The Young Marooners on the Florida Coast

by John Henry Goldfrap

  CHAPTER X

  WAKING UP--GOOD RESOLUTIONS--ALARM--MAROONING BREAKFAST--SEARCH FORWATER--UNEXPECTED GAIN--OYSTER BANK--FATE OF A RACCOON--THE PLUME ANDFAN

  Shortly after day-light Mary was awaked by feeling Frank put his armround her neck. She opened her eyes, and seeing the white canvasoverhead, started in surprise; then the fearful history of the precedingday rushed into her mind, and her heart beat fast at the recollection.She put her arm softly round Frank's neck, drew him near to her, andkissed him.

  "Sister Mary," said he, awaking, "is this you? I thought it was father.Why, sister--what house is this! O, I remember, it is our tent."

  Frank drew a long breath, nestled close to his sister, and laid his headon her bosom. He seemed to be thinking painfully. After a minute ortwo he sprang to his feet, and began to dress. Peeping through thecurtain that divided the two sleeping apartments, he said, "Brother andcousin Harold are sleeping yet, shall I wake them?"

  "No, no," she replied. "They must be very weary after all their hardwork and trouble. Let us just say our own prayers, and go out softly tolook at the boat."

  The first thing which greeted their eyes, on coming to the open air, wasNanny with her kids. The tide had gone down during the night, leavingthe boat aground, and the hungry goat had taken that opportunity to jumpout, with her little ones, and eat some fresh grass and leaves.

  Mary's mind, as housekeeper, turned towards breakfast. She and Frankrenewed the fire, the crackling and roar of which soon roused theothers, who joined them, and then went to the boat to see that all wassafe.

  No change had occurred, other than has been noticed, except that thefulness of the dogs proved that they had fed heartily upon somethingduring the night; and of course that they had proved unfaithfulsentinels. The sight of the boat made them sad. It told of theirdistance from home, and of the dangers through which they had passed.For some minutes no one broke the silence; yet each knew instinctivelythe other's thoughts. Frank finally came near to Robert, and lookingtimidly into his face, said, "Brother, do you not think that father willsend somebody after us?"

  "Yes, indeed; if he only knew where to send," Robert replied in asoothing tone; "and more than that, I think he would come himself."

  "I think he _will_ send," said Frank; "for I remember that after heknelt down by the landing and prayed for us, he turned to the man onhorse-back, and pointed to us; and then the man went back where he camefrom as hard as he could gallop."

  "Well, buddy," returned Robert, "if father does not come after us, norsend for us, there is one thing we can do--try to get back to him. Sothere now"--he stooped down, and kissed him affectionately. Then he andHarold walked together on the beach.

  During the whole morning, as on the preceding evening, Harold had beenunusually grave and thoughtful. "Robert," he remarked, when they werebeyond the hearing of the others, "I have been trying ever since we roseto think what we ought to do today; but my mind cannot fix on anything,except what we said yesterday about being thankful, and trying to dobetter. There is no telling how long it will be before we see Bellevueagain, or what dangers we must meet. One thing, however, seems certain,that we ought to try and act like good Christian people; and that partof our duty is to have some kind of worship here, as we have been usedto having at your father's."

  Robert assented, but asked, "How can we do it? I am not accustomed toconduct these things, nor are you."

  "We can at least do this," replied Harold, whose mind was so deeplyimpressed with a sense of his obligations, that he was neither afraidnor ashamed of doing his duty. "We can read a chapter, verse about,morning and evening, and repeat the Lord's prayer together."

  This was so easy, so natural, and so proper, that it was withouthesitation agreed to. Mary and Frank were informed of it, and it wasimmediately put into practice. They gathered round the fire; and as themurmur of their prayer ascended from that solitary beach, theconsciousness that this was _their own_ act of worship, without theintervention of a minister, who is the priest of the sanctuary, or of aparent, who is the priest of the household, imparted a deep solemnity totheir tones and feelings.

  Scarcely had they risen from their knees, before Nanny and her kids wereseen to run bleating down the bluff, while Mum and Fidelle, havingrapidly ascended at the first alarm, gave signs of more than usualexcitement. The boys hurried up the sandy steep, gun in hand, and lookedin every direction. Nothing was to be seen, but Fidelle's tail wasdropped with fear, and Mum's back was bristling with rage.

  "What can be the matter with the dogs?" asked Robert.

  "I do not know," Harold replied. "But we can soon find out. Here, Mum,hie on!"

  He gave the sign of pursuit, and the two dogs ran together, and beganbarking furiously at something in an immense mossy live oak near athand. The boys stood under the tree, and scrutinized every branch andmossy tuft, without discovering anything except a coal black squirrel,that lay flat upon a forked limb. "You foolish beasts!" exclaimedHarold, "did you never see a black squirrel before, that you should beso badly frightened at the sight of one?" then levelling his rifle atits head, he brought it down. It was very fat, having fed upon thesweet acorns of the live oak, and appeared also to be young and tender.Harold took it back to the tent, as an addition to their dinner,remarking, "It is the sweetest meat of the woods." All admired itsglossy black skin, and Frank begged for the rich bushy tail, that hemight wear it as a plume. This little diversion, though trifling initself, exerted a very cheering effect upon the elastic spirits of theyoung people, and made them for a time forget their solitude andcomparative helplessness. Had they known the country as well then asthey had occasion to know it afterwards, they would not have felt soquiet, or have been so easily satisfied, when they saw the signs ofalarm in their brutes.

  When they sat down to their simple breakfast, it made Frank laugh to seehow awkward everything appeared. There was no table, and of coursethere were no chairs. All sat on their heels, except Mary, who beingthe lady was dignified with a seat upon a log, covered with a foldedcloak. It was a regular marooning breakfast.

  "I think that our first business this morning is to look for water,"remarked Harold, while they were sitting together. "The goat seems tobe very thirsty, and, as our jug is half empty, it will not be longbefore we shall be thirsty too. But how shall we manage our company?Shall Mary and Frank continue at the tent, or shall we all go together?"

  "O together, by all means," said Mary, speaking quickly. "I do not likethe way those dogs looked before breakfast; they frightened me. Theremay not be anything here to hurt us, but if there should be, what couldFrank and I do to help ourselves?"

  "Then together let us go," Robert decided. "And Frank, as you havenothing else to do, we will make you _dipper master_."

  They ascended the bluff, and looked in every direction, to ascertain ifpossible where they might obtain what they wished; but nowhere couldthey discern the first sign or promise of water. Far to the south asthe eye could reach, the country looked dry and sandy. Eastward extendedthe river, or arm of the sea, but it appeared to have no current, otherthan the daily tides, and its shore gave no indication of being indentedby rivulets, or even by the rains.

  "It will put us to great inconvenience if we are not able to obtainfresh water," remarked Harold. "We shall be compelled to move ourquarters without delay, for our supply cannot last long. However, thereis no such thing as not trying. Which way shall we move?"

  "Towards the sea," replied Robert. "There is one fact about a sandycoast, that perhaps you have had no occasion to know--that _oftentimesour best water is found on the open beach, just about high-water mark_.I have heard father explain this fact by saying that rain water islighter than that which is salt; and that the rain probably filtersthrough the sandy soil of the coast, and finds its vent just above theordinary surface of the sea. I think, therefore, our best chance forfinding fresh water is on the seashore, in the sand."

  They had no
t proceeded far along the bluff before they heard a loudrushing in the air, and looking up they saw what Mary and Frank supposedto be a gang of enormously large buzzards, flying rapidly towards theforest, and passing very near them. "What can they be!" inquiredRobert, in momentary doubt. "Really, Harold, they are turkeys! wildturkeys!"

  But as he uttered the words "wild turkeys," bang! went Harold's rifle,and down fluttered a gobler, with his wing broken. "Here, Mum!" heshouted; but Mum knew his business too well to need exhortation, for bythe time the bird had scrambled to its legs Mum had seized and held it,until Harold put an end to its struggles by cutting off its head.

  "Here now is a fine dinner," said he, lifting it, "only feel how heavy;he is rolling fat."

  "Yes, indeed," replied Robert; "and that was a quick shot of yours, Mr.Harold--with a rifle too. I wonder I did not think sooner of shooting;but in truth I was in doubt what they were, and also astonished at theirnumber."

  "What a lovely fan his tail will make!" exclaimed Mary, examining therich stripes of black and brown that marked the end of the feathers."We must be sure to carry it home for--," she was going to say "motherwhen she comes," but the thought of their forlorn condition came overher, and she added softly--"if we ever get there."

  "Let us leave the turkey, hanging in this tree to bleed, until wereturn," said Harold; "we must look for water now."

  They returned to the beach, and walked along the smooth hard sands. Thetide, or rather "half tide" (as it is called on that coast), having anebb and flow, each of three hours, was nearly down, and they had a fullopportunity for the proposed search.

  "There is water somewhere here about, you may be sure," said Harold,pointing to tracks of the dogs, made during the night, and partlyobliterated by the tide. "Our dogs passed here last night before highwater, and they look as if they had had plenty both to eat and todrink."

  A quarter of a mile's walk brought them to a place, when Robert calledout, "Here is the water! and here are our dogs' tracks, all about and init. Get out you Mum!--begone Fidelle!" he added, as the dogs trottedup, intending to drink again. The water was good, and in greatabundance. They quenched their thirst, and were preparing to return forthe bucket to carry home a supply, when Harold suggested to pursue thetracks of the dogs a little further, and learn what they had obtained toeat. "I perceive not far off," said he, "what appears to be an oysterbank, but do dogs eat oysters?"

  They proceeded to the spot, and found a large bank of uncommonly fineoysters. It was an easy task for those who knew how to manage it, tobreak the mouth of one with another and to cut the binding muscle with apocket-knife. Harold shrunk aghast at the idea of eating an oysteralive; but Robert's example was contagious, and the assurance that thisprimitive mode of eating them was the most delicious, sufficed to makeevery one adopt it. Engaged in selecting some of the finest specimensto carry back, the others heard Frank call out, in one of his peculiarlymerry exclamations:

  "Ohdy! dody! Look here! There is a big, black cat's foot in thisoyster's mouth. I wonder if the cat bit off his own foot!"

  They hurried to the spot, Mary and Harold laughing at the odd fancy, asthey esteemed it, of a cat biting off its own foot, and saw, not a cat'sfoot indeed, but that of a raccoon, firmly fastened in the oyster'smouth.

  "What does this mean?" Harold inquired, with wonder.

  "Why, Harold," replied Robert, "did you never hear of a raccoon beingcaught by an oyster?"

  "Never," he answered; "but are you in earnest?"

  "Certainly, in earnest as to there being such a report," he replied,"and this I suppose is proof of its truth. It is said that the raccoonis very fond of oysters, and that when they open their mouths, at acertain time of tide, to feed upon the scum of the water, it slips itspaw suddenly between the shells, and snatches out the oyster before ithas time to close. Sometimes, however, the raccoon is not quick enough,and is consequently caught by the closing shells. Such was probably thecase with this fellow; he came to the bank last night to make a meal ofthe oysters, but was held fast until our dogs came up and made a meal ofhim."

  "But I doubt," said Harold, "whether dogs ever eat raccoons. They willhunt and worry them as they do cats and other animals, which they nevereat, at least never except in extremity."

  "Then I suppose," added Robert, "we must account for this by anotherstory which is told, that a raccoon, when driven to the necessity, willactually gnaw off its own foot."

  "Really," said Harold, "this is a curiosity. I must take this oyster tothe tent, and examine it more at my leisure."

  The young people gathered as many oysters as they could carry in theirhands, and reaching the tent about ten o'clock, began preparing them,together with their game, for the table. Robert cut off the squirrel'stail for Frank; and having drawn out the bone, without breaking theskin, inserted a tough, slender stick, so that when it was properlydried, Frank might use it as a plume. The preparation of the turkey'stail was undertaken by Harold. He cut off the tail-bone, with thefeathers attached, and having removed every particle of flesh andcartilage not necessary for keeping the feathers together, he stretchedit like a fan, and spread it in the ran to dry.