.1 
POHfiiT AND StftfiAM. 
22 
Lost in the Swamp* 
One Sunday about June i. my friend Robert High came 
aver to make plans for a fishing trip to Trinity River and 
some small lakes near there. It was agreed that I should 
go over to his place the next Tuesday and we would go 
and stay till Sundajr. So Tuesday morning about 5 o'clock I 
saddled my pony, took some coffee, corn meal and blan- 
kets, a .38 Winchester, a belt full of cartridges and a 
biDx full besides, as I expected to have some shooting at 
gars and maybe an alligator or two. I got to Bob's 
about 8 o'clock. As there were six others going with the 
wagon, it was decided that we would go to Patterson 
Lake and catup there. We had dinner and then Bob and 
] started ahead and left the rest to follow in the wagon. 
It was very warm, so I thought we would take a sbort cut 
through the woods and get to the lake and get some fish 
for supper by the time the rest got there. 
It was about twelve miles to the lake. About two 
miles from the river we struck the river bottom. It was 
mostly prairie from there to the river. The lake was 
close to the river. There was a steep bluff all along the 
bottom, and the river overflowed back to the foothills. 
There had been a big overflow not long before, and we 
expected to find good fishing in the lakes. 
We started across the prairie to a bunch of timber, 
where Bob said there was an old road that led to the lake. 
After riding about three miles we got to the timber, but 
found no road. We rode around some time, but could 
not find it. Then we started for another bunch of timber 
about a mile away and rode around that, but found no 
road. We sat down in the shade a while and then started 
again. We finally found a cow trail that we thought led 
to the lake. We followed this, ft short way and found 
the lake. It was then about sundown and too late to 
fish. We found a good camping place, staked out the 
horses, built a fire and sat down to wait for the wagon. 
It got dark and no wagon came. Bob said he 
would go and look for it. He said he would nde 
back to the hills, and if I heard him shoot twice to answer 
him the same way, for when he got a mile from camp 
the bunches of timber all looked alike, and he might 
not find the way back to camp. He was gone nearly an 
hour when I heard him shoot twice with his six-shooter. 
I answered and he soon rode into camp and said he had 
not heard anything of them. We were getting pretty 
hungry, and as all the grub was in the wagon Ave began 
to til ink we would have to wait till morning for our 
supper. 
We waited a while and then I said I would go and look 
for them. The moon was up and I would have a guide 
to go by. I had never been there before and did not 
know the country. But I started out to where the road 
came down from the hills; and when I got nearly there 
1 heard both barrels of a shotgun and some one holler 
as only a Texan can holler. I answered with two shots 
with a six-shooter and started to find them. I soon 
fdund them. They said they had got lost trying to find 
the lake. It was so warm they did not get to the river 
bottom till dark, and then went the wrong way to find 
the lake. 
We struck out across the prairie for camp, which we 
found without much trouble; and we got some supper — 
corn bread, bacon and coffee; but it tasted good to hun- 
gry men. Then we got out the blankets and tried to 
sleep; but the mosquitoes didn't. We soon found it im- 
possible to sleep without some protection. I went to the 
wagon and got a sack and nulled that over my head and 
went to sleep; but those who could not sleep would not 
let the rest, and the next thing I knew some one had me 
by the heels dragging me toward the lake and yelling, 
''Wake up, Billy, or we will throw you in the lake. You 
ain't going to sleep if the rest can't.'' We spent the rest 
of the night sitting around the fire. 
As soon as it was light enough to see Bob and I got 
an old scow and paddled out to a sunken log to fish for 
trout and white perch. The trout were not speckled 
trout, but more like black bass. I would like to know 
the proper name for them. We caught a perch, skinned 
it and cut it up for bait. Our fishing tackle consisted of 
for each a cane pole, a stout line and hook; there were 
no snelled hooks and reels. I had never seen either one 
at that time. 
The fish bit as fast as we could take them off, so we 
soon had a fine string of trout and white perch that would 
run all the way from }A to 2 pounds. 
We were about to go to camp and cook some fish when 
1 got a bite, and he nibbled at the bait. I baited up again 
with the same result. Bob said, "Let's quit; I am hun- 
gry." "Well," I returned, "let me try once more; I be- 
lieve it is a gar." At the first nibble I gave a jerk and 
thought I had caught on a log, but soon found I had a 
pretty lively log. The pole was pulled clear under water 
and then straight out, and a big gar (he looked to be 
6 feet long) jumped out of the water, cut the line and 
went away. It would have taken a small rope and a 
piece of telegraph" wire to have held that gar. Any one 
who has done any fishing in eastern Texas knows what 
an alligator gar is — 6 and 7 feet long and nearly as large 
as a man's body. If I had had a good reel, plenty of line 
and a wire-snelled hook, wouldn't there have been some 
fun? But I didn't have, so we hardh' ever landed one; 
and when we did it was a small one. The big ones would 
make just one pull, and something had to break. 
The pars are a curse to the fisherman and fish in most 
of the Southern waters. They take off the bait and their 
jaws arc so hard it is hard to hook them; and if you do 
ihey will cut the line. If you put out set lines for cat- 
fish they Avill eat the fish unless yon get them oft' .soon. 
If you leave fish tied to the bank they will get them. 
After I Jost the gar we M'ent ashore, cleaned our fish 
and went to camp and fried them nice and brown and 
then sat down to a feast of fish, corn bread and coffee. 
And how we did enjo3' it. How well I would like a few days 
of such times now. After breakfast some of the boys 
wanted to pull a seine. I don't think much of that kind of 
fishing. I like to fish with a pole and line, watch the 
float go under and feel the tug of a good fighter; it is the 
next best thing to killing a fine buck. Still-hunting for 
deer is the soort for me. But I went along to help pull 
the seine. The team was going home Friday and we 
wanted to send some fish home. 
We were going to try some of the small lakes with the 
seine, as the lake where we were camped was too deep. 
We had brought .some old clothes to -wade in, so. #c 
could have dry ones after he got through, seining. Bob 
took my Winchester and started on ahead, saying he 
might get a shot at a deer. 
We w ent about a shalf mile and came to a small lake, 
which Avc thought we would try. As we went up to the 
lake an alligator rolled off a log on the other side. I heard 
a shot from the Winchester about the same time, and 
looked up and saw Bob. He said the had shot an alliga- 
tor across the lake on a log close to where we had seen 
the one roll off in the water. Bob said he hit the alligator 
in tlie eye. It was a good 100 yards across the lake, and 
Ave laughed at his hitting an alligator in the eye at 100 
3'ards. He said, "You go over there with the seine and 
drag it around the log and you A^ill find him." 
I did not much like the fun of pulling a seine in a lake 
with alligators in it, but the boys said: "Oh, come on, 
Billy ; they Avill not bother us." As all the rest were going 
in I would not back out, so we started to pull the seine. 
The mud was so deep it was slow work; the water came 
nearly to our necks; we could feel the fish strike the net; 
but Ave went so slow when Ave pulled ashore that most of 
them got away. We had several good catfish and a fcAv 
pike and some small gai's. 
We pulled it again Avith the same result. The third 
time Ave went close to the log where Bob said he had 
shot the alligator, We felt something dragging in the 
seine and pulled ashore and found we had an alligator 
about 5 feet long. The ball liad hit him in the eye and 
knocked the top of his head off. It was nearly noon then 
and we went back to camp. 
We got some dinner and the most of the boys lay 
down in the shade and Avent to sleep. The mosquitoes 
did not bother much in the daytime. I took my Win- 
chester and Avent up the lake and got a good shady place 
on the bank and sat down to Avatch for gars. They will 
come to the top a fcAv seconds and then .go down again. 
I got several shots at big ones, but could not get them 
after I killed them. I grew tired after a Avhile and started 
back to camp. I found an alligator's nest that 
had been dug up by coons, and they had eaten the eggs. 
The eggs Avere about as long and about the size of a 
man's little finger, with a tough skin for a shell like a tur- 
tle's egg. When I got nearly to camp I found two big 
.gars some one had killed and cut in two with an axe. 
They were big enough to bite an arm off. They are not 
the slim-nosed gar, but more chunky, Avith a broad, point- 
ed nose and teeth like a crosscut saw. 
"Well," I said to myself, "I don't go in swimming or 
pulling a seine in a lake Avith these gars." 
I Avent to camp and lay down in the shade and Avent to 
sleep, and it Avas S o'clock when I woke up. Bob and I 
took the old scoav and went out to the log where Ave 
fished in the morning and fished till dark; but they did 
not bite as good as they did in the morning, though we 
got enough for supper. 
After supper Ave sat around the fire and smoked and 
told stories till about to ^D'clock, and then tried to get 
some sleep; but it was the same as the night before.. 
The 'skeeters wouldn't let us. We had a pretty noisy 
camp that night. It takes a few Texas boys to make a 
good noisy camp. There Avas plenty of shooting, yelling 
and singing, hvit not much sleep. 
But morning came at last, and we were all going fish- 
ing. We made some coffee, got a bite to eat and started 
out. Bob and I going together. We got the old scow 
and paddled ottt to the log. tied the boat and Avent to 
fishing. By 9 o'clock Ave had forty nice trout and perch. 
I Avas fishing with a light pole and small line. I got a 
good strong bite and kncAV it was a catfish. I let him 
have all the slack, and waited till I was sure he had the 
bait SAvallowed and then jerked, and I had him. And 
Avhat a figb! I had with that cat. The pole Avas about 12 
feet and the line the length of the pole. He Avould take 
the pole under water and my arms up to the shoulder. 
We untied the boat and paddled out in the lake, and Bob 
Avould paddle the way the fish Avent, Avhile I kept all the 
strain on him I dared to. After a while he began to 
get tired of toAving the old scow. I pulled him gently to 
the top and Bob reached for him, but he ran under the 
boat and took the pole under the Avater again. Bob 
turned the boat around and I pulled him to the top 
again; but when he Avould see the boat he would make 
another break; but each time he came to the top sooner. 
We had no gaff, so Bob reached doAAm, got a hand in his 
gills and pulled him into the boat. We could not weigh 
him, but judged him to be a good 25 pounds, which is 
a pretty good fish to handle Avithout a reel. Going 
ashore. I took the catfish and put a rope in his gills and 
tied him in'shalloAv Avater to keep him aliA^e till I went 
home. Then after dinner we laicl doAvn in the shade to 
sleep. 
Along in the afternoon Bob took my Winchester and 
started off up the lake. He did not get back till about 
sundown, when he came to me and $aid that about a 
mile up at the other end the Avater Avas not more than 
knee deep, Avith a good, hard bottom, and he had seen 
lots of big buffalo suckers feeding in the shalloAv Avater. 
It Avas a Avild, dismal place to go in the niglit, he said, 
but if I would go we would go and spear some fish for the 
boys to take home the next day. He cautioned me not to 
tell the others Avhere we Avere going, and Ave Avould have 
the fun all to ourselves. And we had it. 
As soon as Ave had eaten some supper, Ave got the 
spear, head light, oil and a bag to carry the fish in; I 
took my Winchester, a belt full of cartridges; and Bob 
had a .45 Colts' six-shooter Avith a belt full of cartridges; 
so we were pretty well fixed. We did not know what we 
might run across. There were panthers and wolves, and 
once in aAvhile a bear, in this country. 
It Avas dark when we left camp. We took a trail that 
Bob said folloAved close to the lake to Avhich we were 
going. Bob went ahead Avith the head lamp on his head 
and I walked along behind. We had not gone far when 
Bob stopped and said. "Look at that." I looked and saAV 
a big alligator lying across the trail. I brought the V/in- 
chester up and gave him a shot, but he never moved. And 
then Bob commenced to laugh. The alligator was already 
dead; some one had killed it the day before; and Bob 
knew it. We soon came to a big thicket that Ave had to 
craAvl through. After awhile Bob stopped by a big log 
and said: "This is Avhere we will build our fire." 
I looked around to see what kind of a place it Avas we 
were in. The water was very shallow, and some big trees 
were growing in it. To our left I could see the open 
water of- the lake. The trees were covered with long 
Spanish moss, which made it look awfully gloomy. We 
got a good fire started beside tiie old log and then began 
to get ready for spearing I was going to leave my shoes 
and pants on ; but Bob said it Avas a nice hard bottom, and 
we would take our clothes off and have them dry wheii 
we went back to camp. So we took everything oft' but 
our shirts. I set the Winchester against a tree and hung 
the belt on it. Bob hung his six-shooter and belt on a 
limb. Bob took the spear and put the head lamp on his 
head and Ave started out. I carried a bag to put the 
fis'h in. I wanted to take the bottle of oil, but Bob said 
AA'e would not go far this time, and the lamp would burn 
an hour without filling ; and we would not get out of sight 
of the fire, so we could soon fill it at any time. I would 
have liked to have taken the rifle, but was afraid I mig'tit 
fall down and get it Avet, We Avere not afraid as long as 
we were in the water and had a light. We found plenty 
of fish and spearel several. I kept watch of the fire ail 
the time, until at length we were getting nearly out of 
sight of it. I said, "Let us go back to the fire. These fish 
are heavy, and the lamp Avill not burn much longer." 
"All right," answered Bob. But just then we saw a 
gar, and he was a big one. Bob slipped up and drove the 
spear into him with all his might, but could not hold 
him,, and he got off. The water was shallow, and we 
took after him. We soon found him and speared him 
again; but couldn't hold him. We took after him again, 
but soon found that Ave were getting into deep ■ 
Avater, and looked around to see where we were. We- 
coitld see the open water in the lake, and knew we were 
some way from the fire; but look as hard as we could we 
could not see the fire. 
"Which way is the fire?" says Bob. • , ■ 
"I don't know. The last time I saw it was. vrhen we 
were chasing that gar ; then it was behind us to the,,, 
left, and I think it is in that direction now. Let us try " 
and find the Seven Stars, so we will have a guide to go 
by." We both knew we could not keep a straight course 
Avith a lamp without something to go by. 
But there were so many large trees growing in the 
water and so much moss on them that it was hard to see 
the sky, much less trying to follow stars for a guide. 
"Well," I says, "let's get a move on us. That light isn't 
going to burn all night." So we started to find the fire. 
We walked pretty fast and did not look for fish, for we 
both began to get uneasy. We walked for some time, but 
could not see the fire. Finally Bob stopped and says, 
"Well, Billy, we are all wrong." 
"I have known that for some time," I answered. "This 
is the second time we have passed those two trees that 
grow together there. We are no nearer the fire than when 
v,'e started to find it. Listen! What is that?" It was 
some Avolves fighting over something they had found to 
eat. 
'"That's a nice noise for a man to listen to with no 
shooting irons and nothing on btrt a shirt. What is the 
matter Avith that lamp?" It was burning very low, and 
one wick was nearly out. 
"Let's get ashore somewhere and try to start a fire; for. 
if we don't get a fire we never will get out of here alive." 
We started on a run this time, trying to find the shore. 
Bob took the lamp off from his head and held his hand 
in front of it to keep it from going out. We almost ran 
over a big alligator before Ave saAv him, but we didn't try 
to spear him; we just ran the faster. We soon got where 
the water Avas more than 6 inches deep, and knew we Avere 
getting near the shore. One wick was out and the other, 
very low ; and we were getting badly scared. If that lamp 
went out our last hope was gone, for we hadn't a match 
nor any way to get a fire. 
All at once we ran out of the water before we knew 
we had found the shore, and ran into some green briers, 
and they scratched our legs terribly. "Quick, Bob, and 
pull that Avick out and I will get some dry cane to build a 
fire." 
There Avas lots of switch cane growing there, and the 
dead stalks Avould burn up quickly. Bob pulled out the 
Avick and I got some tAvigs ; they burnt as long as the 
Avick did and then Avent out. I pulled the other wick out 
and lit that just as the fire was going out. We both knew 
that that Avas the last chance. The wick burnt up for a . 
fcAV seconds and then died down. We got down on our 
knees, one on each side, and blcAV on it to get it 
started again. We Avere doAvn on our knees blowing the 
fire when all of a sudden we heard the awfuUest screech 
close to Its. Bob jtimped up and grabbed the spear, our 
only weapon, and looked for the panther to spring on us, 
I tore off part of my shirt, and that blazed up ; then I put 
on some cane and got a fire started, and never have I been 
so thankful for a fire before or since. Everything was very 
damp, but Ave got a good blaze. We found an old tree- 
top and got some wood from that. We kept thinking of 
that panther, and wanted a big fire. Bob kept the spear in 
bis hand and said: "If he comes for us I'll just tickle 
him with this." 1 
It Avas not so easy to get plenty of wood. We were not 
used to going barefoot, and at nearly every step would 
land on briers. We were trying to get some wood when 
I almost stepped on a big Avater moccasin before we 
saAV him. We hadn't thought of snakes before; all Ave 
had thought of Avas a fire, and here we Avere going around 
bare legged, where there Avere lots of water moccasins, 
and a bite Avas death. We Avent to the. fire and got some 
fire brands so Ave could see Avhere Ave were stepping, got 
what wood we wanted, broke off some boughs to sit on. 
and sat doAvp to talk over the situation. 
"Well," I says, "if we only had our clothes and fire- 
arms, we could stay here till morning." 
"Suppose Ave take a look for them," answered Bob. "I 
don't believe they are far from here. We can make a 
torch and Avalk along in the Avater. We could see that fire 
a good Avays." 
So Ave made a torch the best we could, and started out ; 
but the torch Avouldn't burn; and Ave had to give it up, 
and Avent back to the fire and sat down. The skeeters 
were bad, and Ave had to keep whipping our legs with a 
bush to keep them off. • ' .. 
"Well," I says, "if we had our pipes and tobacco that 
Avould be some consolation. But we hain't got nothing but 
that spear and them fish. And here we be, lost, at least a 
mile from camp, and nobody living within five or six 
miles. The only thing we can do is to stick close to the 
