210 CRUISING ALONG SHOEE. 



a fire with the aid of light wood-splinters, and after 

 warming some flapjacks and thoroughly steaming our 

 selves, roll ourselves in our blankets and sleep, with 

 sundry awakenings to replenish the fire. 



Toward morning the rain ceased, but not till it had 

 wet us through yes, through, for the captain said he 

 could feel the rain water &quot;slosh about&quot; in his stomach. 

 I know that, although I had carefully covered myself 

 with my rubber blanket, when I awoke it was to find 

 myself in a puddle four inches deep. Under the cir 

 cumstances, wasn t it natural that I should desire just a 

 drop of whiskey ? I had a quart of the best, which I 

 had intrusted to the captain s locker, and thought that 

 now, if ever, was the time to use it. 



&quot; Captain, in my youth, when very young, and con 

 sequently incompetent for such a performance, I signed 

 the pledge. Kemember, it was while quite young, and 

 at a very tender age ; in fact, I think it hardly valid 

 now, and binding. Then again, I signed off from any 

 thing that would intoxicate, and I m ready to swear that 

 nothing ever distilled from grain can intoxicate me now, 

 there s so much water in me. I think I ll try a drop of 

 that whiskey.&quot; 



&quot; The bottle is in the starn.&quot; 



Quickly I drew it forth ; slowly and sadly I returned 

 it twas empty. The captain evaded my gaze, mutter 

 ing the while : &quot; Twas so confounded bad I didn t like 

 to have it round, and so I drunk it up first night.&quot; 



A run of a dozen miles in the genial warmth of the 

 sun restores our spirits not the spiritus frumenti, how 

 ever and we land at Fort Capron, an old military post, 

 with a very sharp appetite for breakfast. A hedge of 

 oleanders ten feet in height surrounds the plantation, 



