The Young Briton: Sam Sawbones — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

¢ 174 necessaries on board ag they thought they would need for the journey, they began the ascent of the Carloraha: chie. If Mr. Berry’s great desire was to get out of the beaten paths of tourists and sportsmen, he effectually succeeded, for a wilder country than that traversed by this remarkable river it would be difficult to imagine. | The bottom was covered with a tang!eof cy press, water-oak, cane and fern, knotted into an im- penetrable bartier by the vines that rexched out their myriad tendrils to every shrub and stalk and tree, binding them into such a dense mass of tropical foliage that if would seem even the humming birds could not pase through. The river where the current was slow was a mass Of water vegetation that rendered progress difficult, and the branches of giant trees meeting overhead kept out the sun, and formed a Gothic arch of dim grandevr and giant dimensions. Lying on the banks, with their huge, red moutiis open ‘in lazy sleep, or drifting past the bost, iike slimy logs, wore hundreds of hideous alligators. Fifty miles up they reached the Big Prairie Country, and here the sport began, Frank Oanby did nct imagine before there were 80 Many ceer in the world. They cculd shoot them by tie score without going out of sight of their camp-fire, while turkeys and other feathered game were equally abundant. country for sport, ‘such as it was,”’ ‘You'd like something wilder, more dangerous, like, I reckon?’ said Mr. Berry, witha twinkle in his gray eyes. ) Robert acknowledged that the element of danger was not an objection to a man who loved sport. | ‘You're right thar. It coes me good to hear @ man talk that way, for ’tain’t often I meet up with a man carryin’ a rifle who’s willin’ to go in ‘a an’ git all the sport out of it he ean.” Mr. Berry’s respect for Robert roseat once, and : a hunter he determined, now that he had found worthy of thé name, to share with him anadyen- | bi ture which had been long on his mind. With this thought before him, he asked Frank Canby : “What kind of dog is your’n for barg? ”’ Frank looked down at the beautiful hound, and answered, in » hesitating way: — ‘‘T should think he’d be good ; bat of course I never tried him? ”’ See “ What kind of a cog do you think best to nose down bar ?’”’ Se es Frank had never iaduiged in a bear-hunt, and had to acknowledge the fact; but so steat was his faith in the veraatile abilities of his hound, that he eaid he thought the animal would perform any work of that kind that was presented to him. ** Waal, I’m in for leavin’ Big Prairie for the present. Let us go over to Lake Okeechokee for a week or so, an’ when we come back, I’)1 bet you'll say we never had such a time in all the days of your life.”’ “Plenty of bear over there?” asked Frank. in @ manner intended to be careless and off-hand. “Plenty!” replied Berry, ‘‘W! y, I’ve heard an old soldier ray thar’s more bar-hunters killed in thar by the lake in proportion than there is men in the bheaviesi kind of battle.’’ “* That is because they are green, 1 thiok.’’ said Robert, coming tothe rescue of his friend, who was unmistakably nervous. men what I know to bave been killed was our most experienced bar-hunters. Oh, if it’s danger you're after, 1’m in with you; an’ if it makes you happy, 1 xeckon we’li find enough over b the lake to make you believe you are in the geveath heayen.”’ “ Allright, Mr. Berry; I warrant you we will have all the sport that can be had, so I say let us break camp and start at once.’ __ “You’ve got a telescope, Bob,’ gaid Frank, earnestly; ‘‘ havea peop, and let’s know if yon can see all them beare Mr. Berry says are there,’’ To humour his friend, Robert Jordan took # survey of Observation Island, and Frank leatied eagerly over his shoulder. “Do you see any of ’em?”’ he asked. “The glass is a powerful one, but I can’t distinguish movable objects at such a distance,” returned Robert, closing his telescope. “We Even Robert Jordan had to. acknowledge that he had never scen a better had better break up camp, as I said before, and hunt round for the bears on the other side.” Robert Jordan’s suggestion was agreed to, and the three men entered the dateau and started for the shores of the great lake, which stretches helf across the pepingula of Fiorida in that latitude. | 7 A day’s hard rowing brought them to the wooden shores of the great lake, and, selecting a good camping-place, they started on the search for bears. A ihree-cays’ tramp developed the fact, ac- cording to Mr, Berry, that ‘‘this didn’t seem to be a good time for bars, bat it was bully for @liigators.” ‘These hideous reptiles, from the smallest size to monsters twelve and sixteen feet in length, absolately swarmed along the low shore. ) ‘<'Phar's two things left for us to do,’’ said Mr. Berry, siter they had retarned one even- ing to camp very much exhausted by their fruit- less bunt for bears. ‘ What's that P’’ asked Robert. ‘“Why, go lower down the Jake, whar I reckon the bars have gone to gather pecans, or. else go over to Observation Island, whar the bars allus make their headquarters at all seasons of the year.” Observation Island was about four miles from the main land atthat point, and, as Mr, Berry asserted, the bears had it in exclusive posses- pion by right of long and undisturbed oc- eupancy. It was decided to row over on the morrow. ‘** We can only stay three days, Mr. Berry, as I must be getting back home,”’ said Robert Jordan, as they rowed across the lake on the following day. | “Oh, the island ain’t big, an’ in three days we can kill bars till there’s no fun in it,” replied Mr. Berry, in a very confident tone. | Therecan be no doubt but Mr. Berry’s state- ent would haye been verified had the dateay eon kept in the direction of Observation Irland ; setting foot on thet paradise of bears, Agsthey were passine 2 tow islond about two hundseg yards to the right of their course, Frank Cavby, who was examining the shore through @ field-glass, exclaimed— Ehexe's a bear over on the shore! see! ?? See His companions turned ihtir heads in the direction indicsted by bis extended arm, and standing in an observant attitude down near the water's edge was a hugeblack bear. ‘The chance Seo. was too good to be lost, £0, without a woxd, j hey. turned the boat, and headed for Brain, The bear waited till they were within & hun-. dred yerds; then, as if satisfied with his inspec- tiop, he turned ané watked hack deliberately | through the denso undergrowth, — ~ The moment the batcqu reached the gh started, with their rifles on their she snore, they wiGers, aiter the hound that had leaped on shore, and was now after the bear. The island was too limited in area to permit of much of a hunt. They soon came up to a huge cypress, ai the foct of which the dog was barking vociferously. ‘‘T see him egain. There heis!” rank Canby, in his excitement, raised hig rifle and fired, then looked at a spot on the ground where he expected to see the bear fall; with the report of their pieces there came a heavy thud on the ground near by. The bear was as. Y | dead as Hector, and, to Frank’s great delight, there were three bullet-holes in its glossy black hide, 0 that he came in for @ due share of the honour. | | They at once went.to work and skinned the bear, then cut off the fat hams, and started for their dateau, elated with their success. But their exuberant spirits were destined to a sudden fall, for they found their dateaw adrift, and some two hundred yards from the shore. For a moment— so utterly overwhelmed were they with this calamity—neither could utter a word, nor could one accuse the other of neglect, so, in their great distress, they did not lay the blame on any one, but philosophically shared it in common, | | ‘20 unexpected mishap prevented their ever ; : ai; but the ‘6 Beggin’ your pardin’ thar, Mr. J ordap, them a animal only erawled a little iotes p. Then Robert and Berry fired, aud simultaneous Sept. 8, 1877. “What aro wo todo ? ”” asked Frank, in despair, jas the full appreciation of their desolate and helpless position came to him, ‘*T reckon we'd better start a fire, an’ sit down by it to think,’’ said Berry, evidently unable to give @ satisfactory opinion without deliberation. ‘he fire was started, and they broiled and ate some of the bear-meat; but the calamity had ruined three very promising appetites. Pniling the long gray moss from the trees, they made beds,a'd went to sleep by the fire, but the song and saliies of wit customary to suchoccasions were hushed. Hach apretended to sleep, and thought everybody asleep but himself, They practised this innocent dessuiten till near day - light, but when the ominous wiad, that had been tighing for long hours through the gloomy cypress-trees, like a prelude to a mighty funerals dirge, disd out, and then .began a rain such as neither Borry nor Robert Jordan had ever seen before. They were soon dripping wet, and when daylight came, bringing no cessation to the deluge, they saw the solid earth of the island turning into a liquid morass. — | ) “ Tbe island will soon be flooded if this thing keeps up,” said Mr. Berry, toward nightfall, as they stood about the bear, appeasing their appelites—now sharp enough—on the raw flesh. “And what are we todo, Mr. Berry?’’ asked Frank. ‘‘We must take to the trees, I reckon.” “Po the trees?” | ‘*Yes; or be ate up by the alligators, See, they’re already crawlin’ nearer! ” Berry pointéd to a score of hideous creatures not thirty yards off. ‘¢ ‘Yes, and we must take to the trees before it ~ gets dark, for, if the rain keeps up till morning, the water will be waist-deep where we etand,’’ said Robert, looking about at the trees asif he were selecting one. “ And the dog—what will we do with him?”’ ‘‘Hoe must take his chances, Fratk.’’ The beautiful creature was looking into their faces as if hs understood what they said. All through the day it had rained, and it pro- mised (6 rain all through the n ght}; so, ae a tree with low branches, the three men climbe upand perched themsel¥es where they could be most comfortable, if the word ‘comfortable ’’ be at all appropriate in such a connection. Night came, black and chilling, and still the rain Came down in perpendicular torrénts. It would be useless to attempt a description of the long, black hours. Robert Jordan acknowledged to himself he had never been in such a tight place, and, through the gloomy hours, he thought of the | sweet girl in her Southern home who might long Waitin vain for his coming. He blamed himself for not having stayed at home, satisfied with past adventures, Day came, with still the heavy clouds above and the rain pouring down. The dog had clam- bered up a cypress-tree, and was whining pite- ously, and the three men were weary, cold, wet, and hungry. . They saw nothing before them but cold and starvation. And, to add to the horror of their situation, the water beneath them swarmed with op nu-mouthed alligators. About noon Mr, Berry, who had been looking abxiously at a floating object beneath, uttered a cry of joy, and, to the surprise of his companions, clambered down the tree, and recklessly dashed into the water. “What isit? The boat!?? shouted Robert . : and Frank. ‘There it was, sure enough—water-logged, but afloat. Mr. Berry rocked much of the water out, then got in and began bailing with all his might. He soon hed it as dry as anything ould be in that storm. liverything was intact, and the two friends crawled down. oh see , The next day they started down the river, un- caring for the game, and never halted till they reached Tampa. AO Robert and Frank ‘ey a day with the - elo brave Floridian in his bachelor quarters, then went Nortb, taking with them the hound, The novice and the veteran were thoroughly satisfied with their last hunt, though, for years after Robert Jordan’s marriage, the adventure among the alligators was always a subject Frank | — hadin reserve ifthe conversation threate ned. ag. as gus , 2 = Comicbooks ECOL 7