back    contents    forward

{{frabfp032.png}} || eagles of the sky ||

sending hundreds of poor wretches to a watery
grave."

"I'm wise to all them facts, partner," piped
up Perk, grinning amiably, "an' I sure don't
hanker after bein' sent down to that port o'
missin' men in no hurry. I'll stick it out on this
line jest as long as you say an' try to keep from
grumblin'. Thar goes the last o' the rotten stuff
overboard, Boss, an' we're all clear again. While
we're a'waitin' till the last speck o' daylight
slickers away, wouldn't it be right smart if we
set our teeth in some o' that fine grub I laid in,
to keep us from starvin' to death?"

"Suits me okay, buddy; suppose you trot it
out and we'll pas the time away bolstering up
our strength--no telling what we may have before
us tonight if we happen to strike rich pay-dirt."

Accordingly they busied themselves with
what to Perk especially was a most agreeable
occupation, for it must be confessed that the
Maine lad possessed a fairly good appetite while
his capacity for storing away good things was
something close to marvelous.

So the night settled down around them--sounds
indicative of a Florida coast camping
ground began to make themselves manifest--mullet
jumped up out of the brackish water
where some stream emptied its tide straight from

[[32]]

back    contents    forward