Paddling under Palmettos — page 280: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Paddling Under Palmettos. 271 than any of the others, seeing only the ridiculous side of their trouble. All agreed that there was no use in following this passage further, but it would be policy to strike at once for the next one on the left. Then they might take time by the forelock and try to discover whether there was any current to the next canal before embarking their fortunes on it. It was Archie who proposed this, and the others fell in with the idea, pronouncing it good. So they passed the night, keeping up a roaring fire to “warm the whole out-doors,” as the captain declared. The usual chorus was to be heard around them during the livelong hours of the night, but by this time they had become so accustomed to hearing it that they would really have been uneasy had a sol- emn silence rested upon the scene, believing that it presaged some coming storm. A cool breeze was blowing when Archie opened his eyes in the morning. Looking out he saw that it was broad daylight, and the sun was about rising. The scene was charming indeed. Birds caroled in the trees, while others hovered over the water, Gomichboo (E(@)