CHAPTER XXV.
ALLIGATOR SHOOTING ON BLACK CREEK.
After supper I returned the visit of Mr. Garbrook, the owner andcaptain of the little steam-yacht. She was a perfect beauty, and, smallas she was, she had two state-rooms for the owner and his family, and anice little cabin. The whole ship's company besides the owner,consisted of an engineer and a boy. Forward of the engine were acook-room, a little cabin, and the pilot-house, the latter so smallthat only one person could occupy it at the same time.
"Who is the cook?" I asked, wondering how he managed to run the boatwith only two hands.
"Sometimes the boy does the cooking, and sometimes I do it; but wedon't live very high on board," said Mr. Garbrook, laughing. "We takemost of our meals on shore when we are near a hotel."
"I think I should prefer a little more room," I added.
"So should I; but a steamer of your size draws too much water. I havean orange plantation back of Picolata; I have to run up Five-Mile Creekto reach it by water; and it is not deep enough for such a craft as Iwould like," added Mr. Garbrook.
"I was thinking of going up Black Creek to-morrow, to Middleburg; but Icannot find a pilot. I was going to ask your party to accompany us,"continued the owner of the little steamer.
"I think I can furnish the pilot," I replied.
"Your steamer draws too much water for Black Creek, or I suppose youwould run up to Middleburg in her. A great many parties make thisexcursion."
"I don't know that I ever heard of Black Creek before," I replied,wondering that Cornwood had not mentioned it.
Perhaps our guide did not know about Black Creek; and I pulled out ofmy pocket the "Suggestions" he had written out for the trip; but Icould not find the name in it. If there was anything in Florida thatCornwood was not familiar with, I desired to know what it was. It wouldbe a real enjoyment to me to find that he was not competent to pilotthe little steam-yacht up Black Creek. I was instructed to invite allour party to the excursion, if I could bring a pilot for the occasion.
I returned to the Sylvania, and I thought I would invite the partybefore I said anything to the pilot. I gave them what information I hadobtained in regard to Black Creek and Middleburg, and they were readyto accept the invitation. I found Cornwood on the forecastle, smokinghis cigar, and opened the matter by informing him that the party weregoing up Black Creek the next day.
"But this boat draws too much water to go up to Middleburg," said thepilot, promptly. "She can't go half-way up there."
"But we are to go in that little steam-yacht," I added.
"That's another thing; I dare say she would go up if there was nothingbut a little fog under her," laughed Cornwood.
"But we wish you to pilot her up the creek," I continued.
"I will do it with the greatest pleasure," he answered.
I was taken aback by this ready reply, for I had felt confident that Ihad found something the Floridian could not do.
"You did not mention Black Creek in the paper you wrote," I suggested.
"Neither did I mention Lake Griffin, because it would be impossible toget up there in a boat drawing eight feet of water," replied Cornwood.
The pilot was not to be caught. I sent word to Mr. Garbrook that ourparty would be happy to join his family in the excursion up BlackCreek, and that I would furnish a pilot. I noticed considerableactivity on board of the Gazelle, for that was the name of thesteam-yacht, after I sent the message.
I had heard nothing of Griffin Leeds during the day. Though I had nodoubt he was in Green Cove Springs, he made no attempt to come onboard. I concluded that he intended to wait for a more favorableopportunity to recover possession of his wife; but I was determinedthat no such chance should be afforded to him.
At nine in the morning we went on board of the Gazelle, and she weighedanchor immediately. Cornwood took possession of the pilot-house,declaring that he had never been confined in a canary-bird's cagebefore. But he was good-natured about it, and when the boy had got upthe anchor, Cornwood rang the bell to start the engine. Everythingworked as regularly as though the little yacht had been a steamer of athousand tons. The pilot ran the boat down the river about a mile belowMagnolia, and then stood into an inlet, at the head of which we foundthe stream. It was a considerable river, but Cornwood seemed to bequite at home in it. It was a crooked stream, but the pilot ran fromone side to the other, talking to me all the time with the utmostindifference.
I observed him for a couple of hours, until I was entirely satisfiedthat he knew what he was about, and then joined the party astern. Itwas seldom that a steamer disturbed the waters of Black Creek, never inthese days, except when a party of curious excursionists desired toexplore the lonely region. The Gazelle made about eight knots an hour,and at eleven o'clock we were fast to a dilapidated pier at the ruinedtown of Middleburg. It lay about half-way between the St. Johns and theAtlantic, Gulf and West India Company's Railroad, extending fromFernandina to Cedar Keys, on the Gulf of Mexico, intended as part of aquick route to Havana. The building of this railroad, by diverting fromit the trade and transportation of a considerable region of country,had utterly ruined Middleburg, and it was as lone and deserted asPompeii under the ashes of Vesuvius. Hardly a family was to be found inits abandoned houses.
A glance at the ruins was enough to satisfy the party, especially asCornwood warned us not to enter the houses, or we should be coveredwith fleas. These pests are not uncommon in Florida. Green Cove Springsformerly had some, which were supposed to be scattered through theplace by the pigs that ran at large. The evil was corrected by keepingthem out of the village. The fleas were a vastly greater terror to theladies than the alligators, of which there were a great many in thecreek. Its quiet waters, not often disturbed by steamers, afforded thema peaceful retreat. Owen and Colonel Shepard had brought their gunswith them, and had fired at some of the larger ones seen on the shore;but the saurians might have laughed at them, if they were given toexpressing themselves in that manner. Cornwood smiled every time one ofthem fired.
We ran up the "North Prong" of the river a few miles. Under the shadeof some spreading oaks we stopped for the lunch which our host hadprovided. It had been obtained at the hotels, and after our sail wewere in condition to enjoy it. The alligators were larger and moreplentiful, and while the Gazelle was at rest they were more disposed toshow themselves on the sandy beach above us. Owen and the Colonel firedat them several times; but they seemed to take no notice of the shots,and the pilot laughed as usual.
"You haven't graduated as alligator sportsmen yet," said Cornwood whenthey had wasted a large quantity of powder and ball. "You might as wellfire at an iron-clad, as at the back and sides of an alligator as largeas those are."
Owen handed him his gun, which was one of the most expensive pieces,intended for deer and other large game. The pilot loaded it himself,and said he should try for the largest reptile in the group on thebeach. He fired. The alligator gave a spring, and began to flounder inthe sand, while his companions deserted him, taking to the water. Inanother moment he was dead.
"What do you aim at, Mr. Cornwood?" asked Owen, with admiration at theskill of the Floridian.
"It depends on circumstances," replied the pilot. "If the alligator isin such a position that I can take him in the eye, as that one was, andsend the ball diagonally through his head, I fire at the eye. If helies so that I can put the ball in behind his forward flipper, and haveit pass forward, I take him there. Sometimes he is in such a positionthat you can't hit him in either of these places, and it is no more useto fire at him than it is to shoot into the water."
"You made an end of that fellow, at any rate," added Colonel Shepard."I think we had better run over and take a look at him."
The pilot ran the boat near enough to the beach so that we could jumpashore. I took a measure with me, and the alligator proved to be tenfeet and four inches long. Owen considered himself a good shot, and hewas somewhat mortified at his ill-success in shooting the saurian. Weran farther up the c
reek till we saw another group of them on the sand.The steam was shut off as soon as they came in sight around a bend. Theboat went ahead a considerable distance after the screw stopped. Onthis beach were a number of parallel crooked lines, where thealligators had crawled on the sand. One of the reptiles raised hishead, and seemed to be in doubt whether or not he should take to thewater at the approach of the steamer.
ALLIGATOR SHOOTING ON BLACK CREEK. Page 259.]
Owen raised his piece and fired. All but one of the alligators scurriedinto the water, and disappeared. One remained on the beach motionless.The Gazelle was started, and on reaching the shore we found the reptilewas as dead as he could be. He was larger than the other, his lengthbeing eleven feet and two inches. My cousin wanted to take him back tothe Springs, and we hauled him on the forecastle of the little steamer.Cornwood gave the Englishman abundant praise for what he had done.After three attempts farther up the stream, Colonel Shepard shot oneseven feet long. This was considered enough for one day, and we startedon the return. At six we put our party on board of the Sylvania, withmany thanks to Mr. Garbrook for the pleasure of the excursion.
We had no further business in Green Cove Springs; but Owen insistedthat we must reciprocate the hospitality of the Garbrooks, and I wasasked to plan an excursion for the next day. There was no localityabove Jacksonville to which our friends had not been; and I proposed tobreakfast the Gazelle's people on board, and starting at six in themorning make a trip to Fort George Island, where the Garbrooks hadnever been, or even below Jacksonville on the river. The plan wasreceived with acclamation, and I hastened on board of the Gazelle topresent the invitation of Owen.
Our party were all up at five the next morning, for they did not omitthe swimming-bath a single day while they were at the Springs; and theyreturned in season for the Sylvania, which had hauled up to the pier tostart on the excursion at the appointed hour. Washburn had filled thebunkers of the steamer with light wood, which is plenty and cheap onthe St. Johns, and made steam very rapidly. I told Moses Brickland tomake the best time he could with safety, and at the breakfast-hour Ifound we were making twelve knots.
Our guests were delighted with the steamer. In the forenoon, as we hada strong southerly breeze, I put on all sail, as much to show theGarbrooks how it was done, as for any other reason. This operationshowed off our sailors, and pleased all the party. At eleven we reachedour destination; and after lunch the party landed, and spent threehours in visiting the various localities on the island. At three wesailed again, and reached our destination at eight.