CHAPTER
XXV.
WORTH'S LONELY NIGHT WATCH.
LIEUTENANT CAREY'S remarks were received by his
companions with considerable incredulity. None of them
had ever been under fire before, and it was hard to
realize that the deafening volleys that had roared at
them from the cypress forest had not been fired with
deadly intent. To be sure, neither they, nor even
their boats, had been hit; but that might as easily be
attributed to poor marksmanship as to good intention
on the part of the Indians. Of course, they did not
doubt for an instant that those who had fired from
that well-concealed ambush were Indians. Who else
occupied that country, or who else would have done
such a thing? Had not Rust Norris given the Indians
false information concerning the objects of the
expedition, and roused them to anger against it? Even
if this first attack had only been intended for a
scare, would a second prove equally harmless? What
possible chance had their little band of making its
way through the trackless leagues between there and
the eastern coast, if the four hundred or so of
Seminoles occupying the country had determined to
prevent them? None at all, of course.
On the other hand, as Lieutenant Carey very justly
urged, the Indians could not afford to go to war with
the whites. Besides, did the way ahead of them present
any greater difficulties than that they had so
recently traversed? What could they do with their
frail boats, even if they should return to the open
waters of the Gulf? Could they hope to reach Key West
in them? Then, too, how humiliating it would be to
give up their undertaking merely because they had been
frightened, and without having caught a glimpse of
their enemies!
Lieutenant Carey declared his purpose of going on
alone if the others refused to accompany him, and
Sumner said that, as the son of a naval officer, he
was bound to follow the Lieutenant. Worth said: "Of
course, if you go, Sumner, I must go with you; but I'm
awfully frightened all the same."
The sailor Said that he had no thought of
disobeying the Lieutenant's orders, and only deserted
him as he did in the cypress swamp because Quorum was
at the oars, and carried him off against his will.
Quorum said: " Ef Marse Summer an' Marse Worf gwine
fight dem Injuns, ob co'se de ole man gwine erlong to
pertec' 'em. Dem chillun can't be 'lowed ter go
prospeckin' in de wilderness wifout Quor'm ter look
affer 'em, an' holp do de fightin' as well as de
cookin'."
All this discussion took place after the canoes had
been hauled from the water and concealed in a clump of
bushes, and while coffee was being prepared over the
alcohol lamps, which gave out great heat with little
light. They gathered closely about their little stoves
and talked in low tones, while the night shadows
settled down and shut out the surrounding landscape.
After eating a hearty meal which showed their
appetites to be in nowise impaired by their recent
fright, and providing a supply of coffee for the
morning, they rolled up in their blankets and lay down
for a few hours' sleep on the bare ground. That is,
all but Worth lay down. He, wrapping his blanket about
him, and sitting with his gun across his knees,
prepared to keep the first hour's watch. He was given
this first hour because he was the youngest, and he
was to wake Sumner when it had expired. Sumner was to
rouse Quo rum, he the sailor, and he the Lieutenant,
who was to stand the last watch and decide upon the
time for starting.
To be sitting there alone, surrounded by the unseen
terrors of a Southern wilderness, was a novel and
weird experience for Worth. He could hear the eddying
and gurgling of the river, with frequent splashes that
marked the nocturnal activity of its animal life.
Innumerable insects filled the air about him with
shrill sounds, and deep-voiced frogs kept up a
ceaseless din from the adjacent swamps. Frequent
vibratory bellowings, exactly like those of an enraged
bull, and certain flounderings in the water, attested
the wakefulness of his newly-made alligator
acquaintances. The forest rang with the tiresomely
irritating notes of the chuckwills-widows and the
solemn warnings of the great hoot owls.
Every now and then he was startled by the agonized
cries of some unfortunate bird seized and dragged from
its resting place by a 'Coon or other predatory
animal. These, loud and shrill at first, gradually
became weaker, until hushed into a lifeless silence.
His blood chilled at the distant howl of wolves, or
the human-like cry of a panther, and it required all
the boy's strength of mind to refrain from arousing
his comrades long before the expiration of that
interminable hour.
Only a frequent reaching out of the hand and
touching Sumner, who lay close beside him, gave him
courage to maintain his solitary vigil. His mind was
so actively occupied by what he heard, and by
listening for what he dreaded still more to hear --
the dip of paddles or other sounds indicating the
approach of human enemies, that he had not the
slightest inclination to sleep. He never was more wide
awake in his life, with all his senses more keenly
alert, than during that hour. He wondered if, with all
those uncanny sounds ringing in his ears, he shod dare
even to close his eyes when his turn for sleeping
came. He kept track of the time by occasionally
striking a match, and looking at his watch beneath the
sheltering folds of his blanket.
When the time came to waken Sumner, he hated to do
so; but realizing that his own strength for the
ensuing day depended upon his sleeping that night, he
finally laid his hand gently on his comrade's
forehead. From long training in being aroused at
unseemly hours, Sumner sat up, wide awake, in an
instant. The boys exchanged, a few whispered words,
and then Worth lay down. He closed his eyes,
determined to try and sleep, though without the least
idea of being able to do so.
When he next opened them Lieutenant Carey was
bending over him, and saying that it was three o'clock
in the morning. It seemed impossible that he could
have been asleep for hours, and as the boy sat up
rubbing his eyes, he was certain that the Lieutenant
must have made some mistake.
In spite of the darkness, which was still as
intense as ever, the boats had been almost noiselessly
got into the water, and Quorum had heated the coffee
made the night before. A cup of this, hot and strong,
roused the boy into a full wakefulness, and fifteen
minutes later he was seated in his canoe, prepared
once more to undertake the passage of the dreaded
cypress belt. The Lieutenant led the Way, Sumner and
Worth, keeping as close together as possible,
followed, and the cruiser, with muffled oars, brought
up the rear.
If the cypress forest into which they almost
immediately plunged had seemed weird and gloomy by
daylight, how infinitely more so was it in the pitchy
darkness by which it was now enshrouded! Still, the
black walls of tree trunks rising on each side could
be distinguished from the surface of the river, and
thus the voyagers were enabled to keep in the channel.
The air was motionless, and heavy with dampness and
the rank odors of decaying vegetation. The rush of
waters, the plash of their paddles, and the
unaccountable night sounds of the drenched forest,
rang out with startling distinctness. They proceeded
with the utmost caution, and uttered no word; but it
seemed as though their progress must he apparent to
any ear within a mile of them.
For two hours they worked steadily and without a
pause. They felt that they must have passed the scene
of their previous evening's adventure. They were
certain of this when at length the cypresses began to
grow smaller; and their branches no longer meeting
overhead, a faint light began to show itself in the
lane of sky thus disclosed. NOW they knew that they
must be approaching the confines of the belt, and that
the open 'Glades must be close at hand. They breathed
more freely than they had for hours, and with each
foot of progress their spirits became lightened.
The stream which they were following began to
branch off in various directions, and the strength of
its current was sensibly diminished. By the time the
light was sufficient for them to discern clearly
surrounding objects, the cypress belt was behind them,
and the limitless expanse of the open 'Glades
stretched away in their front. On the very edge of the
cypress forest was a tiny hammock surmounting a slight
elevation of solid ground. As the little fleet was
passing this, its several crews were beginning to
exchange a few words of conversation for the first
time since leaving their camp.
Suddenly their voices were hushed by something
almost as startling as the rifle shots of the previous
evening. This time it was the sound of a loud voice,
evidently that of a white man, not more than a few
rods from them, calling:
"Come, you fellows, wake up! Here it is daylight,
and no fire started yet."
The startled canoemen looked at each other
wonderingly, and Sumner was about to utter a shout
that would betray their presence when a warning sign
from Lieutenant Carey restrained him. Beckoning them
to follow him quietly, the Lieutenant led the way past
the hammock from which the voice had issued, and into
a thick clump of tall sawgrass, by which they were
effectually concealed. Bidding them remain there until
his return, and on no account betray their presence by
sound or movement, he left them, and cautiously guided
his canoe back to the hammock. Stepping lightly from
it as it touched the land, he made his way quietly
through the trees and bushes composing the hammock
until, without being seen or heard, he could command a
view of an open space in its centre.
About the smoldering ashes of a campfire ten
rough-looking characters, whom he at once recognized
as South Florida cowboys, were sitting up, yawning and
rubbing their eyes into wakefulness, or lay still
stretched on the ground enveloped in the blankets that
formed their beds.
As there was but little danger of their discovering
him, the Lieutenant waited where he was, to learn
something of their character from their conversation,
before either showing himself or retiring without
disclosing his
presence.
ROUGH-LOOKING CHARACTERS, WHOM HE AT ONCE RECOGNIZED
AS SOUTH FLORIDA COWBOYS.
CHAPTER XXVI.
THE FLORIDA EVERGLADES.
PRESENTLY a man who was rebuilding the fire
straightened up, and addressing one of the others,
said:
"We're going to get out o' here today, ain't we,
Bill?"
"Yes, you bet we are," was the answer. "We hain't
got nothing more to stay yere in the swamps for,
onless you think they might make another try for it,
which I don't they will."
"Not much they won't, after the way they skedaddled
when we-uns began to yell. Hi! how they did cut
downstream! I'll bet they hain't stopped yit. They
must ha' reckoned the hull Seminole nation was layin'
fur 'em. Ho! ho! ho! ha! ha! ha! Hit was the slickest
job I ever did see!"
"You don't reckin they'll hanker arter wisitin' the
'Glades agin in a hurry, then?" asked another
voice.
"Hanker fur the 'Glades? Not muchy, they won't.
Why, they won't tetch foot to the mainland of the
State of Fluridy again, not if they can holp it.
Leastways, not so long as they's a Injun left in hit.
Hit's been a hard trip and a mean job for us fellers,
but hit'll pay. The report thet ar Leftenant'll make
when he gits home'II do mo' to'd gittin' the Seminoles
moved outen the kentry than ennything that's happened
sence the Fluridy wah. Now mosey round lively, boys.
Let's have a b'ilin' o' coffee, an' light outen
hyar."
Lieutenant Carey had heard all that he cared to,
and, without betraying his presence to the cowboys, he
softly retraced his steps to where the canoe lay, and
a minute later rejoined his party. Only telling them
that the sooner they put a respectable distance
between themselves and that place the better, he led
the way into the main stream, that still flowed with
considerable force through the grass beds, and turned
in the direction of its source. Not until they had
gone a good two miles did he pause, and then there
were several reasons for calling a halt.
One reason was that they were far enough beyond the
reach of the cowboys to defy discovery, and he wished
to tell his companions what he had overheard. Another
was that the sun was rising, and it was time for
breakfast; and a third was that their watery highway
having come to an end, it was necessary to decide upon
their future course.
A small stove was carried in the cruiser, and as
there was now nothing but water, with grass growing in
it, about them, it was brought into service. The
canoes gathered closely around the larger craft, and
while Quorum prepared break fast, the Lieutenant
related his recent adventure. In conclusion he said:
"So you see, boys, our Indians turned out to be white
men, and the shooting was only intended to scare us,
after all."
"But I don't understand how they knew we were
coming, or what they wanted to frighten us for,
anyway," said Sumner, wearing a very puzzled
expression.
"Neither did I at first," replied Lieutenant Carey;
"but I remember now that a gentleman in Key West said
the Florida cattlemen would be greatly put out on
learning of my proposed expedition. He said that they
were using every means, foul and fair, to have the
Indians removed from the State, and that they would be
bitterly opposed to having the Everglades Set apart as
a permanent reservation. He advised me to look out for
them, and I laughed at him. Now I realize that some
one must have sent the news to them, and they got up
this party to head us off in such a way that the blame
would be placed upon the Indians. Yes, it is clear
enough now; but it was a bit of a puzzle at
first."
"Well," said Worth, "it is a great relief to know
that they were not Indians, and that we are safely
past them, with no danger of their following us."
"It certainly is," replied the Lieutenant. "Though
it will be a greater one to me really to meet Indians,
as we must sooner or later, and have them treat us
decently, or rather leave us alone."
Here Quorum interrupted the conversation with the
announcement of, "Breakfus, sah." The amount of
cooking that he had managed to accomplish with that
one-lidded stove was wonderful. Besides coffee, he had
prepared a great smoking pot of oatmeal, and a dish of
crisply fried bacon to be eaten with their hardtack;
while these things were disappearing, he prepared and
fried a panful of flapjacks that were as light and
de] delicate as though cooked by a
ten-thousand-dollar chef on the most modern of ranges.
Out-of-door camp cookery deserves to rank as one of
the exact sciences, and Quorum as one of its
masters.
The old negro found perfect happiness in watching
the relish with which his deftly prepared food was
eaten, and his whole body expressed a smiling
satisfaction at the words of praise lavished upon his
skill. While Quorum was eating his own breakfast and
the sailor was washing and stowing the dishes, the
others stood up to take observations.
The main stream came to an end where they were, and
from it a dozen narrow channels, filled with flags and
lily pads, or "bonnets," as they are called in
Florida, radiated in as many directions. As far as the
eye could reach, and infinitely farther, in front of
them and on both sides, stretched a vast plain of
coarse brown grass, rising to a height of several
feet, and growing in a foot or two of limpid water.
Innumerable channels of deeper water, marked by the
vivid green of their peculiar vegetation, crossed and
recrossed each other in every direction, and formed a
bewildering network. The limitless brown level was
dotted here and there with heavily timbered islands of
all sizes, from a few rods to many acres in extent.
Near at hand these were of a bright green, in the
middle distance they were of a rich purple hue, and on
the far horizon a misty blue. The highest of these
islands, as well as the largest one visible, rose on
the very limit of their vision, in the northeast, and
as it formed a conspicuous landmark, they decided to
lay a course for it. Accordingly, in single file, with
the Hu-la-lah leading and "de Punkin Seed" bringing up
the rear, the little fleet entered the narrow path
that seemed to lead in that direction, and the journey
was resumed.
The clearness of the water in the Everglades is
accounted for by the fact that it flows above a bottom
of coralline rock, and is always in motion. In it
stagnation is unknown; and though it is everywhere
crowded with plant life, it is as sweet and pure as
that of a spring. Another curious fact about the
Everglades which is generally unknown is that within
their limits but few mosquitoes are found. During the
summer months, when all residents on the coast of
southern Florida, even the lightkeepers away out on
the reef, miles from land, are driven nearly crazy by
these pests, the Seminoles, who retire to the
Everglades to escape them, are rarely annoyed. The
chief insect pests of the 'Glades are the midges, or
Stinging gnats, that swarm for an hour or so at sunset
and sunrise. Against these the Indians protect
themselves by smudges and by nettings of cheese
cloth.
From the difficulties of navigation experienced,
during this their first day in the 'Glades, our
explorers realized that in striving to journey across
their width they had undertaken a most arduous task.
The channels that they attempted to follow seemed to
lead in every direction but the right one. They were
generally so narrow and choked with bonnets that
paddling or rowing was impossible, and the boats must
be forced ahead by poling. Every now and then, too,
the shallow waters sank to an unknown depth that no
pole could fathom. In such a case, if one attempted to
pull his canoe along by grasping the tough grass
stalks on either side of him, he was rewarded by a
painful cut that often penetrated to the bone. It did
not require many sad experiences of this kind to teach
the boys that sawgrass is not to be handled with
impunity. It has a triangular blade, provided with
minutely serrated edges that, green or dry, cut like
razors. While it ordinarily attains a height of but
four or five feet, the great Everglade lake,
Okeechobee, is surrounded by a barrier of "big saw"
grass that is well nigh impenetrable to man or beast.
Even the scaly-hided alligators shun it. This big
sawgrass attains the thickness of a cornstalk, with a
height of ten or twelve feet, is closely matted, and
its cutting edges are possessed of the keenness of
Oriental scimitars.
Sometimes the narrow channels along which our
canoemates poled with such difficulty opened into
broad clear spaces, where sailing was possible for a
mile or so Full as often the channels ended abruptly
in the grass, when the only thing to do was to get
overboard in water waist-deep, and push the boats
through it.
The sun poured down with an intolerable glare, but
its heat was tempered by the strong, fresh breeze that
blows every day and all day over the 'Glades with the
utmost regularity.
As they slowly drew near the island for which they
were steering, it gradually assumed a conical shape
and the symmetrical proportions of a pyramid. Late in
the afternoon, while they were still about a mile from
it, a dense volume of smoke suddenly arose from its
extreme summit. This as suddenly disappeared, and then
reappeared again at intervals of a second.
"I wonder if it can be a volcano ?" queried Worth,
as they gazed curiously at this phenomenon.
..
© 2001 Craig
O'Donnell, editor &
general factotum.
May not be reproduced without my permission. Go scan
your own damn stuff.
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