A FLORIDA KID ON A CAMP HUNT. 



VI. 



CHARLEY APOPKA. 



Nex' mornin' when we got up low clouds 

 wuz a flyin' from th' Sou'west, an' when 

 th' sun come up he wuz red as fire, an' 

 Pa sez, "I reckon we're goin' ter have 

 some weather, so less go'n ten' ter them 

 traps an' git' back 'fore she busts loose on 

 us." We lit out, an' 'fore we got in sight 

 uv th' first trap we knowed what wuz in it 

 all right. A durned ole polecat wuz 

 ketched by th' fore leg an' what he'd done 

 wuz a plenty. We throwed light'ud knots 

 at 'im, an' one knocked 'im outen th' trap 

 an' he went a hobblin' off inter th' palmet- 

 ter. Pa sed, "Good riddance ter bad rub- 

 bage." We pulled up th' trap an' throwed 

 it inter th' edge uv th' pond. We went ter 

 th' others, an' I had 2 coons in mine an' 

 Pa had another otter, on'y it wuzn't as 

 big as t'other one. He had somethin' in 

 one uv th' other traps an' you wouldn't 

 guess what it wuz in a month uv Sundays. 

 It wuz en ole flint head; wood ibis some 

 calls 'em. Th' ole feller had bin feedin' 

 'round an' popped 'is foot in th' trap Pa 

 had sot in th' edge uv th' pond. We turned 

 'im loose an' he tore out an' I woulden' 

 fool yer. We sprung all th' traps, fer we 

 didn't aim ter come to 'em fer a day er 2. 



By th' time we had th' varmints skinned 

 th' weather wuz lookin' shore 'miff bad, 

 an' we struck a trot fer camp. I wuz in 

 th' lead an' as we skirted 'round a little 

 pond a tolerble big buck jumped out uv 

 a bunch uv gallberries an' palmetter, not 

 30 yards ahead uv me. -"Shoot 'im, son; 

 shoot 'im!" Pa hollered. I throwed th' 

 gun on 'im an' pulled down an' she 

 woulden' go, an' I pulled a'gin an' she 

 never went. Pa wuz a yellin', "Why don't 

 yer let 'im have it?" an' I seen then I 

 didn't have 'er cocked. By that time th' 

 deer wuz a sailin' through th' woods a 

 hundred yards off, an' lemme tell yer 

 somethin', I wuz shore th' chawed boy, an' 



1 woulden' fool yer. Pa sez, "By gran- 

 nies, son, I've a mine ter take a switch an' 

 wear yer to a frazzle," an' I told 'im I 

 wish't he would. But Pa sez, "Never 

 mine, I'll gairntee yer don't fergit it nex' 

 time." 



We got ter camp jest as it wuz be- 

 ginnin' ter sprinkle. Uncle Dick an' Mr. 

 Sam had put up a little shelter fer th' 

 horse, an' he 'peared ter 'predate it 

 might'ly. fer he wuz standin' under it big 

 as Ike. "I reckon we're in fer a day er 



2 uv it," sez Uncle Dick, an' 'bout that 

 time there come th' rain, an' if we hadn't 

 had a mighty fine camp we'd a bin out 

 er luck, but she never leaked a drop. Sez 

 Mr. Sam, "If it keeps on like this we 



kaint cook no dinner." But we had a 

 half a turkey left from breakfust, an' 

 plenty uv cold biskits. an' we had a 3 

 gallon jug uv new syrup, an' I made 

 as good a meal, it seemed like, as I 

 ever et. 



Mr. Sam had brung along a deck uv 

 cyards, an' we played seven-up, best 4 out 

 uv 7 games, ter see who had ter git sup- 

 per, me'n' Mr. Sam er Pa 'n' Uncle Dick. 

 We'd watch one nuther clost an' wink 

 when we had good cyards, an' we beat 

 'em 3 straight an' then got the fifth game 

 an' stuck 'em. "Dick," sez Pa, "them 

 trirlin' rascals 'ave bin a usin' signs on 

 us." We tole 'em ter go off 'n' git some 

 boy ter learn 'em th' game 'fore they 

 tackled us ag'in. 



It quit rainin' while th' sun wuz a 

 couple uv hours high, an' me 'n' Mr. Sam 

 took th' axe an' cut 'n' toted up wood 

 'nough fer night, an' as we wuz a fixin' 

 ter sit down a big bunch uv ducks come 

 a whistlin' over an' settled in a little 

 pond a quarter back from camp. I 

 grabbed mah gun an' drawed out th' 

 buckshot an' poured in some 4's an' took 

 a sneak fer 'em. Ther' wuz a bunch uv 

 gallberry bushes on one side uv th' pond, 

 an' I took a circle an' got behine it an' 

 come a crawlin' up. Ever' time I'd strike 

 a dead palmetter fan look like it 'ould 

 make th' biggest fuss it could, an' I wuz 

 afeared ever' minute I'd hear 'em rise, 

 but they never. Directly I got ter th' 

 bushes an' riz up easy an' looked through 

 'em, an' there wuz th' ducks a settin' th' 

 purtiest I ever see, most uv 'em asleep 

 look like, an' th' balance a fixin' their 

 feathers. I eased up th' ole gun an' 

 drawed a sight on 'em where they wuz 

 thickest, an' pulled down on em. 

 C-r-o-o-o-m-m! she went, an' killed 4 uv 

 'em dead as nits an' crippled 2 more. I 

 lent th' gun ag'inst a tree an' dashed inter 

 th' pond like a mad 'gator. Th' water 

 wuz thigh deep ter me, an' I like ter a 

 tired myse'f down a ketchin' th' crippled 

 ones; but I got 'em, an' tore out ter 

 camp proud as a young rooster, fer if I 

 hadn't a got 'em we woulden' a had no 

 fresh meat fer supper. "Hooraw for you, 

 Bud," sez Mr. Sam, an' him 'n' me went 

 ter snatchin' th' wool off 'em. Pa sez, 

 "Gimme them ducks 'n' I'll cook 'em so 

 it 'ill make yer swallow yer tongue." 

 Quick's we had 'cm cleaned he put 'em 

 in th' pot an stewed 'cm. an' while he 

 wuz a doin' that Uncle Dick baked a 

 couple uv skilletfuls uv biskit, th' pur- 

 tiest I ever sec. Time they wuz baked 



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