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 flapped 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 hospitality, 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 

 my 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 

 my 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 



