THE JOURNEY.
IT still lacked about an hour to sundown when Charley called a halt.
"We cannot possibly make Judson before night, and it would be sheer
foolishness to try to travel over these rocks after it gets dark," he
declared. "We would be sure to get some bad falls and very likely break
an arm or leg. The best thing we can do is to find a good place to camp
while it is still light and make ourselves as snug as possible for the
night."
Walter, who was beginning to feel tired out from the long day's tramp,
was quick to agree with his proposal and the two lads headed in for the
mainland, for neither felt any desire to spend the night on the wet,
muddy marsh.
Good fortune seemed to guide their footsteps for they struck the
mainland just where a little stream of clear water bubbled forth
amongst a clump of towering cedars.
"The very place for our camp," Charley exclaimed. "You see what you can
fix up in the way of a shelter, Walt, while I look around and see what
I can find for our supper."
Walter was fast becoming an adept at the science of woodcraft and he
went about his task with certainty and dispatch. First, he broke off
armsful of small boughs which he spread in two piles upon the ground
close to the trunks of two big cedar trees. These were to serve as
their couches and over them he proceeded to erect a rough lean-to to
protect them from the wind and dew. There were plenty of dead boughs
all around, and, selecting two of the longest and straightest, he
leaned them against the trunk of the two trees about six feet from the
ground, embedding their other ends firmly in the ground. Across these,
he laid other limbs a couple of feet apart and upon them piled palmetto
leaves and boughs to form a roof. Before the open front of the rude
structure, he built a roaring fire of dead cedar limbs. Close beside it
he piled up a huge heap of wood with which to keep the fire replenished
throughout the night. This completed his labors, and stretching himself
upon his springy, fragrant couch before the crackling fire, he waited
hungrily for his chum's return. He was becoming alarmed over his long
absence when there came a crackling of boughs and Charley strode into
the circle of firelight, bearing in one hand a snow-white heart, or
bud, of a cabbage palmetto and in the other, a chunk of fresh meat
several pounds in weight.
"What have you got there?" he inquired, eagerly.
Charley grinned, "I'm too hungry to stop and tell you now. Sharpen up a
couple of sticks and we'll broil some steaks, then, I'll give you three
guesses as to what it is, and bet that you don't guess right."
Walter hastily cut two long green palmetto stems and sharpened them
to points at the ends. By the time he had them ready, Charley had cut
a couple of generous-sized steaks from the hunk of meat. The balance
of it he wrapped up in a couple of green palmetto leaves and buried
in the coals. While the steaks impaled upon the sticks were sizzling
appetizingly before the fire, he wrapped up the palmetto heart in green
leaves and buried it beside the roasting meat.
So hungry was Walter that he cut bits from his steak before it was
fairly done and devoured them with eager appetite.
"Like it?" inquired his chum with a twinkle in his eye.
"Fine, it only needs a little salt to make it perfect," Walter
declared. "I can't quite place it though. It tastes like a cross
between pork and beefsteak. What is it anyway?"
"Guess."
"Pork?"
"Nit."
"Coon?"
"Nit."
"Opossum?"
"Nit."
"I give it up then. What kind of animal is it?"
"I found it on the bank of a little creek not far from here," said
Charley, dreamily. "It was sound asleep and it did not look very pretty
or innocent even in its slumber, but beggars can't be choosers, so I
got me a good heavy club and crept up on it softly. When it woke up
I was near enough to give it a good rap over the head. It gave me a
couple of good licks in the shins with its tail, however, before I got
it killed."
Walter rose in his indignation, "Why didn't you tell me at the start
that it was alligator meat," he demanded, "I would not have eaten a
mouthful of it."
"And you'd gone hungry to bed," said his chum with a chuckle. "You'd
have let your prejudice cheat you out of a good meal. It tastes all
right, don't it."
"Yes," Walter admitted, ruefully, "and, now that I've eaten some of it,
I might as well keep right on eating."
"Wise lad," Charley approved. "Let me tell you there are lots worse
things than alligator steaks when one is hungry."
The steaks disposed of, the boys attacked the roasted meat and
palmetto cabbage with such vigorous appetites that there was but little
left when their hunger was at last appeased.
"Pretty slim show for breakfast," said Charley, ruefully, as he eyed
the scanty remains. "Let's see if we can't fix up some way to catch
something during the night."
The plan which they finally decided upon to accomplish this was very
simple. With their sharp knives, they whittled out several sets of
figure-four setters, and, dragging several small logs just outside the
circle of firelight, they placed a figure-four setter under an end of
each and baited the triggers with bits of meat left from their supper.
An animal nosing around after the bait would be sure to spring the
setter and cause the log to descend upon it.
"We will surely get a coon or opossum before morning," Charley
declared. "Animals have lots of curiosity and some of them are sure to
be attracted by the light of our camp-fire. The smell of the cooked
meat will attract them also."
This last task completed, the boys stretched themselves on their soft
couches before the cheery fire whose rays danced and flickered amongst
the leafy greenness of their shelter. It was a cozy, cheery little
camp and the two lads lay long awake, talking hopefully with the
cheery optimism that waits upon a hearty supper and healthy vigorous
youth. When at last they fell asleep, it was with confident hope of a
successful morrow.
It seemed to Walter that he had barely fallen asleep when he was
struggling in that nightmare state which lies halfway between slumber
and entire wakefulness. He struggled pantingly for breath, but every
breath he drew seemed to stifle him. Oppressed with black horror, he
fought his way back to consciousness. But wakefulness brought small
relief. The air was heavy with a stench that nauseated and sickened him.
Charley, crouched beside the fire, was holding his nose with one hand,
his face expressing unutterable disgust.
"What in the world is the matter?" Walter demanded.
"One of our traps worked," announced his chum, grimly. "It's only a
little skunk, but my, what a big smell."
"I should say so," Walter agreed. "We can't stay here. We'll have to
move camp."
"I second the motion to adjourn," said his chum, solemnly.
No time was lost in debating the question and the lads quickly took
their departure from their cozy camp. They made their way cautiously
along the edge of the hammock until the raucous odor was left behind,
then they halted and built another fire.
"The measly little varmint," said Walter, wrathfully, as they crouched
beside the blaze. "He's gone and cheated us out of a good night's
sleep."
"Oh, it isn't as bad as all that," said his chum, cheerfully. "It's
nearly morning now. See, there's the morning star in the East.
Besides," he added, whimsically, "That poor little fellow isn't to
blame. He didn't ask us to set a trap for him. I bet he regrets the
accident as much as we do." Then throwing back his head he sang in his
clear tenor voice, "Driven From Home."
As the humor of the incident dawned upon Walter, he burst into laughter
in which he was joined by his fun-loving chum.
It was too near morning to consider selecting another shelter so the
two sat beside the fire until day broke, then they made their way back
to the camp to examine their traps. All were sprung, but, outside of
the skunk, the only victims were an opossum and a coon which they bore
back to their new fire. The opossum they broiled and ate for breakfast
while the coon they roasted to carry along with them for dinner.
Sunrise found them once more on the march headed South.