upon
me yet, for l sleep-sleep-sleep,
and eat and rest, and take life
easy. | don't wonder that the
ancients deified the ocean, and
called it Proteus, ever changing.
Every hour brings something new
and faeinating. AS / sit on the
shady porch, 1 see the gay little
Red Bird start out on another
cruise, freighted with laughing
passengers. l can smile now,
with other experienced sailors,
but rejoice that it is my privilege
to merely watch the sailing, and
not to be an active party.
j. N. S.
Gulfport, July 0th. '04.