English
AllnightlongtheNancyBellsailedbackandforthwithinsightofthelightthatmarkedthemouthoftheriver.
Soonafterdaylightapilot-boatwasseenapproachingherinanswertothesignalwhichwasflyingfromthemainrigging.
Astheboatranalongside,acoloredpilotclamberedtothedeckanddeclareditdidhimgoodtoseeabigschoonerwaitingtocomeintotheSt.Mark’soncemore.
“Usterbeaplentyof‘em,”saidheto“CaptainLi,”“butdey’sscurcer’ngoledollarsnow-adays,an’I’seproudtosee‘emcomin’ag’in.”
BythetimebreakfastwasoverandtheElmerscameondeck,theyfoundtheschoonerrunningrapidlyupabroadriver,betweenwideexpansesoflowsalt-marshes,boundedbydistantpineforests,andstuddedhereandtherewithgroupsofcabbagepalms.
Thechannelwasaregularzig-zag,andtheyrannowtoonesideandthenfarovertotheothertoescapethecoralreefsandoysterbarswithwhichitisfilled.
Thisoccupiedmuchtime;butthebreezewasfresh,andwithinanhourtheyhadruneightmilesuptheriver,andwerepassingtheruinsoftheoldSpanishFortofSt.Mark’s.
Afewminuteslatersailswerelowered,andtheschoonerwasmooredtooneoftherottenoldwharvesthatstillremaintotellofSt.Mark’sformerglory.
“AndisthisSt.Mark’s?”askedMrs.Elmer,lookingwithafeelingofkeendisappointmentatthedozenorsotumble-downframebuildingsthat,perchedonpilesabovethelow,wetland,lookedlikedilapidatedoldmenwithshakylegs,andformedallthatwastobeseenofthetown.
“Yes,miss,”answeredthecoloredpilot,whoseemedtoconsiderherquestionaddressedtohim.
“Disyere’sSt.Mark’s,orwhatdegaleshaslef’ofhit.
‘Pearslikedey’sbeenmightyhardondeoletown,sencetradefelloff,an’mos’ofdefolksesmovedaway.
Usterbewharvesallalongyere,an’cotton-presses,an’bigwar’houses,an’plentyshipsinderibber;butnowdey’sallgone.
Demtimesweusterhabfo’trainsofkyarsaday;butnowdere’sonlyonetraincomestreetimesindeweek,an’hit’sonlygotonekyar.
OleSt.Mark’sa-seein’badtimesnow,forsho.”
Assoonashecouldgetashore,Mr.Elmer,accompaniedbyMarkandthecaptain,wentupintothevillagetofindoutwhathecouldregardingtheirdestinationandfuturemovements.
Inaboutanhourhereturned,bringingapackageoflettersfromthepost-office,andtheinformationthatUncleChristopherBangs’splacewasatWakulla,somesixmilesfartheruptheriver.
AstheriveraboveSt.Mark’sisquitecrooked,andborderedonbothsidesbydenseforests,andasnosteam-tugcouldbehad,thecaptaindidnotcaretoattempttocarrytheschooneranyfartherup.
Mr.Elmerhadthereforecharteredalarge,flat-bottomedlighter,orscow,tocarrytoWakullathecargoofhouseholdgoods,tools,buildingmaterial,etc.,thattheyhadbroughtwiththem.
As“CaptainLi”wasanxioustoproceedonhisvoyagetoPensacolaasquicklyaspossible,thelighterwasatoncebroughtalongsidetheschooner,andtheworkofdischargingtheElmers’goodsintoherwasbegun.
“By-the-way,Mark,”saidMr.Elmer,astheschooner’shatcheswereremoved,“IamjustremindedthatthisisChristmas-day,andthatthereisapresentdownintheholdforyoufromyourUncleChristmas.
Itwillbeoneofthefirstthingstakenout,soseeifyoucanrecognizeit.”
Hehadhardlyspokenbeforethesailors,whohadgonedownintothehold,passedcarefullyuptothoseondeckabeautifulbirch-barkcanoe,withthenameRuthpaintedonitsbows.
“That’sit,Father!That’sit!I’msureitis.Oh!Isn’tsheabeauty?”shoutedMark,wildwithdelight.“Oh!
Father,howdidheknowjustexactlywhatIwantedmost?”
andtheexcitedboyrusheddownintothecabintobeghismotherandRuthtocomeondeckandseehisChristmaspresent.
Thecanoewasfollowedbytwopaddlespaintedabrightvermilion,andastheywereplacedinher,andshewaslaidtoonesideofthedeck,shewasindeedasprettyalittlecraftascanbeimagined,andonethatwoulddelightanyboy’sheart.
“Iknewweweregoingtolivenearariver,mydear,”saidMr.Elmer,inanswertohiswife’sanxiousexpressionasshelookedatthecanoe,“andasMarkisagoodswimmerandverycarefulinboats,Ithoughtacanoewouldaffordhimgreatpleasure,andprobablyproveveryusefultoallofus.
SowhenUncleChristopheraskedmewhatIthoughttheboywouldlikemostforaChristmaspresent,Itoldhimacanoe.”
“Well,Ihopeitwillprovesafe,”sighedMrs.Elmer;“butIwishitwereflat-bottomed,andbuiltofthickboardsinsteadofthatthinbark.”
“Oh,Mother!”saidMark,“youmightaswellwishitwereacanal-boatatonce.”
“Yes,Ibelievecanal-boatsaregenerallyconsideredsaferthancanoes,”answeredhismotherwithasmile.
“By-the-way,Mark”—andsheturnedtoherhusband—“oneofthelettersyoubroughtwasfromUncleChristopher,andhesayshethinksheforgottotellusthatthereisahouseonhisplace,whichhehopeswewillfindinafitconditiontooccupy.”
Mr.Elmerhadexpectedtohavetobuildahouse,andhadaccordinglybroughtwithhimsashes,doors,blinds,thenecessaryhardware,andinfacteverythingexceptlumberforthatpurpose.
Thismaterialwasnowbeingtransferredfromtheschoonertothelighter,andnowitseemedalmostapitytohavebroughtit;stilltheywereverygladtolearnthattheywerelikelytofindahouseallreadytomoveinto.
ItwantedbuttwohoursofsundownwhenthelastoftheElmers’goodswerestowedinthelighter,andastherewasnothingtodetainhimanylonger,“CaptainLi”saidheshouldtakeadvantageoftheebbtidethatnighttodropdowntheriverandgetstartedforPensacola.
Asrowingandpolingtheheavylighteruptheriverwouldatbestprovebutslowwork,andastherewasnohotelorplaceforthemtostayinSt.Mark’s,Mr.Elmerthoughttheytoohadbettermakeastart,andtakeadvantageofthelastofthefloodtideandwhatdaylightstillremained.
Sogood-byeswereexchanged,andfeelingverymuchasthoughtheywereleavinghomeforthesecondtime,theElmersleftthecomfortablecabinthathadshelteredthemfornearlyamonth.
FollowedbyJan,theywentonboardtheirnewcraft,andthelineswerecastoff.
Thecrewoffourstrongcoloredmenbentoverthelongsweeps,andfollowedbyaheartycheerfromthecrewoftheschooner,thescowmovedslowlyuptheriver.
InafewminutesabendhidSt.Mark’sandthetallmastsoftheNancyBellfromsight,andoneithersideofthemappearednothingbutunbrokenforest.
TheriverseemednarrowanddarkaftertheopenseatowhichtheElmershadbeensolongaccustomed,andfromitsbanksthedensegrowthofoak,cedar,magnolia,palm,bay,cypress,elm,andsweetgumtrees,festoonedwithmoss,andboundtogetherwithanet-workofvines,roselikewalls,shuttingoutthesunlight.
Strangewater-fowl,long-leggedandlong-billed,flewscreamingawayastheyadvanced,andquicksplashesinthewateraheadofthemtoldofthepresenceofotheranimallife.
AtsunsettheywerenearlytwomilesfromSt.Mark’s,andoppositeaclearedspotonthebank,wherewaspiledaquantityoflight-woodorpitch-pine.
Herethecaptainandownerofthelighter,whowasayoungwhitemannamedOliverJohnson,proposedthattheyshouldtieupforthenight.
TothisMr.Elmerconsented,andassoonastheboatwasmadefasttothebank,activepreparationswerebegunforcookingsupper,andformakingeverythingassnugandcomfortableaspossible.
Alargesailwasstretchedacrosssomepoles,intheformofatent,overtheafter-partofthelighter,andbeneaththistwocomfortablebedsweremadeupfromtheabundantsupplyofmattressesandblanketsbelongingtotheElmers.
JanJansenandCaptainJohnson,who,Marksaid,mustberelated,astheirnameswerethesame,spreadtheirblanketsintheforwardendoftheboat.
Onshorethenegrocrewbuiltforthemselvesathatchedlean-toofpolesandpalm-leavesbesidethefire,thatwasalreadythrowingitscheerfullightacrossthedarksurfaceoftheriver.
Whilethemenwerebusyarrangingthesheltersandbedding,Mrs.ElmerandRuth,assistedbyoneofthenegroes,werecookingsupperoverabedofcoalsthathadbeenrakedfromthefire.
Ahugepotofcoffeesentforthcloudsoffragrantsteam,andintwofrying-panssomefreshlycaughtfishsizzledandbrownedinamostgratifyingandappetizingmanner.
Inacoupleofkettleshungoverthefirehominyandsweetpotatoesbubbled,boiled,andtriedtooutdoeachotheringettingdone.
Fresh-madebreadandagoodsupplyofbutterhadbeenbroughtfromtheschooner.
Whenthesupperwasallready,andspreadoutonagreentable-clothofpalm-leaves,MarkandRuthdeclaredthatthispicnicwasevenjollierthantheoneontheislandoftheFloridaReef,andthatthiswasafteralloneoftheverybestChristmasestheyhadeverknown.
Aftersupper,andwhenthedisheshadallbeenwashedandputaway,theElmers,CaptainJohnson,andJansoughttheshelterofthecanvasawningfromtheheavynight-dewwhichhadbeguntofallassoonasthesunwentdown.
Theyliftedthesides,sothattheycouldlookoutandseethefirearoundwhichthecrewweregathered.
Afterawhileoneofthesestartedaplaintivenegromelody,whichsoundedverysweetlythroughthestillair.
Theotherstookitup,andtheysangforanhourormore,greatlytothedelightofthechildren,towhomsuchmusicwasnew.
Manyofthewordswerecomposedastheysang,andMarkandRuthcouldnothelplaughingatsomeofthem,which,thoughsungverysoberly,soundedfunny.
Onesongwhichtheyafterwardsrememberedwas:
“Oh,deyputJohnondeislan’
WhendeBridegroomcome;
Yes,deyputJohnondeislan’
WhendeBridegroomcome;
An’derabenscomean’fedhim
WhendeBridegroomcome;
Yes,derabenscomean’fedhim
WhendeBridegroomcome.
An’fiveofdemwaswise
WhendeBridegroomcome;
Yes,fiveofdemwaswise
WhendeBridegroomcome;
An’fiveofdemwasfoolish
WhendeBridegroomcome;
Yes,fiveofdemwasfoolish
WhendeBridegroomcome.
Oh,gibusofyo’ile
WhendeBridegroomcome;
Oh,gibusofyo’ile
WhendeBridegroomcome;
Fo’you’llnebbergettoheaben
WhendeBridegroomcome;
No,you’llnebbergettoheaben
WhendeBridegroomcome;
Alessyou’silea-plenty
WhendeBridegroomcome;
Alessyou’silea-plenty
WhendeBridegroomcome.”
Inthemidstofthesingingavoicecalledoutfromthetreetops,
“Who,who,who,who’sthere?”oratleastsoitsounded.
Immediatelythesingingstopped,andoneofthenegroesanswered,
“SomefolksesfromdeNorf,MarseOwl,an’Cap’nJohnsin,an’me,an’Homer,an’Virgil,an’Pete.”
“Whatdoeshemeanbythat?”askedMr.Elmerofthecaptain.
“Oh,”answeredhe,“it’soneoftheirsuperstitionsthatthey’llhavebadluckiftheydon’tansweranowlpolitelywhenheasks‘Who’sthere?’andgivethenamesofalltheparty,iftheyknowthem.”
Soonafterthisallhandssoughttheirblankets,good-nightsweresaid,thefiredieddown,andallwasquietinthecamp,thoughseveraltimessomesleepynegrorousedhimselfsufficientlytoanswertheowl’srepeatedquestionof“Who’sthere?”
Itmusthavebeennearlymidnightwhenthecampwasstartledbyacrash,aseriesofsmotheredcries,andaloudsplashinginthewater.
Itwasevidentthatsomethingserioushadhappened,butwhatitwasnoonecouldmakeoutinthedarkness.
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