DAYS IN THE OPEN 



boat of such light draft that it is commonly said of 

 it that it " will sail in a dew," and with a generous 

 supply of oranges on board set off from Rock 

 Ledge towards the south. Some fishing, some 

 duck-shooting, much idling and orange eating, 

 served to make the days pass like a happy dream. 

 When night came it was not difficult to find some 

 winter-hotel with comfortable accommodations. 

 Not infrequently night had fallen before we 

 reached the desired haven, and the water would 

 turn to silver as the mullet darted here and there 

 before the slow-moving boat. 



One day we anchored at the mouth of the Banana 

 River, that members of the party who had never 

 seen the ocean, might walk across the narrow spit 

 of land that separates between the river and the 

 Atlantic. One of the company, to whom the sea 

 was no novelty, elected to remain on board, moved 

 to this decision, in part at least, by the fact that he 

 had secured some bait the night before that as yet 

 he had been unable to use. Left to himself, he 

 began operations at once, and soon landed a seven- 

 pound channel bass. This seemed pretty good to 

 the lone fisherman, but he had no sooner put on a 

 fresh piece of mullet and thrown out than another 

 tug at his line assured him that "the best is yet 

 to be." Despite the angler's most skilful manipu- 

 lations that fish had its own way at first. It went 

 down, down, until the anxious fisherman saw that 

 the line remaining on the reel must be measured 



