The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1905-06-15

iObhs 'nN"t i"AA y WV s'NNh" -
10 that's 70, home on the back OF my neck.
There gees Madam Losgcfhcsi. She ought
10 have numerous family.
lfsb'st dobt &c, 'em, ! ssie, ,he' liable
10 have some progeny, ture,
And then heard something pad.paddine
alorg 10 the darkness IL wasn't the log
rerhsai. She made a swishing with her
A ppers Ikea broom ons q ior, and besids',
che WAS close to the water when heard ".
The ntx; momen, saw her big 'hell alp
into the ,ea srd disappear.
Il was a bar I'D heard, and probably he'd
been wslchlug the loggcrbesds pcrfor-
maue far some time, for be made straight
for the net, Cobb sss him, aud drew in
sharp breath, The ciit,er looked I" os m
an or 10 the thia moonlight.
nodded to Cobb, and We stuck out flnes
over the b led, The bar had uncovered the
arst layer q eggs, and WAS sweepl y them
into mouth with both paws, making 4
noise lie hog at trough, as the rich,
warm yolks ran down his throat B'ars are
wild over turtle eggs, I've seen ',m clean
out one nest, and then, wben they happen
on snoIher, vomit the arst meal up, sot
they could have room for the second
Lsastsays suppose that's why they did
1t, thorgh 1t may have been because their
atom, IA were oyerloa AIDED.
When | thought the time WAS right
nudged Cobb with my knee, and we fred
We ii: the bar sure enough, but the byht
was so poor we didn't hit him in the right
place. lie came plumb for US tho next
nome with q nasty snsrl Cobb fired an
other ,hot at him, which turned HIN OIL to
the light. and we heard him 20 oh into the
reeds with crash.
There goes our bar, said |. 0Ily he
amt ours.
Come on, said Cobb, aud he Jumped ovel
the edge Of The blind like be weighed nc
more'n you Wen &c. him yet I'm pret
ty sure hit him with that last shot.
I'm rot chasing any bar Into that swamp
| said.
Cobb was brushing away tho mosquitoe'
with one hand and holding his rIHs with
the other.
That Amt the way we hunt bars In th'
North, he sail. When we wound 'em w
follow the tracks until we get them
IT'S too dark to follow him, said w
couldn't fl ad a drove Of cattle 10 there to
night. Ard then there's the mosquitoes
They II be had enough going back to th
boat, let alone trsmpng out Of our path t
wake 'em up.
We'rs not afraid Of q few mofquitoe
where come from, said he.
Alu's your / said. Perhspe you thlnl
thIpgs In this swamp are the same ~ VI
North.
There's one thing thals the same every
where, and that's pluck, said be.
/ ought to have known b,tter, but hir
ed up then and told him to come on. II
didn't make any reply, but followed me In
to the reeds with an air that as much
said he wouldn't be the one to give up hi'
i For iht II st few yards was easy to 10
low the tracks, but as the grass 20, highe
and the ground more broken It came to D
pure guesswork.
| Ireckoned the bar would head for bi
hummock about three miles to the soutf
and laid my course for this, without pay
Ing much attention to signs by the way.
I've been in some places where the moi
quitoes we're pretty thick The Everglade
for instance, but never SAW anythin
like the way they were that night In tha
swamp. As we went slumping and slasl
ing along, our feet stirred them up BY tn
millions from the soggy ground, and OF
shoulders brushed more milions from u
reeds. At Il st they didn't bother me muc
but by and by one or two bit 1t, and th'
lseemed to set the Others or. IL WAS %
they'd got imell OF blood.
They pelsed against me like dust driv,
by Wind pricking at my face with toe
E little hsir.lik daggers. OF course us'
Q nv free hand. bu. II was like fightir
smoke, with ones face over the fire.
They we're all over my back and sho ul
7 era. too. where c)uldn't reach 'em. v
wore the thiunest kind Of cotton outin
I, shirts, which didn't protect our slins 81
: more than II they'd been wells.
/ wasn't going to cry baby, though, b
0 fore Cobb. kept on as straight for II
bummock as could, with the swarms
: insects blr ding my eyes. ! could he
. Cobb ,pa hing and putting behind me, Al
t I knew he was having q bad time. Su
9 enough, be stopped presently and called
: me.
III own up I'm fool, be said. The
g are few moi quitoes here, and that's
. fact. I'm about eaten alive. Let's
: back to the boat.
was about ready myself, 90 we chang
d our course and headed for the bend OF 7
l. creek. The ground WAS very bad, and
q had to walk slowly 90 that Cobb, who "
8 a heavy man, could keep up with me. i
e niggerheads didn't seem to have any nee
e to 'em. When we stepped on one It wou
twist like ball under our feet. Sometlm
we kept cur balance and sometimes
7. didn't. when we didL't we'd slip n Int
II bit Of knee.high mud and water that suck
! like vacuum.
Pretty soon We struck patch OF rec
]. seven feet high. It was Ike going do'
% into water. / began to have little prick
n run up and down my back, and fought
II reed, In II WAS swimming. 1t v
!. foolish TO waste my s.rssgth that way, B
y / wauud 70 get my bead out, !. seemed
% "a choke v didn't
}. Ny bead and shoulders were always 10
cloud Of MOI qal.oss. DARK ~ u VA,
could see tbe ssarms Of 'em, Ike DID
r lace, hanging abou. me. couldn't stop
A. Axff ha - "a