THE FLORIDA EVERGLADES.
Presently a man who was rebuilding the fire straightened up, and
addressing one of the others, said:
"We're going to get out o' here to-day, ain't we, Bill?"
"Yes, you bet we are," was the answer. "We hain't got nothing more to
stay yere in the swamps for, onless you think they might make another
try for it, which I don't they will."
"Not much they won't, after the way they skedaddled when we-uns began
to yell. Hi! how they did cut down-stream! I'll bet they hain't stopped
yit. They must ha' reckoned the hull Seminole nation was layin' fur
'em. Ho! ho! ho! ha! ha! ha! Hit was the slickest job I ever did see!"
"You don't reckin they'll hanker arter wisitin' the 'Glades agin in a
hurry, then?" asked another voice.
"Hanker fur the 'Glades? Not muchy, they won't. Why, they won't tetch
foot to the main-land of the State of Fluridy again, not if they can
holp it. Leastways, not so long as they's a Injun left in hit. Hit's
been a hard trip and a mean job for us fellers, but hit'll pay. The
report thet ar Leftenant'll make when he gits home'll do mo' to'd
gittin' the Seminoles moved outen the kentry than ennything that's
happened sence the Fluridy wah. Now mosey round lively, boys. Let's
have a b'ilin' o' coffee, an' light outen hyar."
Lieutenant Carey had heard all that he cared to, and, without betraying
his presence to the cowboys, he softly retraced his steps to where the
canoe lay, and a minute later rejoined his party. Only telling them
that the sooner they put a respectable distance between themselves and
that place the better, he led the way into the main stream, that still
flowed with considerable force through the grass beds, and turned in
the direction of its source. Not until they had gone a good two miles
did he pause, and then there were several reasons for calling a halt.
One reason was that they were far enough beyond the reach of the
cowboys to defy discovery, and he wished to tell his companions what he
had overheard. Another was that the sun was rising, and it was time for
breakfast; and a third was that their watery highway having come to an
end, it was necessary to decide upon their future course.
A small stove was carried in the cruiser, and as there was now nothing
but water, with grass growing in it, about them, it was brought into
service. The canoes gathered closely around the larger craft, and while
Quorum prepared breakfast, the Lieutenant related his recent adventure.
In conclusion he said: "So you see, boys, our Indians turned out to be
white men, and the shooting was only intended to scare us, after all."
"But I don't understand how they knew we were coming, or what they
wanted to frighten us for, anyway," said Sumner, wearing a very puzzled
expression.
"Neither did I at first," replied Lieutenant Carey; "but I remember
now that a gentleman in Key West said the Florida cattlemen would be
greatly put out on learning of my proposed expedition. He said that
they were using every means, foul and fair, to have the Indians removed
from the State, and that they would be bitterly opposed to having the
Everglades set apart as a permanent reservation. He advised me to look
out for them, and I laughed at him. Now I realize that some one must
have sent the news to them, and they got up this party to head us off
in such a way that the blame would be placed upon the Indians. Yes, it
is clear enough now; but it was a bit of a puzzle at first."
"Well," said Worth, "it is a great relief to know that they were not
Indians, and that we are safely past them, with no danger of their
following us."
"It certainly is," replied the Lieutenant. "Though it will be a greater
one to me really to meet Indians, as we must sooner or later, and have
them treat us decently, or rather leave us alone."
Here Quorum interrupted the conversation with the announcement
of, "Breakfus, sah." The amount of cooking that he had managed to
accomplish with that one-lidded stove was wonderful. Besides coffee,
he had prepared a great smoking pot of oatmeal, and a dish of crisply
fried bacon to be eaten with their hardtack; while these things were
disappearing, he prepared and fried a panful of flapjacks that were as
light and delicate as though cooked by a ten-thousand-dollar _chef_ on
the most modern of ranges. Out-of-door camp cookery deserves to rank as
one of the exact sciences, and Quorum as one of its masters.
The old negro found perfect happiness in watching the relish with which
his deftly prepared food was eaten, and his whole body expressed a
smiling satisfaction at the words of praise lavished upon his skill.
While Quorum was eating his own breakfast and the sailor was washing
and stowing the dishes, the others stood up to take observations.
The main stream came to an end where they were, and from it a dozen
narrow channels, filled with flags and lily-pads, or "bonnets," as
they are called in Florida, radiated in as many directions. As far as
the eye could reach, and infinitely farther, in front of them and on
both sides, stretched a vast plain of coarse brown grass, rising to a
height of several feet, and growing in a foot or two of limpid water.
Innumerable channels of deeper water, marked by the vivid green of
their peculiar vegetation, crossed and recrossed each other in every
direction, and formed a bewildering net-work. The limitless brown level
was dotted here and there with heavily timbered islands of all sizes,
from a few rods to many acres in extent. Near at hand these were of a
bright green, in the middle distance they were of a rich purple hue,
and on the far horizon a misty blue. The highest of these islands,
as well as the largest one visible, rose on the very limit of their
vision, in the north-east, and as it formed a conspicuous landmark,
they decided to lay a course for it. Accordingly, in single file, with
the _Hu-la-lah_ leading and "de _Punkin Seed_" bringing up the rear,
the little fleet entered the narrow path that seemed to lead in that
direction, and the journey was resumed.
The clearness of the water in the Everglades is accounted for by the
fact that it flows above a bottom of coralline rock, and is always
in motion. In it stagnation is unknown; and though it is everywhere
crowded with plant life, it is as sweet and pure as that of a spring.
Another curious fact about the Everglades which is generally unknown
is that within their limits but few mosquitoes are found. During the
summer months, when all residents on the coast of southern Florida,
even the light-keepers away out on the reef, miles from land, are
driven nearly crazy by these pests, the Seminoles, who retire to the
Everglades to escape them, are rarely annoyed. The chief insect pests
of the 'Glades are the midges, or stinging gnats, that swarm for an
hour or so at sunset and sunrise. Against these the Indians protect
themselves by smudges and by nettings of cheese-cloth.
From the difficulties of navigation experienced during this their
first day in the 'Glades, our explorers realized that in striving to
journey across their width they had undertaken a most arduous task.
The channels that they attempted to follow seemed to lead in every
direction but the right one. They were generally so narrow and choked
with bonnets that paddling or rowing was impossible, and the boats must
be forced ahead by poling. Every now and then, too, the shallow waters
sank to an unknown depth that no pole could fathom. In such a case,
if one attempted to pull his canoe along by grasping the tough grass
stalks on either side of him, he was rewarded by a painful cut that
often penetrated to the bone. It did not require many sad experiences
of this kind to teach the boys that sawgrass is not to be handled
with impunity. It has a triangular blade, provided with minutely
serrated edges that, green or dry, cut like razors. While it ordinarily
attains a height of but four or five feet, the great Everglade lake,
Okeechobee, is surrounded by a barrier of "big sawgrass" that is
wellnigh impenetrable to man or beast. Even the scaly-hided alligators
shun it. This big sawgrass attains the thickness of a cornstalk, with a
height of ten or twelve feet, is closely matted, and its cutting edges
are possessed of the keenness of Oriental scimitars.
Sometimes the narrow channels along which our canoemates poled with
such difficulty opened into broad clear spaces, where sailing was
possible for a mile or so. Full as often the channels ended abruptly
in the grass, when the only thing to do was to get overboard in water
waist-deep, and push the boats through it.
The sun poured down with an intolerable glare, but its heat was
tempered by the strong, fresh breeze that blows every day and all day
over the 'Glades with the utmost regularity.
As they slowly drew near the island for which they were steering, it
gradually assumed a conical shape and the symmetrical proportions of a
pyramid. Late in the afternoon, while they were still about a mile from
it, a dense volume of smoke suddenly arose from its extreme summit.
This as suddenly disappeared, and then reappeared again at intervals of
a second.
"I wonder if it can be a volcano?" queried Worth, as they gazed
curiously at this phenomenon.