2 3S THE OKEECIIOBEE EXPEDITION. 



method. The principal charm of fire hunting lies in 

 the uncertainty attending it, as to what you may kill. 

 A man goes out, horseback or a-foot, with a pole over 

 his shoulder, lashed to the end of which is an old frying- 

 pan, in which is a fire of light-wood. The blaze throws 

 a lane of light ahead of him, leaving him in darkness. 

 The eye of a deer reflects that light, so that all the 

 bearer of the frying-pan lias to do is to &quot; blaze away&quot; at 

 the eye. There is a deal of sport in this style of hunt 

 ing. I remember a night s experience at South Lake, 

 where I followed my guide about all night looking for 

 eyes. We didn t see any eyes, but we had glorious sport. 

 My part of it was to carry a bag of pine knots, and when 

 my guide lowered the pan to replenish the fire with a 

 knot. Twas fine sport, but grew to be a trifle monot 

 onous toward morning. As I said before, in the uncer 

 tainty of fire hunting lies its chief attraction. Other 

 eyes than deer s will reflect the light, and the bearer of 

 the pan the messenger of light we may call him 

 doesn t know just what particular eye he may &quot;shine&quot; 

 at any particular moment. It may be the eye of an ox, 

 or a bear, or a panther. In case it is the latter, the 

 usual way if the &quot; shiner &quot; is convinced the sJiinee is a 

 panther is to deposit the rifle and pan on the ground 

 and climb a tree. Fire hunting, then, has its votaries all 

 along the river. There is one gentleman near Fort 

 Capron always successful. lie never goes out without 

 returning with some trophy of his skill. A few nights 

 before I left he bagged a fine mare and colt, and was 

 convinced that if he d kept on he d have killed a deer. 



The inlet is the place where &quot; B. Hackle &quot; and his 

 friends thorough sportsmen, all oL them had their 

 finest sport, here and at Jupiter. The Narrows is as 



