Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-01-24

flOrlua, are SnylnB away THESE
] days more than ever from
Ezekiel Glance, the hermit of
Shark River key-and not with
out what seems TO them good
reason.
~ e e." always considered
something of mystic and called
strange" by nearly everyone in
the Ev arglades. now is regarded
with downright CONSERVATION
every time his rickety old motor
boat brings him on one of his
rare trips to civilization.
And no wonder. For a few
weeks ago when "Zeke" showed
up at a little dockside grocery
store TO buy flour and beans to
take back TO his solitude, the old
man spied-displayed by a proud
fisherman a fine barracuda,
that game fish of the semi
tropics, and started trembling.
Great snakes and sharks" he
cried, take that fish outta my
sight. The last time / ate bar
racuda the stuff talked back"
The grocer dropped the flour
and beans TO the floor and
reached for his shotgun.
"Talkin' fish, en-" he said
ominously, "you-al'd better hot
foot it outta here"
The old hermit fled, got back
TO his boat and returned to his
desolate and lonely key without
his beans or flour. But the
story he'd told Of talking barra-
cuda swept through the 'glades.
Generally he was put down as
plain nuts-that is by all except
the Balmer brothers. William,
Franklin, Jr., Adam and Sawyer.
These four shark fishermen
know the keys as well as any
living man and are particularly
well acquainted with mysterious
Shark River, where they fire.
quently had run across Old Man
Glance. They thought he had lots
more sense than he was given
credit for in the gossip on the
fishing banks. And, the more
they thought of the talking
fish" the more determined they
became to investigate the pre-
posterous yarn.
Many a queer and unbelievable
story has come out Of the 10000
keys which line the Gulf Coast Of
Florida. There are yarns of were
wolves, Of sea serpents, of Semi
mole ghosts and of buried treas
ure. Many them, unquestion-
ably. have cen made up out of
whole cloth Tor the tourists.
Just the same, the keys are
queer places and many strange
things have happened on them, as
any old-timer on the coast knows.
The Balmers had found, how
ever, that even in the widest
yarns there often was an unsus-
pected vein of absolute fact.
Therefore, they were inclined
TO think that If Old Man zeke
said he had heard his fish steaks
talk there was more TO 1t than
sheer imagination. Nor did they
share the general belief Of the
other fisherfolk that the hermit's
self-imposed exile had driven him
crazy.
Setting out in their big power
launch one morning the Balmers
arrived, by way Of the torturous
water trails of the Everglades, at
the key where Glance has lived
for 80 years. They soon reused
the old man by shouts. He came
out willingly TO meet them, for
the Balmers were the only men
he trusted.
What's all this bout talking
barracuda ," demanded William
Balmer, while his brothers eyed
the hermit sardonically.
80 help me-" replied Zeke,
Il did hear it talkin' 10 me
right after I found the body"
The body -" exclaimed the
Balmers as one. This was news.
10 one had been reported miss
ing for months, so far as they
knew. And for once they did
doubt the old mans sanity.
We'll. tell us what the frying
fish said?" suggested Franklin
Balmer, humoring him.
1T said somethin' in Spanish
like 'Caramba, don't stick me.
I'm a ship-wrecked sailor"