/“\T.D Sideways, up ! You harrow your track 
v - y As if every;mu8cle had gone to rack ; 
Ho, Sirrah, see that chuck on the knoll ! 
Time wus when you’d cropped him atop his hole. 
Ah, collie, It's over ; you've had your ’‘day." 
Death whistles, and you must hobble away ! 
Fat chuck, you’re safe ; keep end as you are, 
My.'colllc can't focus a barn so far ; 
Black blessed, he’s old, and It hurts my soul 
To see him blink tow’rd the chuck on the knoll. 
■What ! a touch of youth those bones still feel ! 
Down, plucky tyke, settle baok to my heel : 
Back, follow, back I Death's calling, I say ; 
Ho whistles youoH another way. 
This Is the last time I shall bless 
Ela poor old patient shagginess. 
The rhythmlclbeatlng of that tall, 
No wonder It at last must fall ; 
He thwacks It feebler, less and less— 
Spent pendulum of p'easautness. 
The humor of that hairy handle, 
Pumplog Joy Into this world of JaDgle, 
As though two hearts took turn about, 
One thump Inside, and then one out ; 
PaclOc gesture (mercy’s plan) 
Betwixt the animal aud man ! 
Up, fellow, up — begone, I say— 
Dead ! yes, the old dog's had his day. 
He's happy in some sort of heaven ; 
With him that watched the sleepers seven, 
And thousand sainted Towzers there, 
He frisks it In the fields of air. 
—Joan Vance Chbnky in Harper'a /or July. 
§hch @»$b SWm in $lond.i. 
f- 
r WAS idliog away the delightful, sunny February days at 
San Mateo, on the St. John’s River, Florida, eighty-five 
miles south of Jacksonville. The rainy season was over, or had 
not begun ; the sun shone each day with undimmed bright- 
ness ; there was occasional light morning frost that showed 
on the mulch heaps, and the weather was as delicious, late 
spring days, as any heart could wish. I was the guest of a gen- 
erous, whole-souled friend, Capt. L . He was busy build- 
ing a new house and clearing a wide space of hammock land 
for a great orange grove. I put in my time wandering about 
among the workmen, in the fields and orchards and woods ; 
occasionally varying the programme by a few shots at squir- 
rels and quails that fairly invaded the village, or by a sail on 
the plucid river. There were plenty of oranges, lemons and 
limes yet in the orchards, and strawberries were beginning to 
ripen in the gardens. On the wharf there was a large fruit 
depot and packing house ; shad fisheries just below and above 
town. From twenty to thirty steamers per day passed up and 
down the river, so that, although but a rural, scattered village, 
it was not lonesome by any means. At length, on a Satur- 
day, the Captain announced that his work was now going on 
so that he could run away for a few days, aud, if I were will- 
ing, would start up the river Monday morning to catch some 
trout. Nothing could have pleased me better, and prepara- 
tions were begun at once. The Captain invited four of his 
neighbors to join us. On Monday morning his pretty little 
steam launch, the Grace Darling, was backed out of the boat 
house, wooded and provisioned, but it was after noon when 
we got away. Six captains and no crew make slow work. 
The Grace Darling is twenty-eight feet long and six feet 
beam, built of cedar, copper fastened, trim as a clipper, with 
two-horse boiler and engine, and equipage complete. Bal- 
lasted for her best speed she draws thirty inches of water, and 
that am) her unhoused screw are the only possible objections 
to such a boat as the m plus ultra for sport iu all the Florida 
Waters. Shallow water and the great profusion of aquatic 
Plants often keep her off shore and out of creeks, lagoons, 
ponds and lakes where the sportsman would like to go. For 
this reason we towed a skiff, and that seriously impeded our 
progress. The route was up the river to great Lake George, 
to Bsh in the wonderful springs that flow into that beauti- 
ful sheet of water. Tide and wind were against us, and in- 
jetead of reaching Salt Spring (some fifty odd miles) before 
fught, darkness caught us plowing through the white cups of 
Little Lake George. The Captaiu fired and run the engine. 
■My tusk was at the tiller. The others amused themselves in 
shooting at the countless water fowls that are all the time 
primming over the river, or darting in and out of the dense 
fforests on either side. Occasionally we came near enough the 
P nk to enable them to pour a broadside into an alligator, who 
jus taking his siesta on a floating log or on a little hammock 
earth that rose above the water. As dusk settled down the 
.Unners had flue sport dispersing the vast flocks of turkey 
bad 8ctt ] ed down upon the spreading tons of 
cypresses for their night's roost. Although there 
was half a moon the night proved dark. Extensive fires were 
burning back iu the pine openings of the high land from 
which dense smoke filled the air like a thickhaS Good 
camping places are not universal along the St John's The 
banks are mostly submerged, and the* shores arc Uued with 
t /* aud cypress knees, and it is dangerous running 
a boat ashore in unfamiliar places with the best of dayHghj? 
The islands, winch are numerous, are worse than the mi ni 
land. For every mile of dry land there is ten mi “s of 
swamp bordering the stream, from head to mouth excepS 
perhaps, m the dryest season of the year. We felt oor wfv 
‘5 tbe darkae88 . for a landing. ° U It was 
lon a after dark when the whistle was answered by a iight that 
came slowly out along a thousand-feet wharf on piles that led 
SSnri” i®~ be8U ? vil,age ° f Gco'getown^the steamer 
channel. Under its lee a good anchorage was found and we 
n? n ? P ? t !h 0I J \ he P °m ot the p03t office ’ which had been com- 
pleted that day. lhe next morning, heading up through the 
m ddle channel, with Drayton Island on the left and Hog 
Island on the right, we soon encountered Big Lake George a 
J at « r six teen miles long and half that 'in 
v idth. Myriacs of ducks and other water fowls were resting 
upon or skimming over its surface, but the seasou wus late 
for good shooting or the best birds. Once, years bS 
when I sailed through this lake in December, birds fairly cov’ 
ered Us surface, and rolled back right and left in advance of 
the steamer like great biaek waves. 
Entering the lake at its lower end, and rounding a proraon- 
torycm the right, ye headed (or the inlet of SflUsS 
maiked by a leaning palm in the middle of a loDg rank of 
those trees that fringe the shore. There is a baMust out- 
side the mouth, over which we had to lighten bv^dividirxr 
cargo with the skiff. Then we steamed over anil into the 
stream, laying the boat handsomely in a little cove just within 
the mouth, where the shelter was perfect. The J wind was 
piping up again, and Lake George is not to be despised in 
even a moderate gale The water is shallow, and gWes 5 
W hv tha . t the ,ar s c8t of ‘be river boats orten Lave to 
lay by at its head or mouth and wail for better weather. A 
httle side-wheel steamer, the Erie, was lying at anchor iust 
outside the bar when we arrived, and we soon learned that 
UDdcr . charter by a party of Virginia gentlemen who 
were hunting in the neighborhood. We camped on the point 
under the palms, and the captain aud myself set out with 
the skiff to explore the stream, with a faint hope that we 
might be able to take the launch to its head. The creek is 
from seventy-five to a hundred feet wide for the first two 
miles aoove its mouth, winding through groves of palm and 
live oak and meadows of very tall grass and rushes. The 
channel is amply deep, and the current strong, but so filled 
with eel grass, reeds aud rushes that a screw cannot possibly 
work. At the end of two miles we gave that up and turned 
back for dinner. The captain suggested trolling for trout as 
we went down and 1 threw out a “spinner,-” soon had a 
stnke, and hauied m a two-pound black bass. I recognized 
the fish and the peculiar odor of the bass as soon as he came 
over the side of the boat, though I had not caught one for 
more than twenty years before. The chaunel was so tor- 
tuous and the vegetation so much in the way, that we caught 
no more on lhe way down. At the camp they had caught 
some bream, or, as I learned to call them when a boy sun- 
fish, which with the bass made us a dinner. ' 
ss&r s as k , h % n ^“" ° ( ““ “■“> «*• -*• 
!n tim “ “2 °"“ r » we pulled 
fish as 
After dinner three of us again started up the creek in the 
skiff, At the end of two and a half miles we found open 
water; a stream from three hundred to six hundred feet wide 
aud much of it of great depth, with a gentle current and 
water of crystal clearness. 1 was generously awarded the 
place of honor, aud began trolling ; first with two lines but 
soon found that one gave all the work I wanted The spin- 
ner was allowed to trail from thirty to fifty feet astern, but 
often it would be taken almost as boou as it struck the 
water I hauled in fish of from two to four pounds weight 
literally as fast as I could handle my line, take them off the 
hook ancl lull them. It was another two miles from where 
the sport began to the head of the stream, and before reach- 
ing there I had fifty or sixty pounds of fish lying at my feet. 
1 gave up the line, took an oar, and trout (bass) fishing had 
no more attraction for me in that stream. (Almost every- 
body in that region call them trout.) The others caught a 
few, after which we went ashore and walked up a dim 
wagon trail to the top of the ridge, through an extensive but 
abandoned cotton plantation. On the other slope we went 
down to Lake Churchill, which stretches away out of sight 
in the then smoky condition of the atmosphere. Beturning 
we caught several fish, and wasted a good deal of time shoot- 
ing at ducks, which very strangely always managed to disap 
pear. At length a couple were killed too dead to dive, and 
we found that they were all coots. We heard the Virgiuiaus' 
hounls baying in the scrub, and became aware that a high 
wind was blowing. When we reached the camp the Erie wus 
in distress. The gale was slowly driving her directly ashore, 
and her captain was storming worse than the wind, trying to 
get his sportsmen and their “cracker'' beaters and dogs 
aboard so he could run for shelter or sea-room. But they 
were indifferent alike, and the captain had to luke il out in 
swearing. Fortunately, as darkness came on the wind went 
down, and ere long all was peace and quiet. We took pos- 
session of a hut for the night that was built entirely of palm 
HStasaSa 
rnanv ofT .nm ] ux,,r, » nt 1 growth of grass and other plants, 
ui suowy wnileness. As yon float over the crystal snrfar*. 
h Atthe heiS r !d M, ? J ?! y nnd indoacribllb| y beautiful. 
ch^eHwm? d Z U ° Ut llC greftt 8prin S 8 ’ ll »o water is filled and 
pushed b and w C -,r^H m ° n( tak ‘"S tbo l,oat a>'>ne, at length 
pusnctl and worked our way through it and to the main. 
springs themselves, in a somi-circuiur cove of the high ridge 
£nn« bU v Dg by lV m? ftks <lud olher trees, all heavily draped with 
SSShrJSfl. ^ Wa , tCr C °™ 9 “P in immenseVSg fouS 
!r" ,?, nS„ feur i 8 0f COquina rock (cemented shells) The 
opening is of h regular, star-like shape, apparently flf- 
he boat ovpr •? diameter. It was Inipoeifla to hold 
lmee If « 01 , ‘ Sevirul olber 8 Prtngs are nearly a* 
rcm to i?« v r^L ISlie8 'TrT 8p ? rllD « 1" tllc impetuous cur- 
new O tlffi n Tbc otb . crs Wftlked ur °und the shore 
nw, p xl g ’ and “H were given an opportunity to ex- 
verv r wr l',«-| NOt a } rickb ? g stream comes train beyond. A 
very river boils up from the earth in this one place. The 
P^ 70 degreL ' 8 lemPCralUrC ’ aDd traU8 - 
• Capblia 8 ' ’ bad a very flno trout rod, 
Ki d ,! ipilcd Northern streams for many* 
not - ho content without trying it on the bans, 
5 adviC0 °, f al Utke others. Ho played and landed 
W h l ndB ?. melj ' T bc tl,lrd “ big und gamy fcl- 
low, and when the captain thought the buttle was almost over 
a d , w “ chuckling over .bis success, the fish made a dart 
o a l 7 inkUn « the Captain's rod waa con- 
do^n d mr!,° , t . 0 . 0tbpick . 8 - , ^omg down we hauled in half a 
w 18b : , worned tbc cont9 “ Httle, aud reached camp 
J“ 9t 2! °ri Q 0'f bbord of the Erie came in with their garao— 
two fine Florida deer We invited them to dinner and grog ; 
sent aboard a couple dozen bass as we bad done in the early 
, • T lcy , g:lv , c 1,8 balf a d< -'0r. Our captain inquired 
whe h, n n f ^- (th0 b !"o r ) did with hia best uniform 
wheu he. gobbled it in a little episode they had on the 
“Jeems" River in the Old Dominion. 
'Thon we gathered up traps and steamed out aud up the 
west coast for Silver Spring, twelve miles further south. The 
Erie was getting ready to head down the river. Her charter 
larly had been cruising for a month on the Upper St. John's. 
. darkness caught us out again, but at length our whistle was 
answered by a light and we headed inshore to u little wharf 
stucx up on stilts nearly a mile f.om land. There the lantern 
met us in a boat from shore, manned by three or four young 
men who were employed clearing and grafting an orange 
grove. From them we learned that we had passed the spring, 
to which they offered to pilot us back. They were on the 
lookout for a down river bout else we probably would not 
have found our destination at all. Wo ran buck to the mouth 
of the stream from the spring, found a good berth for the 
Grace Irving, and made our camp under a maguifleent palm 
tree on u bed of snow-white perriwinklo shells on the bank of 
the stream. ^ ouug bull aligators, moving up and down the 
stream, kept up their bellowing all the night. At daylight 
leaping fish fairly churned its water into foam. We were 
tired of fish aud fishing ; hud more than we knew what to do 
with, and supplied the neighbors. Going out at daybreak in 
the hope of getting a shot, I found the whole country covered 
with wild orunge trees bending under their golden fruit. 
After breakfast we took the skiff and rowed up to the spring 
less than a mile. If Salt Spring was beautiful, tbid is en- 
chanting. Perhaps the rising sun and the just perceptible 
liaze had something to do with it ; but, in looking back now, 
I think 1 never sailed over any other three-quarters of a mile 
of water quite as charming us this. Like the other, this 
stream is filled and choked with herbage ; the same coral-like 
planis and mosses ; a world of long grasses waving in the swift 
C Trent ; a snowy floor beneath them half revealed in strips 
and patches and wild fields. Here und there are eprmg8 that 
would be considered immense in any other neighborhood, boil- 
ing up in the crystal depths with dancing domes of white 
6and and powdered shell. All is alive with fish of every size 
ancl line darting in and among the verdure. Iu the bottom tbe 
turtles have their walks like rabbit paths, aloDg which they 
were taking their morning promenades, hurried sometimes by 
the approaching boat or the dip of its oars. Not least of the 
beauties of the scene was a certain irridescent tinting upon 
the patches of white floor, caused, as I imagined, by Hie sun 
shining through the water at a low nn^le. Tlie great spring 
is a single up-boiling fountuiu with its dome of white sand und 
shells at the bottom and a dome of water on the surface. It 
is inclosed in a semi-circular sweep of a shell ridge tweuty or 
thirty feet high. Thq edge of the water is fringed with over- 
hanging trees, a sugar field is beyond, and a rude sugar mill 
aud row of boiling kettles uear at band. A few days before 
the steamer Erie had paddled up to the spring and tried to 
station herself over the fountain, but found it impossible to 
