50 
WILD WINGS 
now evidently departed for their Northern grounds, and there 
is no likelihood that the species ever breeds in Florida. Yet 
we were glad we had visited this chain of lakes. Hawks and 
eagles circled about, herons and ibises flaiDped along, shore- 
birds of many interesting varieties prodded the mud and 
whistled their piping notes. In fact, nature was so lavish 
that in one narrow place in the lake, between an island and 
the shore, two young tarpons, of fair size for eating, leaped 
out of the water and right into the boat, as though, with true 
Southern hospitalitv, to offer themselves for the pleasure and 
comfort of the visitors from the North. But, in an unlucky 
moment, I gave the larger one a push with my foot to get it 
out of the way, and imparted just enough impetus to enable 
it to spring out again into its native element. 
Returning to our vessel, we sailed back as far as the ex¬ 
treme projection of Cape Sable, and anchored under the lee of 
the beach, opposite a fine grove of cocoanut palms. Here it 
was that another decided reverse overtook me. I was the first 
one awake in the morning, and was horrified at the sight 
which greeted me. In beaching the vessel to get the water- 
casks aboard, a serious leak had been started, and the floors, 
both in cabin and hold, were under water. And there were 
mv two cases of photographic plates — alas ! no longer “ dry 
plates”—standing half submerged. Feeling almost sick, I 
spread the pasteboard boxes out on deck. About half were 
thoroughly soaked, others were damp, and about a third, 
those in the top layers, were all right. It looked as though 
mv camera-hunting had received a severe handicap. How¬ 
ever, I kept the damaged boxes out in the wind, and, when 
we reached camp, put them in a dry and airy place. To this 
treatment and to the fact that the plates were of brands whose 
makers in packing them separate their faces by strips along 
the edges, I owe the final saving of most of them. In many 
