Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-07-19

water. They were sponging-mOst
melancholy of occupatlOns-and they
looked fOrlOrn enough in the stlll
dawn. But they had a smile for our
plight. 1t was evidently good joke
to have mistaken SapOdilla cay for
Little Wood cay. OF course we should
have gone-"so." And 80" we pres
emily went, not without rewarding
them for their information with two
generous drinks of old Jamaica rum.
One of our reasons for seeking Lit
tie Wood cay, which it proved had
been close all the time, was that ii Is
one of the few Gays where one can get
fresh water. Good water here" says
the chart. We wanted to refill some
Of our Jars, and so We landed there,
glad to stretch our legs, while old Tom
cooked our breakfast on the beach, un-
der sapodilla tree.
Now that we knew where we We're,
it was clear, but by no means careless
sailing to our camp. We were making
for what is known as the Wide Open
ing, sort of estuary into which a
listless stream or two crawl through
mangrove bushes from the interior
swamps.
Here, a short distance from the
bank, on some slightly ascending
rocky ground under the spreading
shade of something like stretch d
woodland, Charlie, several years ago,
had built rough log shanty for his
camp--one of two or three camps he
had thus scattered for himself up and
down the "out islands, where nearly
all the land is no mans, and so every
mans land. The particular camp ut
which we now arrived he had not Wis
tied for long time.
Here Tom brought us our dinner
and the dark began to settle down
upon us, thrillngly lonely, and full of
strange, desolate cries of night crea-
lures from the mangrOve swamps that
surrounded our little oasis for miles.
Sailor lay at our feet, dreaming of to-
morrow's duck. His masters thoughts p
were evidently in the same direction.
"How are you with a gun2" he
asked, turning to the boy.
"0h, won't brag had better wait
till tomorrow But, of course, you will
have to lend me a gum"
81 have a beauty for you--just your
weight" replied Charlie, his face
beaming as it did only at the thought
of his guns, which he kept polished
like jewels and guarded as jealousy
as a vlolinlst his violin, or an Arab his
harem.
Dawn was just breaking as l felt
Charles great paw on my shoulder
next morning. He was very serious.
For moment, as l sat up, still half
asleep, thought he had news of To
bias. But II was only duck.
I was scarcely dressed when Tom
arrived with breakfast, and in a few
minutes we had shouldered our guns
and We're crossing the half mile of
peaty waste that divided US from the
mari lakes. Ahead of us, the crew
were carrying the 5klffs on their shoul-
ders, and very soon we were each
seated In regulation fashion on a can
vas chair In front of our respectives
skiffs, with our guns across our knees
and negro behind us to do the pol
ing. \
Charlie went ahead, with Sailor
standing in the bow quIvering with ex-
element. The necessity Of absolute
silence, Of course. had been impressed
upon us all by the most severe OF all
sportsmen Tom (who was polling mel
and l understood that our job. and
also that of my companion. was TO
steal behind one mangrove copse after
another till we had got on the other
side Of a quacklng flock of teal
which might then be expected to take
flight In Charles direction and rush
by him In a terrified whlrlwind. This
not very easy feat of stalking we were
able to accomplish, thereby winning
Charities immense approval and put
ting him In a splendid temper for the
rest Of the day; for. as the wild cloud
swept over him. he was able to bring
down no less than seven. Like true
sportsman, in telling the story after
ward in John Saunders snuggery. he
averred that the number was ninel
Confined Next Saturday,