The Young Marooners on the Florida Coast

by John Henry Goldfrap

  CHAPTER XXVII

  TURKEY-PEN--SUCKING WATER THROUGH OOZY SAND--EXPLORING TOUR--APPEARANCEOF THE COUNTRY--"MADAME BRUIN"--SOLDIER'S REMEDY FOR CHAFED FEET--NIGHTIN THE WOODS--PRAIRIE--INDIAN HUT--FRUIT TREES--SINGULAR SPRING

  It would be useless, and perhaps tedious, to trace thus day by day, andhour by hour, the history of our young friends. We will now pass overan interval of nearly three weeks, from Saturday, November sixth, whenRobert's contest with the panther occurred, to Wednesday, Novembertwenty-fourth, when their affairs received another turn.

  The only incident worth relating that occurred during this period, wasthe construction of a pen for entrapping turkeys. It was simply acovered enclosure, of ten or twelve feet square, with a deep trenchcommunicating from the outside to the centre. This trench was made deepenough to allow a feeding turkey to walk under the side of the pen, andnext the wall, inside, it was bridged over, so that the birds in runningaround the enclosure, after having entered, might not fall into thetrench, and see their way out. This trap is planned with a knowledge ofthe fact, that though a turkey looks down when feeding, it never looksdown when trying to escape. This is equally true of the quail orsouthern partridge, and perhaps of most of the gallinaceous birds. Bymeans of this trap the boys took so many turkeys that they were at lastweary of seeing them.

  In the meantime Harold's ankle had become so nearly well, that for aweek it had been strong enough for all ordinary purposes; and Sam'sbones, though by no means fit to be used, were rapidly knitting, andgave promise of being all that broken bones can become in the course ofa few weeks. No one had yet come to their rescue. Often had they gone,singly and together, to the flag-staff, and swept the watery horizonwith their glass, but no helper appeared, and no sign. Robert and Maryhad learned by this time to curb their impatience, and to wait incalmness the time when they should commence working upon their proposedboat.

  From the first day that they found themselves shut up upon the island,Robert and Harold had meditated an exploration of the surroundingcountry, but had hitherto been prevented by various causes. Among thesewas Mary's excessive nervousness at the idea of being left alone, andparticularly so after Robert's contest with the panther; but now shesaid, that with Fidelle to guard, and with Sam to shoot, exclusive ofwhat she herself might do in case of an emergency, she gave her consentto the tour.

  The stock of provision laid in by this time was quite respectable. Fivedeer had been killed, and their hams were now in the smoke, the companyhaving in the meantime subsisted upon the other parts of the venison,turkeys from the pen, oysters, crabs, and fish. There were also fiftydried fish, two live turkeys, and four fat "pigs" (so called) in thecage, to say nothing of the stores brought from home. Before starting,the boys provided Mary with a large supply of wood for the kitchen andsmoke-house, water also, and everything else which they could foresee asneedful. They loaded the remaining guns with heavy shot, and laid themaside ready for use; and, moreover, offered to build for her a palisadearound the tent, by driving down stakes, and wattling them with grapevines; but to this last Mary objected, saying she was ashamed to beconsidered so great a coward.

  It was broad daylight on the morning of Wednesday, the twenty-fourth dayof November, when they set out upon their tour. Robert carried thewallet of provision, consisting of parched corn, jerked venison, and afew hard crackers of Mary's manufacture; in his belt he fastened a flatpowder flask filled with water, being the best substitute he coulddevise for a canteen. Harold carried the blanket rolled like a wallet,and Frank's hatchet stuck in his belt.

  Willing to ascertain the coastwise dimensions of the island, and alsothe approaches to it from sea, they directed their course along the hardsmooth beach, occasionally ascending the bluff for the purpose ofobserving the adjacent country. Their rate of travelling was at firstintentionally slow, for they were both pedestrians enough to know thatthe more slowly a journey is commenced, the more likely it is to becomfortably continued.

  At the end of six miles they plainly discerned the southern extremity ofthe island, lying a mile beyond, and marked by a high bank of sand,thrown up in such profusion as almost to smother a group of dwarfish,ill-formed cedars. Beyond the bluff they saw the river setting eastwardfrom the sea, and bordered on its further side with a dense growth ofmangroves. Satisfied with this discovery, and observing that, afterproceeding inland for a few miles, the river bent suddenly to the north,they turned their faces eastward, resolved to strike for some point uponthe bank. The sterile soil of the beach, and its overhanging bluff,which was varied only by an occasional clump of cedars and a patch ofprickly pears, with now and then a tall palmetto, that stood as agigantic sentry over its pigmy companions, was exchanged as they recededfrom the coast, first for a thick undergrowth of low shrubs and a smallvariety of oak, then for trees still larger, which were oftentimescovered with vines, whose long festoons and pendant branches were loadedwith clusters of blue and purple grapes. About midway of the island thesurface made a sudden ascent, assuming that peculiar character known as"hammock," and which, to unpractised eyes, looks like a swamp upon anelevated ridge.

  Before leaving the beach the boys had quenched their thirst at a springof cool, fresh water, found by scratching in the sand at high watermark, but which they would not have been able to enjoy had it not beenfor a simple device of Robert's. The sand was so soft and oozy, thatbefore the basin they had excavated was sufficiently full to dish from,its sides had fallen in. Harold had tried at several places, but failingin all, he hallooed to Robert, whom he had left behind, to know what hadbeen his success.

  "Come and see," was the reply. Harold went, but saw nothing.

  "There is my spring," said Robert, pointing to the end of a reed likethat of a pipe-stem, sticking out of the sand. "Suck at that," hecontinued, "and you will get all that you want."

  Harold tried it, and rose delighted. "Capital!" he exclaimed; "but howdo you keep the sand from rising with the water?"

  Robert drew out the reed, and showed him a piece of cloth fastened as astrainer on its lower end. "I have often thus quenched my thirst whenfishing on our sandy beaches, and have never found it to fail."

  "It is exceedingly simple," remarked Harold. "I wonder I never saw itnor heard of it before."

  "So do I," rejoined Robert; "and yet I question whether I should everhave heard of it myself, had it not been for the Hottentots."

  Harold's eyes opened wide at the mention of Hottentots, and Robert wenton to say, "A year or two since, while reading an account of thesuffering of people in South Africa for the want of water, and theirvarious devices for obtaining it, I was struck with the simplicity ofone of their plans. On coming to a place where the water was near thesurface, but where they could not dig a well, they would make a narrowhole a yard or more deep, and insert a small reed having a bunch ofgrass or moss tied around its lower end. This reed they buried, allexcept a short end left above ground, and packed the earth tightlyaround it. Then they sucked strongly at the open end, and it is saidthat, if the earth was sufficiently moist and if the soil was not tooclose, the water would soon run through the reed, cleansed of its mudand sand by passing through the rude filter attached to its lower end."

  "Whoever may have been its author, it is an excellent device," saidHarold. "I shall not forget it."

  At noon the boys seated themselves under a heavy canopy of vines, andate their frugal dinner in sight of a luscious-looking dessert, hangingin purple clusters above and around them, which in its turn they did notfail to enjoy.

  Resuming their journey to the east, they proceeded about a mile further,when Mum, who had trotted along with quite a philosophic air, as ifknowing that his masters were intent upon something other than hunting,was seen to dash forward a few steps, smell here and there intently,then with a growl of warning to come beside them for protection.

  "That is a panther, I'll warrant," said Robert. "At least Mum actedexactly in that way the other day when I put h
im upon the panther'strack. Had we not better avoid it?"

  "By no means," replied Harold. "Let us see what the creature is. Weare on an exploring tour, you know, and that includes animals as well astrees. A panther is a cowardly animal, unless it has very greatly theadvantage; and if you could conquer one with a single load of duck-shotwhen alone and surprised, surely we two can manage another."

  "Yes," said Robert, "but I assure you, my success was more from accidentthan skill; and I would rather not try it again. However, it will do noharm to push on cautiously, and see what sort of neighbours we have."

  They patted their dog, and gave him a word of encouragement; the bravefellow looked up, as if to remonstrate against the dangerousundertaking, but on their persisting went cheerfully upon the trail; hetook good care, however, to move very slowly, and to keep but little inadvance of the guns. The two boys walked abreast, keeping their piecesready for instant use, and proceeded thus for about fifteen minutes,when their dog came to a sudden halt, bristled from head to tail, andshowed his fangs with a fierce growl; while from a thicket, not tenpaces distant, there issued a deep grumbling sound, expressive ofdefiance and of deadly hate. Harold stooped quickly behind the dog, andsaw an enormous she bear, accompanied by two cubs that were runningbeyond her, while she turned to keep the pursuers at bay.

  "We must be cautious, Robert," said Harold; "a bear with cubs is not tobe trifled with. We must either let her alone, or follow at arespectful distance. What shall we do? She has a den somewhere near athand, and no doubt is making for it."

  Robert was not very anxious for an acquaintance with so rough aneighbour, but before the fearless eye of his cousin every feeling oftrepidation subsided, and he was influenced only by curiosity, which, itis well known, becomes powerfully strong when spiced with adventure.They followed, governing themselves by the cautious movements of theirdog, and able to catch only a casual glimpse of the bear and her cubs,until they came within thirty paces of a poplar,[#] five feet indiameter, with a hollow base, into which opened a hole large enough toadmit the fugitives.

  [#] Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), called poplar at the South.

  "There, now, is the country residence of Madame Bruin," said Robert,stopping at a distance to reconnoitre the premises. "Shall we knock ather door, and ask how the family are?"

  "I think not," replied Harold, "the old lady is rather cross sometimes,and I suspect from the tones of her voice she is not in the sweetesthumour at the present. Take care, Robert, she is coming! Climb thatsapling! Quick! Quick!"

  The boys each clambered into a small tree, and as soon as they were wellestablished, Harold remarked, "Now let her come, if she loves shot. Abear cannot climb a sapling. Her arms are too stiff to grasp it; sheneeds a tree large enough to fill her hug."

  But Madame Bruin, like the rest of her kin, was a peaceable old lady,not at all disposed to trouble those that let her alone, and on thepresent occasion she had two sweet little cherubs, whose comfortdepended upon her safety; so she contented herself with going simply toher front door, and requesting her impertinent visitors to leave thepremises. This request was couched in language which, though notEnglish, nor remarkably polite, was perfectly intelligible.

  "I suppose we shall have to go now," said Harold; "it will not be civilto keep prying into the old lady's chamber. But when Sam is able tojoin us, we can come prepared to make bacon of her and pets of hercubs."

  They called off the dog, patted him in praise of his well-doing, andthen retreated, blazing the trees all the way from the poplar to theriver.

  Several of these last miles Robert had walked with increasingpainfulness; his feet were so much chafed as to be almost blistered.

  "Stop, Harold, and let us rest here," he said, on reaching a fallen log."I wish to try that soldier's remedy for chafed feet."

  "What soldier's?" Harold inquired.

  "One of those at Tampa," replied Robert. "I heard several of themrelate, one day, how much they had suffered in marching with blisteredfeet, when one of the number remarked that whenever the signs of chafingoccurred he had relieved himself by shifting his socks from one foot tothe other, or by turning them inside out. Upon this another stated thathe was generally able to escape all chafing by rubbing the inside of hissocks with a little soap before setting out. And another still addedthat he had often _cured_ his blistered feet, in time for the next day'smarch, by rubbing them with spirits mixed with tallow dropped from acandle into the palm of his hand. Before leaving home, today, I tookthe precaution to soap the inside of my socks; but now I shall have totry the efficacy of the other remedy; and sorry shall I be if thereshould be need for the third plan, because we have neither the tallownor the spirits necessary for the experiment."

  Robert gave the proposed plan a trial, and found, to his delight, thatit saved him from all further discomfort.

  Nothing more of interest occurred that day. On leaving the river,which, after making a great sweep to the south-east, came so near thebank on which they stood, as to afford a good landing for boats, theyturned into the woods and kept a northern course parallel with theshore. About sunset they stopped beside a large log of resinous pine,which they selected for the place of their encampment that night,intending to set the log a-fire. Around it they cleared an irregularring, which they fired on the inner side, thus providing a place fortheir sleeping free from insects, and from which fire could not escapeinto the surrounding forest. Next, they made themselves a tent ofbushes, by bending down one sapling, fastening its top to the side ofanother, and then piling against it a good supply of evergreens,inclined sufficiently to allow a narrow space beneath. A neighbouringtree supplied them with moss for a superb woodland mattress, and whileRobert was preparing that Harold collected a quantity of pine knots, tobe reserved in case their fire should decline.

  By the time these preparations were completed darkness closed around.Jupiter, at that time the evening star, glowed brightly from the westernsky, while Orion, with his brilliant belt, gleamed cheerily from theeast. The boys sat for some time luxuriating in their rest, listening tothe musical roar of their fire, and watching the red glare which lightedup the sombre arches of the forest; then uniting in their simple repast,and giving Mum his share, they lay down to sleep, having committedthemselves to the care of Him who slumbers not, and who is as near histrustful worshippers in the forest as in the city.

  There is a wild pleasure in sleeping in the deep dark woods. The senseof solitude, the consciousness of exposure, the eternal rustle of theleafy canopy, or else its perfect stillness, broken only by the stealthytread of some beast of night, or the melancholy hooting of a restlessowl, give a variety which is not usual to civilized men, but which,being of a sombre character, requires for its enjoyment a bold heart anda self-relying spirit.

  The boys retired to rest soon after supper, and tried to sleep; but thenovelty of their circumstances kept them awake. They rose from theirmossy couch, sat by the fire, and talked of their past history and oftheir future prospects. All around was perfect stillness. Their voicessounded weak and childlike in that deep forest; and embosomed as theywere in an illuminated circle, beyond whose narrow boundary rose animpenetrable wall of darkness, they felt as if they were but specks inthe midst of a vast and lonely world.

  At last their nervous excitement passed away. They retired once more tobed, having their guns within reach, and Mum lying at their feet. Theroar of the blaze and crackle of the wood composed them to sleep; andwhen they next awoke, daylight had spread far over the heavens, and thestars had faded from sight. They sprang lightly to their feet, andbefore the sun appeared were once more on their way northward, along thebanks of the river.

  Their march was now slow and toilsome. In the interior a hammock ofrich land, covered with lofty trees, matted with vines, and featheredwith tall grass, impeded their progress; while near the river bay-galls,stretching from the water's edge to the hammocks, fringed withgall-berries, myrtles and saw-palmettoes, and crowded
internally withbays, tupeloes, and majestic cypresses (whose singular looking "knees"peeped above the mud and water like a wilderness of conical stumps),forced them to the interior. Their average rate of travel was scarcelya mile to the hour.

  Several herds of deer darted before them as they passed, and once, whilein the hammock, where the growth was very rank, they were almost withinarm's length.

  About noon they emerged into an open space, which Harold pronounced tobe a small prairie; but in the act of stepping into it, rejoiced at atemporary relief from the viny forest, he grasped the arm of his cousin,and drew him behind a bush, with a hurried,

  "Back! back! Look yonder!"

  Robert gave one glance, and stepped back into concealment as quickly asif twenty panthers were guarding the prairie. There stood an Indianhut.

  The boys gazed at each other in dismay; their hearts beat hard, andtheir breath grew short. Were there Indians then upon the island, andso near them? What might not have happened to Mary and Frank? But aclose scrutiny from their bushy cover enabled them to breathe freely.There was a hut, but it was evidently untenanted; grass grew rank aboutthe doorway, and the roof was falling to decay. It had been desertedfor years.

  The boys went boldly to it, and entered. Rain from the decayed andfalling roof had produced tufts of grass in the mud plaster of thewalls. In the centre was a grave, banked with great neatness, andprotected by a beautifully arched pen of slender poles. At the door wasa hominy mortar, made of a cypress block, slightly dished, and having anarrow, funnel-shaped cavity in its centre. Upon it, with one endresting in a crack of the wall, lay the pestle, shaped like a maul, andbearing the marks of use upon that end which white men would ordinarilyregard as the handle. Overhanging the house were three peach trees, andaround it the ground was covered with a profusion of gourds of allsizes, from that which is used by many as a pocket powder-flask to thatwhich would hold several gallons. Beyond the house, and on the edge ofthe prairie, was a close growth of wild plums.

  "This place," said Harold, musing, "must have belonged to some oldchief. The common people do not live so comfortably. It is likely thathe continued here after all others of his tribe had gone; and when hedied, his children buried him, and they also went away. Poor fellow!here he lies. He owned a beautiful island, and we are his heirs."

  "Peace to his ashes!" ejaculated Robert.

  They looked sadly upon the signs of ruin and desolation. It alwaysmakes one sad to look upon a spot where our kind have dwelt, and fromwhich they have passed away; it is symbolic of ourselves, and the griefwe feel is a mourning over our own decay.

  It was now twelve o'clock, and they began to feel the demands ofappetite. Harold proposed to search longer, in hope of finding a springof fresh water. "I am sure," said he, "there must be one hereabouts,and we shall find it exceedingly convenient in our frequent hunts."

  They searched for nearly half an hour in vain; and as they were on thepoint of giving up, Harold called out, "I have found it! Come here,Robert, and see what a beauty!" Robert hastened to the shallow ravinewhich terminated the eastern end of the prairie. Not two steps belowits green margin was a real curiosity of its kind--a rill of clear,cool-looking water, issuing from the hollow base of a large tupelo[#]tree. It was a freak of nature, combining beauty, utility andconvenience. The water was as sweet as it was clear.

  [#] The black gum of the swamps, having, like all trees that grow inwater, a spreading, and generally a hollow base.

  Having quenched their thirst at this beautiful fountain, and prepared toopen their wallet of provisions, Robert's eye was attracted by a glimpseof a rich golden colour, on the edge of the prairie. They went to it,and found several varieties of orange trees, bearing in great profusion,and among them were limes, whose delicate ovals asked only to be tried.Beneath these trees they dined, and afterwards plucked their fragrantdessert from the loaded branches. Then they filled their pockets withthe different varieties, and started homewards.

  It was scarcely a mile from these orange trees to the first that theyhad discovered; and thence only three miles home. They reached the tentlate in the afternoon. All were rejoiced to see them. Frank madehimself merry, as usual, at their expense--laughing now that two huntersshould be absent two whole days, and bring back only a few wild oranges.Mary said she had missed them very much, especially when night came on,but that everything had been smooth and pleasant; she had seen nopanthers, and had not even dreamed of any.