The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-02-25

nent of Federal Point we used to hunt
wild game good deal and called our
self crack shot with the rife. We
tramped the woods and swamps night
and day and called ourself a man of
ordinary bravery. In fact we never
ran across any game but what seemed
to be more scared than we were: but
once we confess to being terribly and
outrageously frightened. We had been
on deer hunt and were on our way
home. The sun had sunk behind the
western horizon. there was not a
breath Of air In motion; the rickets
and frogs were. tuning up with their
love songs In a drowsy monotony,
while we plodded along in a dreary
mood and uncaring-whcn
without the faintest premonition, a
most unearthly scream was uttered not
a foot from the top of my head.
Scared? Well, guess was. jump
ed twenty feet and started to run.
when It came to me that It was an owl
that had done the deed. ITO be scared
Of owls is a Joke. term Of derision;
but let me tell you 1t was no joke, but
sorts of tight places where my life was
fore or since.
Good Times" ApIenty.
We had not been resident of this
section for many months before 1t was
voiced around the country that we
played the fiddle. and our services with
that much abused instrument were de-
manded to assist In various Kitchen
junkets'' held by the young people
"A bat 20 1a al n%{o
would be sent out to the surrounding
people, who would gather from a dis
lance Of twenty miles or more. AS
there were no roads or bridges the ef
fort to get together for a good time"
was strenuous one, to say the least
and in one instance involved the writer
IN an unenviable predicament. We had
been engaged to play for a party to Re
held few miles distant, and harness.
ing two mules to long lumber wagon,
took our fiddle and a lady passenger
aboard and started. All went well
until we came to a creek that we had
| to ford, which we found badly swollen.
In fact, It was full Of water from bank
to bank. and we knew our wagon
would be submerged. AS fortune would
have It. we were accompanied by a
young man who rode tall horse, who
kindly offered to take the lady and
fiddle on the horse and put them
| across, which he did. I left the wagon
and got astride the near mule and
started in. The ford was rather mar
row and had a sharp turn in 1t, an ]
was grown up on either side by i'm
mense swamp trees, and required
pretty accurate driving to get across
with a wagon rig that trailed as far
behind as mine. We got along all
right until near mid stream, when the
Off mule became frightened and crowd
edzthe mule was on into a deep hole
Into. almost swimming water, and II
| took all the English language and the
most strenuous kicks that the writer
was master Of to get that team and
| that wagon across. We were wet to
| the waist, and feared every ;nstan.
| that the wagon would hitch against
| one Of these trees In which event we
would be compelled to dismount and
unhitch in water clear up to our neck.
Suffice to say. we reached the opposite
| bank in safety, proceeded to the party
and played the fiddle all night. The
party was large one-they had come
| in from the woods-the Lord only knew
where. sure we didn't, and a jollier set
of people never got together in this
| country or any other. The most ex-
pensive dresses were made Of calico
put together without the slightest re-
gard to- fashion, but according to the
fancy of the wearer. And here let me
say a nicer or better hammered lot Of
people never assembled together. How