The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1913-01-24

ing door l ever saw, but the build
er OF the house knew what he was
doing when he built that house. We
concluded to make a little change on
that door by taking out a few bricks.
so that we could step over easv'
Now we were getting nearly every
day, boxes of nice things from our
nome folks and friends, too much for
own use-cakes, pies, butter, clothing
etc. Now on or about the full moon
OF May the tide is higher than any
other time of the year, but we knew
hothing about the rising and falling
OF the tides. So about the time for
nigh tide we were in this lower de-
partment eating and having nice
time, when water began running in
our door. We were out of there
as quick as thought to see what was
the matter. The water was all over
the Island, around our house about
eighteen inches, and still getting
higher. We were badly frightened
and started to the fort for safety. and
and old Irish woman saw we were
alarmed at the water coming over the
Island and told us there was no dan
ger. She told us it was that way ev.
cry, May. Now that made us easy
and we went back to the house and
the under department where our eat
ables were stored was full of salt
water, and everything except our
mans was ruined. Had we let the
door alone and not taken out the
prlck so we could step over easy, we
would have lost nothing. The house
was built that way on account Of
high tide in May. Greenhorns. Won
see, so far as rising and falling of
tides is concerned. But before this
occurred l went out to the hull of an
old boat to hunt oysters. The old
null was buried or sunk down in the
sand so that about three or four feet
OF water was left in it. AS the tide
would rise and fall every twenty-four
hours it was kept supplied with wa
ter sufficient for oysters. Some
three or four feet from the grouno
was a hole in the side of the old
boat. Now when the tide was down.
this old boat was about two hundred
yards from tier, except what was
down in the bottom of it. | got
bucket and walked out there to get
some oysters. The old Irish woman
had just told me where | could get
some small oysters, but did not tell
me the tide was rising; l suppose
she thought l ought to have sense
enough to know that. So | went and
crawled in the hole and commenced
my first oyster grabbing, and II
found Git to be very slow business.
But l kept on at it or more than
an hour. All at once / heard water
rafting and | looked to see what
was the cause of it and I found my
self cot off from land, about two hun
dred yards, not deeper than three
teet at the boat and less as you left
the boat, but | did not know that,
and did not know how much more it
would rise. My friends knew | had
gone out there and were watching
me to have some fun out of me when
| discovered the water around me. I
called to them to bring me a boat
but they said there was no boat
about and the water was not more
than waist deep and l had better
wade out before it got too deep. 1t
was then nearly at it's full height,
but l did not know it, and l was so
confused and frightened that l hard
ly knew anything. A day or two be-
fore that l had seen 7OO-pound
shark drawn out of the water just
above this old boat, and that made me
afraid to wade out. But it was near
ly dark and no time to loose, so down
| went and did some fast walking,
and when | got to water about knee
deep | got to a blind horse trot and
soon got to land, and there was the
boys laughing fit to kill themselves.
| was lighting mad at them, but
took 1t very good, for | felt very
glad to think | had not been caught
by shark.
Now about the time the war was
being talked of Colts pistols were all
the go. We were armed with large
knives and pistols as well as guns.
We practiced good deal and | was
considered the best shot in the Com
pany. While out practicing one even
ing we saw a large fowl about sixty
yards high coming across the Island
near us. | asked for the first shot
and fired an ddown he came, and in
few minutes there was large
crowd gathered to see the fowl, but
none Of them knew what it was. Most
of them thought it was pet fowl
from over in the city and was likely
to get into trouble. l was beginning
to think so, too. Colonel jenkins
was looking at the fowl when | shot
1T and came down to see it, He told
us what it was an American bald
eagle, and complimented me very
highly for such good shot and said
| was the kind of a boy to fight the
Yankees. That was the first time
ever saw Colonel Jenkins and he al
ways knew me after that and would
speak to me IN kind, jolly way ev.
cry time he saw me.
I('nntju,1aI