The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-11-05
THE OPEN ROAD

- AstiS IeIL OF the nauHIeQ
house" except the foundation of a !
once large frame house, upon which |
fisherman's hut is erected, remains
OF q double fire place and the fence
posts. We explored it thoroughly,
but as it was daylingt no chants" ex-
cept whiskey and beer bottles and
many crab shells were to be seen
There was something, however, that I
determined should become mine
Great clumps of lilies were growing
by the path once trod by feet, now
| part of the dust, later l returned
and dug up number dividing them
among the party.
But work was calling US home, we
had been playing for a week so we
set sail and had lovely voyage home,
the weather was ideal, the wind favor
ing and even old Choctawhatchee,
usually rough and surely, was in a
placid mood.
As the evening darkened and the
stars slowly came in sight the spirit
of the day, which was the sabbath,
the peaceful repose of all nature,
took possession of US, and broke
forth into song, and as the sweet,
clear voices sang in notes grave and
gay the echo returned from the sand
dunes over the water, and when the
perfect melody of Nearer Ny God
To Thee" was waited over the waves
felt that we can never be nearer to
all Gread God than when in perfect
harmony with nature and when at
one with the peace of the sky,
air and sea.
Reaching home we felt that
though it had been good to be there
it was also good to be here, and felt
eager to enter the work-day world
again.
One evening after a day Of hard
work Martha was resting in her ham,
mock on the front porch when far
away on the bayou she saw bright
red star low down on the horizon, she
watched it lazily through half closed
| eyes as it seemed to be approaching
nearer and growing larger. At last
she aroused and gazing at it exclaim-
ed 'sthat looks like fire." and very
soon the fire stopped at Martha's
wharf and a manly voice with soft
southern drawl asked, "Would you all
like to go fishing? Ma and sister
are in the boat. But / will let Mar
1 tina tell it in her own words.
"Being company, they put me on
the seat where / would be cut of
harms way and the boy poled away.
One boy replenished the fire in the
bow of the boat, this fire was built in
"Jack," an iron basket fastened to
an iron rod about five feet high. This
fire was kept burning by feeding
| it with fat pine knots and splnters.
Such weird picture had never seen
every object in plain view but color
J ed with this red light from the resi-
nous pine, the two young men sta
: toned themselves on each side of the
skiff. the red glow on the water
brought every denizen of the bayou
into view. Fish of many kinds in
Guiding trout, mullet, sheephead,
/ founders, and red fish with an occas-
ional turtle padding along, crabs
scuttling side ways for deep water.
A glimpse of an alligator and he dis
appeared.
, "He is an old warrior, has one eye
put out with gig and shot at dozens
of times by the tourists but nothing
seems to hurt him for long," said one
: of the young men.
AS the boat was poled slowly along
the boys dexterously speared flsn
and threw them into the boat and
soon the bottom of the boat was
} Hopping .mass of fish and crabs.
We came to a fallen tree covered
/ with water and soon all on board
were busy breaking off the oysters
which were attached to the tree. A
: basketfull were raked up from the
bottom of the bayou and then the
: boat was rowed to shore and all got
: out on the clean white sand beach,
The boys built fire, cleaned some
, fish and opened the oysters and the
: women soon had the fish on frying
and the oyster patties browning IN
hot lard.
4 never have enjoyed such feast
t or banquet as did that impromptu
| gypsy meal on the shore of the bayou.
: The cool night air (and It was IN
e August) blowing in from the gulf was
! in itself an appetizer. The merry
company with keen native wit ano
!, a fervent desire to give pleasure Is
: never met with in our cities May
they never become so civilized on
: the bayou that they cease to treat
!. the stranger within their gates with
e warm cordiality.
u We went turtle egg hunting one
r NIGHT on the shore of the gulf, q
night when the moon was fuii' "e
e tracked one and followed her up &c
: the top of sand dune only 70 Ilno
-~4fr