San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-10-04

TOR many years there has lived deep
in the mangrove swamps and Ever
= glades of Florida a strange race of
people about whom the rest of the country
knows very little and who know nothing
whatever about the rest of the country.
One tradition is that they sprang from the
survivors of a shipwrecked English pirate
vessel Another is that originally-gener-
ations ago-they were gypsies who got
lost in the swamps and stayed there. But
no one really knows. The name Conch
was given to this curious clan, because
the ony flag they have ever had is piece
of white cloth painted with conch shell.
They are a peaceable folk, all distantly
related to one another; they have no writ
ten laws, the basis of their primitive life
is a simple faith in each other. But they
have unwritten laws, and when member
of the tribe breaks one of these the ven
geance and punishment inflicted upon him
is more cruel than that of any tribe OF
Jungle savages. They are applied in
peculiarly terrible way, because the culprlt
never knows Just how he will be punished
only that he will suffer some mysteri-
Gus form of long-drawn-out torture.
Fanny Granger, who, though only six
teen. was queen of the tribe, knew this
well enough She lived on one of those
keys that dot the Florida coast, with her
father and two brothers. The father,
whose word in the clan is absolute law,
in his hut. had forbidden her to have any
thing to do with boys until she was eight
cen. But on another little key about
three miles away lived Price Lorsch, about
ten years older than herself-and they
loved each other.
At first Fanny was obedient, as the
women of her race have always been.
She smiled at Lorsch as they passed on the
road, or chatted with him gayly at the
market, and nothing more. But at last
she yielded to his impetuous urging, and
one night. while her father and brothers,
were sleeping, she stole out to the edge
of TIE dark swamp and met him. Those
hours with Lorsch were the happiest
Fanny had ever known, and the more thrill
ling because they both knew they were
defying the fierce vengeance of the
swamps by being together But nothing
happened-so the two lovers began to
meet nearly every night while the rest of
the tribe we've asleep.
Then occurred one Of those tiny mis-
haps which in the jungle, as well as in
the greater world outside, can work such
havoc with human lives. One night old
man Granger could not sleep. He called
to Fanny and asked her TO bring him d
glass of water There was no answer.
He roared his command again. But the
little hut was silent. Old Granger got
up and went back to Fanny's room.
Fanny wasn't there. The neat little bed
had not been slept in.
Instinct led him down the path between
the high bushes to the edge of the swamp.
AS he reached IL he saw in a smooth lit
tie clearing beside the water a sight that
made him stand for moment frozen with
establishment and rage. The moonlight
filtered through the leaves and fell full
on the face of his dsughter-ana she was
in a mans arms With a cry the old
man leaped toward them Quick as q cat
the man sprang 10 his feet, and, leaving
Fanny TO face her enraged father alone,
he darted off among the trees.
"WhO was he?" asked old Granger, in
a voice thick and quivering with anger
Fanny was still silent
who was he?" growled the old man
again, STOPPING down and shaking her IN
Ill the loose hair fell about her shoulders
Fannie shook her head. 81 won't tell,
daddy" she said at last.
Never before had sheer anybody else
in the tribe-refused to do Grsnger's
bidding.
GO homer he ordered.
Back in her room the old man faced
her.
"onee more, are you going to tell me?''
he asked
She searched her fathers grim face and