266 



RECREATfON. 



tance besides helping Rosie with her load 

 at times. She was cursed with the pro- 

 verbial mule disposition. 



But when we had eaten our supper of 

 turkey roasted in clay, we were perfectly 

 contented, and would have been com- 

 fortable had we curbed our appetites. 

 Next day was spent in the same way, in 

 devious windings through the passes be- 

 tween trees. As the day wore away the 

 timber became more dense, and there was 

 a good deal of undergrowth, with here and 

 there a giant cypress standing high upon 

 its roots like a spider on its legs, indicating 

 that we were getting to lower ground, and 

 near the swamp. At nightfall Gabe said, 



" Wal, we is right dar now, but de ieller 

 wat measured dem 14 miles must hab done 

 it wif a coon skin an trowed in de tail." 



We were soon sitting by a blazing fire, 

 telling Gabe highly colored stories of camp 

 life, planning our sortie into the swamp the 

 following day, and wagering who would 

 first succeed in killing a bear, when away 

 off in the swamp we heard the angry bark 

 of the dogs, followed by a perfect bedlam 

 of yelps, both dogs barking as if fighting 

 some animal. We were agreeably sur- 

 prised that they showed such hunting 

 qualities. As the sounds continued our 

 faith in them rose, and when Gabe ex- 

 citedly said, "Dats bah! I knows jes 

 how dem dawgs talk," stock was at pre- 

 mium. 



Grabbing our guns we plunged in the 

 darkness into the swamp, guided by the 



sounds of conflict. Memory of that mile 

 or more of travel, at one time in soft mud 

 waist deep, next to be caught in the folds of 

 a buckthorn vine that would only let go at 

 the expense of patches of cuticle and 

 swads of clothing, is certainly unpleas- 

 ant. Yet we struggled on bravely as fast 

 as possible, and slowly neared the scene of 

 battle, still raging. As I anxiously peered 

 through the darkness, down I went into a 

 "lob-lolly" hole of unknown depth, from 

 which I emerged just in time to hear Gabe 

 say, " Lawd a'mighty! dats hogs." 



My spirits fell, and I could not recover. 

 We managed to get back to camp, and 

 after scraping off some of the accumulated 

 mud, lay down and were soon asleep. 



In 4 days we were healed sufficiently to 

 go home to Gabe's, which we did, starting 

 early in the morning. As we journeyed 

 monotonously along in the evening, the 

 dogs pricked up their ears and with noses 

 to the ground, set off trailing with loud 

 yelps. I suggested following them, but 

 George said he was "long on bacon," and 

 declined. I went, determined to learn, if 

 possible, what they had scented. They 

 soon came to a stop, barking furiously. 

 When I reached them imagine my sur- 

 prise to find a half grown bear up a small 

 gum tree. One shot brought him 

 down, and I carried him back to the ■ 

 wagon. 



As I sit in my den, his skin hanging 

 on the wall pleads for Gabe, and I really 

 think I have forgiven him. 



COMRADES. 



AUATEUR PHOTO BY O. P. MOORE 



