Paddling under Palmettos — page 45: what you’re looking at

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

40 Paddling Under Palmettos. and the Sea Waif came to a full stop, almost pitching her enterprising skipper into the river. Archie looked over the side in dismay. There was no trouble in learning the truth. Bhe water was clear enough, and he could see the ugly bar of ’coon oysters rising almost to the surface, for the tide was at its ebb. Here was fun with a vengeance. To go back was impossible, and a mile of oyster bars lay between him and the channel on the other side of the river. ‘He tried to work off the reef by using his paddle, with the sails still set, but made such poor progress and at such terrible chances to his boat’s planking that it had to be abandoned. There was only one other thing to do, this was to go overboard and “track.” ‘Coon oysters grow in great clumps, and with the edges, sharp as knives almost, projecting upward, so it can be seen how formidable a task lies before the skipper of a small boat that has become lost among the shoals. _ Archie prepared for business by slipping on a pair of canvas shoes. GomicbooksrGo