ALLIGATOR SHOOTING ON BLACK CREEK.
After supper I returned the visit of Mr. Garbrook, the owner and
captain of the little steam-yacht. She was a perfect beauty, and, small
as she was, she had two state-rooms for the owner and his family, and a
nice little cabin. The whole ship's company besides the owner,
consisted of an engineer and a boy. Forward of the engine were a
cook-room, a little cabin, and the pilot-house, the latter so small
that only one person could occupy it at the same time.
"Who is the cook?" I asked, wondering how he managed to run the boat
with only two hands.
"Sometimes the boy does the cooking, and sometimes I do it; but we
don't live very high on board," said Mr. Garbrook, laughing. "We take
most of our meals on shore when we are near a hotel."
"I think I should prefer a little more room," I added.
"So should I; but a steamer of your size draws too much water. I have
an orange plantation back of Picolata; I have to run up Five-Mile Creek
to reach it by water; and it is not deep enough for such a craft as I
would like," added Mr. Garbrook.
"I was thinking of going up Black Creek to-morrow, to Middleburg; but I
cannot find a pilot. I was going to ask your party to accompany us,"
continued the owner of the little steamer.
"I think I can furnish the pilot," I replied.
"Your steamer draws too much water for Black Creek, or I suppose you
would run up to Middleburg in her. A great many parties make this
excursion."
"I don't know that I ever heard of Black Creek before," I replied,
wondering that Cornwood had not mentioned it.
Perhaps our guide did not know about Black Creek; and I pulled out of
my pocket the "Suggestions" he had written out for the trip; but I
could not find the name in it. If there was anything in Florida that
Cornwood was not familiar with, I desired to know what it was. It would
be a real enjoyment to me to find that he was not competent to pilot
the little steam-yacht up Black Creek. I was instructed to invite all
our party to the excursion, if I could bring a pilot for the occasion.
I returned to the Sylvania, and I thought I would invite the party
before I said anything to the pilot. I gave them what information I had
obtained in regard to Black Creek and Middleburg, and they were ready
to accept the invitation. I found Cornwood on the forecastle, smoking
his cigar, and opened the matter by informing him that the party were
going up Black Creek the next day.
"But this boat draws too much water to go up to Middleburg," said the
pilot, promptly. "She can't go half-way up there."
"But we are to go in that little steam-yacht," I added.
"That's another thing; I dare say she would go up if there was nothing
but a little fog under her," laughed Cornwood.
"But we wish you to pilot her up the creek," I continued.
"I will do it with the greatest pleasure," he answered.
I was taken aback by this ready reply, for I had felt confident that I
had found something the Floridian could not do.
"You did not mention Black Creek in the paper you wrote," I suggested.
"Neither did I mention Lake Griffin, because it would be impossible to
get up there in a boat drawing eight feet of water," replied Cornwood.
The pilot was not to be caught. I sent word to Mr. Garbrook that our
party would be happy to join his family in the excursion up Black
Creek, and that I would furnish a pilot. I noticed considerable
activity on board of the Gazelle, for that was the name of the
steam-yacht, after I sent the message.
I had heard nothing of Griffin Leeds during the day. Though I had no
doubt he was in Green Cove Springs, he made no attempt to come on
board. I concluded that he intended to wait for a more favorable
opportunity to recover possession of his wife; but I was determined
that no such chance should be afforded to him.
At nine in the morning we went on board of the Gazelle, and she weighed
anchor immediately. Cornwood took possession of the pilot-house,
declaring that he had never been confined in a canary-bird's cage
before. But he was good-natured about it, and when the boy had got up
the anchor, Cornwood rang the bell to start the engine. Everything
worked as regularly as though the little yacht had been a steamer of a
thousand tons. The pilot ran the boat down the river about a mile below
Magnolia, and then stood into an inlet, at the head of which we found
the stream. It was a considerable river, but Cornwood seemed to be
quite at home in it. It was a crooked stream, but the pilot ran from
one side to the other, talking to me all the time with the utmost
indifference.
I observed him for a couple of hours, until I was entirely satisfied
that he knew what he was about, and then joined the party astern. It
was seldom that a steamer disturbed the waters of Black Creek, never in
these days, except when a party of curious excursionists desired to
explore the lonely region. The Gazelle made about eight knots an hour,
and at eleven o'clock we were fast to a dilapidated pier at the ruined
town of Middleburg. It lay about half-way between the St. Johns and the
Atlantic, Gulf and West India Company's Railroad, extending from
Fernandina to Cedar Keys, on the Gulf of Mexico, intended as part of a
quick route to Havana. The building of this railroad, by diverting from
it the trade and transportation of a considerable region of country,
had utterly ruined Middleburg, and it was as lone and deserted as
Pompeii under the ashes of Vesuvius. Hardly a family was to be found in
its abandoned houses.
A glance at the ruins was enough to satisfy the party, especially as
Cornwood warned us not to enter the houses, or we should be covered
with fleas. These pests are not uncommon in Florida. Green Cove Springs
formerly had some, which were supposed to be scattered through the
place by the pigs that ran at large. The evil was corrected by keeping
them out of the village. The fleas were a vastly greater terror to the
ladies than the alligators, of which there were a great many in the
creek. Its quiet waters, not often disturbed by steamers, afforded them
a peaceful retreat. Owen and Colonel Shepard had brought their guns
with them, and had fired at some of the larger ones seen on the shore;
but the saurians might have laughed at them, if they were given to
expressing themselves in that manner. Cornwood smiled every time one of
them fired.
We ran up the "North Prong" of the river a few miles. Under the shade
of some spreading oaks we stopped for the lunch which our host had
provided. It had been obtained at the hotels, and after our sail we
were in condition to enjoy it. The alligators were larger and more
plentiful, and while the Gazelle was at rest they were more disposed to
show themselves on the sandy beach above us. Owen and the Colonel fired
at them several times; but they seemed to take no notice of the shots,
and the pilot laughed as usual.
"You haven't graduated as alligator sportsmen yet," said Cornwood when
they had wasted a large quantity of powder and ball. "You might as well
fire at an iron-clad, as at the back and sides of an alligator as large
as those are."
Owen handed him his gun, which was one of the most expensive pieces,
intended for deer and other large game. The pilot loaded it himself,
and said he should try for the largest reptile in the group on the
beach. He fired. The alligator gave a spring, and began to flounder in
the sand, while his companions deserted him, taking to the water. In
another moment he was dead.
"What do you aim at, Mr. Cornwood?" asked Owen, with admiration at the
skill of the Floridian.
"It depends on circumstances," replied the pilot. "If the alligator is
in such a position that I can take him in the eye, as that one was, and
send the ball diagonally through his head, I fire at the eye. If he
lies so that I can put the ball in behind his forward flipper, and have
it pass forward, I take him there. Sometimes he is in such a position
that you can't hit him in either of these places, and it is no more use
to fire at him than it is to shoot into the water."
"You made an end of that fellow, at any rate," added Colonel Shepard.
"I think we had better run over and take a look at him."
The pilot ran the boat near enough to the beach so that we could jump
ashore. I took a measure with me, and the alligator proved to be ten
feet and four inches long. Owen considered himself a good shot, and he
was somewhat mortified at his ill-success in shooting the saurian. We
ran farther up the creek till we saw another group of them on the sand.
The steam was shut off as soon as they came in sight around a bend. The
boat went ahead a considerable distance after the screw stopped. On
this beach were a number of parallel crooked lines, where the
alligators had crawled on the sand. One of the reptiles raised his
head, and seemed to be in doubt whether or not he should take to the
water at the approach of the steamer.
[Illustration: ALLIGATOR SHOOTING ON BLACK CREEK. Page 259.]
Owen raised his piece and fired. All but one of the alligators scurried
into the water, and disappeared. One remained on the beach motionless.
The Gazelle was started, and on reaching the shore we found the reptile
was as dead as he could be. He was larger than the other, his length
being eleven feet and two inches. My cousin wanted to take him back to
the Springs, and we hauled him on the forecastle of the little steamer.
Cornwood gave the Englishman abundant praise for what he had done.
After three attempts farther up the stream, Colonel Shepard shot one
seven feet long. This was considered enough for one day, and we started
on the return. At six we put our party on board of the Sylvania, with
many thanks to Mr. Garbrook for the pleasure of the excursion.
We had no further business in Green Cove Springs; but Owen insisted
that we must reciprocate the hospitality of the Garbrooks, and I was
asked to plan an excursion for the next day. There was no locality
above Jacksonville to which our friends had not been; and I proposed to
breakfast the Gazelle's people on board, and starting at six in the
morning make a trip to Fort George Island, where the Garbrooks had
never been, or even below Jacksonville on the river. The plan was
received with acclamation, and I hastened on board of the Gazelle to
present the invitation of Owen.
Our party were all up at five the next morning, for they did not omit
the swimming-bath a single day while they were at the Springs; and they
returned in season for the Sylvania, which had hauled up to the pier to
start on the excursion at the appointed hour. Washburn had filled the
bunkers of the steamer with light wood, which is plenty and cheap on
the St. Johns, and made steam very rapidly. I told Moses Brickland to
make the best time he could with safety, and at the breakfast-hour I
found we were making twelve knots.
Our guests were delighted with the steamer. In the forenoon, as we had
a strong southerly breeze, I put on all sail, as much to show the
Garbrooks how it was done, as for any other reason. This operation
showed off our sailors, and pleased all the party. At eleven we reached
our destination; and after lunch the party landed, and spent three
hours in visiting the various localities on the island. At three we
sailed again, and reached our destination at eight.