A Thousand- Mile Walk 
Their leisure in time of high tide they spend 
in various ways and places. Some go in large 
flocks to reedy margins about the islands and 
wade and stand about quarrelling or making 
sport, occasionally finding a stray mouthful to 
eat. Some stand on the mangroves of the soli- 
tary shore, now and then plunging into the 
water after a fish. Some go long journeys in- 
land, up creeks and inlets. [A few lonely old 
herons of solemn look and wing retire to favor- 
ite oaks. It was my delight to watch those 
old white sages of immaculate feather as they 
stood erect drowsing away the dull hours be- 
tween tides, curtained by long skeins of til- 
landsia. White-bearded hermits gazing dream- 
ily from dark caves could not appear more sol- 
emn or more becomingly shrouded from the 
rest of their fellow beings. 
One of the characteristic plants of these keys 
is the Spanish bayonet, a species of yucca, 
about eight or ten feet in height, and with a 
trunk three or four inches in diameter when 
full grown. It belongs to the lily family and 
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