140 WILD SPORTS IN THE SOUTH. 



A laugh followed, and the party being of one accord, it was 

 arranged that we should spend the rest of the day in the marshes 

 taking a supply of food to last till night. So we walked back to 

 camp, Miss Jackson and the Doctor chatting away about some 

 theory of the Doctor's upon the cause of the variation of the 

 plumage of birds, which, like most theories, was all wrong. The 

 moment our intentions for the day were announced the camp was 

 in a hurry ; the idlers bestirred themselves ; guns were examined ; 

 boats made ready ; ammunition bags, that had not been used in a 

 year, were overhauled and filled ; and at length, when the sun 

 arose, our breakfast was ended, and four boats were all equipped 

 and manned with two negroes each, ready for the sportsmen. 

 The boats were dug-out canoes, made by the negroes from 

 cypress logs, but their graceful shape and high sharp bow and 

 stern made them resemble the Indian bark canoe, or the Canadian 

 pirogue. Mike had his neatly arranged, and a soft tanned deer- 

 skin was spread in the stern. The negroes, with their sinewy 

 arms and breasts bare, sat at the oars; they were the hand- 

 somest negroes on the Jackson place, but would generally run 

 away to the woods when their master was off; so to obtain some 

 use out of them they were always taken along on the marooning 

 excursions. The boats lay with their sterns on the beach, waiting 

 for Miss Jackson. Her father took his seat and pushed off, 

 calling out as he went — 



" Come, Lou, hurry up ! Who will you ride with If 



She stepped down to the water's edge and into the Doctor's 

 boat. Push off! Away they go, moving on the water like 

 shadows, so little ripple do they leave behind. The shore recedes, 

 the camp-fire smoke lessens ; Rose can just be seen by the beach 

 with her hands on her hips, watching the lessening fleet ; the 

 hounds' complainings come fainter and fainter ; islands are passed ; 

 new vistas open to the eye with semi-tropical vegetation ; gaudy 

 birds on the sandy points ; low swathing mist in patches on the 

 water, and no wind to drift it away How luxuriantly calm ! The 

 land seems all afloat ! 



Jackson was in the lead, and we all followed in a line after 

 him. Presently Mike's boat shoots ahead, a feather of spray at its 



