CHAPTER XXXI.
A CLOSELY GUARDED CAMP.
THE darkness, which comes so quickly after sunset
in that far Southern country, with almost no
intervening twilight, effectually prevented our
explorers from seeing where they were going. They only
knew from the stars that their general direction was
east, or directly into the heart of the Everglades.
They were even unable to Study the countenances,
dress, or general appearance of the young Indians who,
standing in the bow and stern of each canoe, drove it
forward with unerring judgment and at a considerable
speed by means of long push poles. These poles were
quite slender; but each terminated at its lower end in
an enlargement, formed by fastening a short bit of
wood to either side that prevented it from sinking
deeply into the sand or grass roots against which it
was set.
The canoes in which our voyagers were now traveling
were as different from their own dainty craft as one
boat can be from another. Nor did they bear the least
resemblance to the bark canoes of Northern Indians,
there being no Southern bark similar to that of the
Northern birch, or suitable for canoe-building. They
were simply dugouts, from twenty to twenty-five feet
long by about three feet broad, hollowed with great
skill from huge cypress logs. Their lines were fine,
and, as our friends afterwards discovered, they are
capital sailing craft in any wind, except dead
ahead.
When a Seminole decides to build one of these
canoes, he first selects and fells his tree, cutting
off a section of the required length, and free from
knots or cracks. The upper surface of this is hewn
smooth, with a slight sheer rise fore and aft. On this
smooth surface a plan of the canoe is carefully
outlined with charcoal, and then the outside is
laboriously worked into shape with hatchets. The
hollowing out of the inside is accomplished by fire
and hatchets, and, considering the limited supply of
tools at the builders' disposal, the result is a
triumph of marine architecture. Hatchets and knives
are the only tools used in the making of the masts,
spars, paddles, push poles, and spear handles that are
needed for the equipment of each canoe. The ingenious
builders also cut and sew their own sails, which they
make of unbleached muslin bought from the trader on
Biscayne Bay. Although they use no keels,
centerboards, nor leeboards, they manage by holding
their paddles firmly against the side of the canoe and
deep in the water to sail closehauled, and to keep her
up to the wind in a manner that is truly surprising.
The Indians take great pride in their canoes and value
them highly, for, as they are without horses, roads,
or any considerable area of dry land, these are their
sole means of transportation and communication between
the different parts of the vast territory over which
they roam.
After traveling several miles, this first voyage of
our explorers in Indian canoes ended at a heavily
wooded islet, between the trees of which they could
see the welcome glow of a campfire. To their great
delight, as they reached the shore, they found their
own canoes and the cruiser safely moored to it. In
spite of their joy at again seeing these, they were
too hungry and too impatient to visit the Indian
village to do more just then than assure themselves
that their own boats were all right. Then they hurried
towards the fire.
There was a roomy palmetto hut standing near it;
but to their surprise the firelight disclosed only a
single human figure, which, as they drew near, proved
to be that of Quorum. He was hard at work cooking
supper, and only acknowledged their presence with a
grin, and the announcement that it would be ready in a
few minutes.
Turning to the hut, they saw that it had been
recently erected, and that it Contained their own
rolls of bedding, besides the little bags of toilet
articles belonging to Lieutenant Carey and the boys,
which Quorum had thoughtfully taken from the canoes
and placed ready for their use.
"I never realized the luxury of brushes and combs
before!" exclaimed Worth, as he occupied the time
before supper with making what was probably the most
elaborate toilet ever seen in the Everglades.
Meanwhile the Lieutenant was questioning Quorum as
to the location of the Indian village, and was
disappointed to find the negro as ignorant on the
subject as himself. Quorum thought it must be on some
other island, as this certainly was not the place to
which he had been taken the night before. He said that
on arriving there he had found the canoes and cruiser,
the hut built, and the fire lighted. The young Indian
who had brought him had helped carry the things up to
the hut, and also given him some venison and
vegetables in exchange for a small quantity of coffee
and sugar. He had remained there until shortly before
the arrival of the others, and Quorum had not noticed
when he disappeared. Before leaving, he had told
Quorum that, by the chief's orders, the white men
would remain on that island until the following
evening.
"Oh, we will, will we?" said Lieutenant Carey,
whose pride chafed against receiving orders from an
Indian, even if he was a chief. "With our own boats at
hand, I don't see what is to hinder us from leaving
when we please. I wish that chief would hurry up and
put in an appearance. I want to have a few words with
him."
He now for the first time realized that the young
Indians who had brought them there had not followed
them to the camp, and he stepped down to the water's
edge to see what they were doing. To his dismay he
found that they had not only disappeared, but had
taken the canoes and cruiser with them. Greatly
provoked at this, he returned to the camp in a very
unpleasant frame of mind, mentally abusing the
Indians, and regretting that, by accepting their
conditions, he had so completely placed himself in
their power. His good nature was somewhat restored by
the supper, which was most bountiful and well cooked,
and by the soothing pipe smoke that followed it; for
among other things, Quorum had not neglected to bring
up a plentiful supply of tobacco.
After supper, as he and the boys lay outstretched
on their blankets within the hut, the open side of
which faced the fire, the Lieutenant acknowledged that
their present position was a vast improvement on that
of the night before. The boys agreed with him, though
at the same time they were even more disappointed than
he at not finding. themselves in an Indian village.
That was one of the things they had most counted on
seeing in the Everglades. Having finally decided to
make the best of their situation, and to obtain the
greatest possible amount of comfort and pleasure from
it, they turned in, and slept soundly until
morning.
They were so thoroughly tired with their various
hardships and labors of the two preceding days and
nights that they slept late, and the sun had already
been up for several hours before they answered the
negro's call to breakfast. He said that though he had
been down to the shore several times after water, he
had seen no signs of either canoes or Indians. Thus to
all appearances they were not only the sole occupants
of the island, but of the 'Glades as well.
As they had nothing else to do, the Lieutenant
proposed to the boys that they should explore this new
island, and make such discoveries of other islands and
the intervening 'Glades as could be seen from its
shores. They readily agreed to this, and the three set
forth. They had not gone more than a hundred yards
from camp when they were suddenly confronted by a
young Indian, armed with a rifle, which he pointed at
them, at the same time making other signs to them to
go back. At first they were greatly startled by his
unexpected appearance. Then the Lieutenant undertook
to remonstrate with him, and to explain that they only
wanted to walk harmlessly about and view the
landscape, but all in vain. The stolid-faced young
savage either could not or would not understand. He
only shook his head without uttering a word, but
continued to make signs for them to go back.
"This is one of the strangest and most irritating
things that I ever heard of!" exclaimed Lieutenant
Carey, after finding his efforts to communicate with
the Indian unavailing. "If we only had our guns, I'd
make that fellow let us pass or know the reason why.
As we haven't any, and he has one, the argument is too
one-sided, and we might as well retire from it as
gracefully as possible. Let us try another direction,
and find out if that is also guarded." They tried in
two other places, only to be repulsed by other
determined young guards who, mute as statues, were
equally stolid and impervious to argument.
There was nothing to do but to return to the hut
and make the best of the situation. From there no
signs of an Indian was to be seen; but let one of the
inmates of the camp stroll beyond its limits in any
direction, and the woods seemed to swarm with them,
though the guards probably did not number more than
half a dozen in all.
The day was passed in eating, sleeping, and in
discussing their peculiar situation. They were
evidently prisoners, though to all appearances as free
as air; but, as Lieutenant Carey said, there was no
chance of their escaping from the island anyhow, so
why they should be denied the privilege of walking
about it he could not understand. Quorum was equally
in the dark with the rest, and said that nothing of
the kind had been intimated by the chiefs during their
talk with him. It was finally decided that instead of
being on a small island as they had supposed, they
must be at one end of a large one that contained a
village at the other, which, for some unknown reason,
the Indians did not choose they should visit. With
this solution of the problem they were forced to
content themselves, and they waited with impatience
the coming of night, when, according to what Ul-we had
told Quorum, their journey was to be
resumed.
THEY WERE SUDDENLY CONFRONTED
BY AN INDIAN ARMED WITH A RIFLE.
CHAPTER XXXII.
CROSSING THE 'GLADES WITHOUT SEEING THEM.
THEY had an early supper, so as to be all ready for
a start whenever their jailers should see fit to make
one. By sunset their blankets were rolled up, and they
were impatiently awaiting some signal; but none came
until darkness had fully set in. Then once more from
the direction of the water came the now familiar cry
of a screech owl. It was answered from several points
about the camp, which showed their Indian guards to be
still on duty. As Quorum had been allowed to go freely
to the shore for water during the day, the Lieutenant
now told him to go down again and discover the meaning
of the signal. lie returned a minute later with the
news that Ul-we was waiting for him and the cooking
utensils, and that the canoes for the other passengers
would arrive with the setting of the new moon, which
hung low in the western sky.
So Quorum left them, as on the previous night. As
the silver crescent of Halissee, the night timepiece
of the Everglades, sank from sight, the others went to
the shore, carrying their blankets with them. There
they found two canoes, apparently manned by the same
silent crews of the evening before, awaiting them.
As they shoved off and plunged once more into the
trackless 'Glades, the Lieutenant turned for a look at
the island. He could distinguish its black outlines
from end to end, and it was a very small one. This
overthrew the only theory they had formed concerning
their close imprisonment, and left him more than ever
puzzled as to its object.
Hour after hour the long poles were steadily
wielded by the silent Indians, who seemed not to know
fatigue nor to require rest. All through the night the
heavy dugouts pursued their steady way, crashing
through the crisp bonnets, and bending down the long
grasses, that flew up with a "swish" behind them. It
was a marvel to the passengers that the channels,
followed as unerringly by the dusky canoemen as though
it had been daylight, always led into one another.
Their own experience had been that, even with sunlight
to guide them, half the channels they had attempted to
follow proved blind leads. But with the Indians it was
never so.
Through the night Lieutenant Carey pondered his
situation, and studied their course by the Stars.
These told him that it was a little to the north of
east, the very one he would have chosen, and in this
respect the situation was satisfactory. But what
information was he gaining concerning the Everglades,
their resources, and present population? About as
little as was possible for one who was actually
passing through them. Could he obtain any more?
Evidently not, under the circumstances. Long and
deeply as he pondered the subject, he could not think
of a single feasible plan for altering the existing
state of affairs. lie was compelled to acknowledge
himself completely outwitted by the simpleminded sons
of the forest into whose power he had so curiously
fallen. "If I could only get at them, and talk to
them, and explain matters to them!" he said aloud; and
the sailor answered:
"It wouldn't do no good, sir. There's none in the
woild so obstinate as Injins and Malays. Once they
gets an idea inside their skulls, all the white talk
you could give 'em wouldn't drive it out. Fighting is
the only argument they Can understand; and, if you say
the word, I'll have these two heathen pitched
overboard in no time."
"No," said the Lieutenant, "it wouldn't do any
good, and my orders are to treat such Indians as I may
meet with all possible friendliness. I only wish I
could meet with some besides these two young
automatons, but there does not seem to be any prospect
of it."
At the same time Sumner and Worth, crouched snugly
among their blankets in the bottom of the other canoe,
were also talking of their strange situation.
"Do you suppose any other two fellows ever had such
queer times on a canoe trip as we are having?" asked
Worth.
"Indeed I do not," replied Sumner. "And this is the
very queerest part of it. Here we are still on a canoe
cruise, without our own canoes, without knowing where
we are going, and without having anything to do with
the management of the craft we are cruising in. It
will be a queer experience to tell about when you get
back to New York, won't it?"
"Yes, indeed, it will, though New York seems so
very far away that it is hard to realize that I shall
ever get there again. If we could only see an Indian
village, though! It seems too bad to be going right
through an Indian country and yet see nothing of its
people."
"Oh, well, we are not through with the 'Glades yet,
and you may still have a chance to see plenty of
Indians."
In spite of Sumner's hopefulness, Worth's wish did
not seem any nearer being gratified four days from
that time than it did then. Each night's journey was a
repetition of the first, except that they grew shorter
with the growing moon. The Indians refused to travel
except in darkness, and never came for their
passengers until after the moon had set. Each day was
spent in a comfortable camp, to which they were so
closely confined that they could learn nothing of
their Surroundings. These camps were always located on
small islands, and were always reached before
daylight.
Quorum always arrived at the camping place some
time in advance of the others, and he always found the
canoes and the cruiser awaiting him. From them he was
allowed to take whatever he thought the party would
need, but after that first night the boats invariably
disappeared before the others reached them.
Sumner said this was a trick the canoes had learned
early on the cruise, and they had probably taught it
to the other boat.
Who caused their disappearance or where they went
to, none of them knew; and but for Quorum the owners
of the several craft would have heard nothing of their
whereabouts or welfare.
During this strange journey, as they were un,able
to do any hunting or foraging for themselves, Quorum
was obliged to exchange So many of their stores for
fresh meat, fruit, and vegetables, that he finally
announced them to be nearly exhausted.
At length, one very dark night, the passengers, who
were half dozing in the bottoms of the canoes, became
conscious of a change. The darkness all at once grew
more intense, until they could barely distinguish the
forms of the Indians in the bow and stern of their
respective boats. A rank odor of decaying vegetation
filled the air, while the swish of grass and bonnets
was no longer heard. They seemed to be moving more
Swiftly and easily than usual. Finally, when they
landed, it did not seem as though they were on an
island; and as they made their way towards the light
of the campfire, about which Quorum was already busy,
they suddenly realized that it was reflected from a
background of pine trees.
"Hurrah, boys!" shouted Lieutenant Carey; "there is
a Sign that our trip is nearly ended. Pine trees don't
grow in the 'Glades, and there fore we must be
somewhere near the coast. I can't say that I am sorry,
for the trip has been a most disappointing one to me.
It has been a decidedly unique and remarkable one,
though -- has it not? I wonder how many people will
believe us when we say that we have crossed the entire
width of the Everglades without learning anything
about them, and almost without Seeing them? When we
add that we have passed dozens of Indian villages, and
yet have not seen an Indian village; have been
surrounded by Indians, but cannot describe their
appearance; have come all the way by water, and
brought our own boats with us, and yet have not set
eyes on our own boats since the day we entered the
'Glades -- I am afraid that we shall be regarded much
as the old woman regarded her sailor son when he told
her that he had seen fish with wings and able to fly.
In fact, I am afraid they will doubt our veracity. How
I am going to get up any kind of a report to send to
Washington, I am sure I don't know. By the way,
Quorum, were our canoes here when you landed?"
"No, sah, dey wasn't; an' I is troubled in my min'
frum worryin' about dem. I is ask dat feller Ul-we,
but he don't say nuffin.' 'Pears like he done los' he
tongue, like de res' ob de Injuns. De wust ob hit is,
sah, dat de grub jes about gin out, an' I is got er
mighty pore 'pology fer a breakfus."
So excited were our explorers over their new
surroundings, and over this report that their boats
were again missing, that instead of turning in for a
nap, as usual, they sat round the fire and waited
impatiently for daylight. Sumner was the most uneasy
of the party, and every few minutes he would get up
and walk away from the firelight, the better to see if
the day were not breaking.
On one of these occasions he was gone so much
longer than usual that the others were beginning to
wonder what had become of him. All at once they heard
him shouting from the direction of the place at which
they had landed:
"Hello! in the camp! Come down here, quick! I've
got something to show you."
..
© 2001 Craig
O'Donnell, editor &
general factotum.
May not be reproduced without my permission. Go scan
your own damn stuff.
