202 IN LOWER FLORIDA WILDS 



fell, we gathered some dead pine wood, — "light- 

 wood" or "lightered" as it is called — and built a 

 fine fire. After a cold supper and some yarns we 

 tried to rest. The mosquitoes were bad ; the sharp 

 uneven rock like Banquo's ghost murdered sleep. 

 The sky was overcast, the wind southwest, and we 

 realized a norther was coming. 



With a good deal of badinage about adjusting 

 ourselves to our rocky beds and regarding the 

 friendliness of the insects, we finally rolled into 

 our blankets but not to sleep. The wind suddenly 

 whipped into the northwest and a cold, steady 

 rain began to fall. Soaked through, but with our 

 blankets wrapped about us, we sat around our 

 weakening fire and "made a night of it." Soar, 

 who is an old settler, told delightful stories of early 

 days in Lower Florida and of many trips such as 

 we were now taking. Popenoe, though only a 

 boy, is a globe trotter and regaled us with remin- 

 iscences of adventures in Brazil, in India, and in 

 Guatemala, and the old man attempted to con- 

 tribute his quota to the general fund. Congenial 

 men can draw very near to each other under such 

 circumstances, and although we were cold, wet, 

 and half devoured by mosquitoes, though our 



