CHAPTER XXII.
FISHING IN DOCTOR'S LAKE.
After a very good dinner, we were invited to take a ride in an OrangePark carriage. The vehicle was a platform wagon, with stakes, such asis called a "hay rigging" in some parts of the North, drawn by a pairof mules. I found that a mule in this locality cost more than a housefor the ordinary settler. On the platform were placed chairs enough toseat all the party, including Cornwood, Washburn, and myself. Theproprietor was the driver, and as we proceeded on the excursion, heexplained everything of interest. He drove to an old orange-tree thathad borne four thousand oranges that year. Near it was a tangled groveof fig-trees, the first I had ever seen.
From this point we struck into the woods. We crossed a clear brookwhich was never dry; and Miss Margie asked if there were any snakes onthe place. Mr. Benedict thought there might be, though he had neverseen any.
"Oh, isn't that magnificent! Perfectly lovely!" cried Miss Edith inecstasies.
"Beautiful!" added Miss Margie. "Did you ever see anything like it?"
I had not, for one. The sight which had called forth these enthusiasticexclamations was a perfect forest of jasmine in full blossom. The treesthat grew near the brook were of a young growth, and for half an acrein extent they were loaded with jasmine vines so thickly covered withflowers that the green leaves could hardly be seen. The ladies were alldelighted. Washburn and I got out, and gathered half a cord or so ofthe vines, thus loaded with blossoms, and the wagon was as fragrant asa perfume shop.
We entered a forest of pines, where we found a house built by a coupleof young men who had been several years in Cuba, and intended tocultivate the sugar-cane. In the midst of the woods we came to an oldchurch, without a house within a mile of it, and which had been threeor four miles from any dwelling in the days when it was used. It was arather large log-house, now in a ruinous condition, in which theplanters and their families had once attended divine services. Not farfrom it the proprietor stopped his team, and we all got off the wagon.We were conducted to the "Roaring Magnetic Spring," which was one ofthe features of the place. Florida is a great place for springs ofvarious kinds. We were all arranged on a wooden platform over thespring, which was a tunnel-shaped cavity in the blue sand of the earth,about ten feet deep.
"Now keep still a moment," said Mr. Benedict.
We listened, and the roaring of the spring was easily heard when thevoices of the party did not drown it.
"Isn't it beautiful!" exclaimed Miss Margie, as she bent over and gazedinto the spring, the waters of which, for six feet down, were as clearas crystal. "Aren't those sand clouds pretty?"
As the water boiled up from the bottom of the spring, it carried thesand up in clearly-curved clouds until their own gravity caused theparticles to sink, and again be thrown up by the force of the water.The party watched this phenomenon with interest for some time, for notone of them had ever seen anything like it, with the exception of Mr.Cornwood.
"Now, I want to show you something still more remarkable," continuedthe proprietor, as he produced two long, narrow strips of board. "Youhave heard the roaring of the spring, and now I want to convince youthat it is magnetic."
He placed the ends of the strips at the bottom of the spring, and thendisposed of each of the other ends on the sides of Colonel Shepard'shead. The same experiment was then tried upon Mr. Tiffany, and all theother members of the party. The roaring seemed to penetrate, and passthrough one's head. Owen declared that the process had cured him of aheadache he had had all day; but Mr. Tiffany, while he was muchinterested in the phenomenon, was somewhat skeptical in regard to themagnetic properties of the spring.
We resumed our seats on the Orange Park carriage, and rode to Doctor'sLake. It was said to be a dozen miles long, and from one to three mileswide. We were told there were plenty of fish in this lake, and we weredisposed to verify the truth of the assertion. We returned to thehotel, delighted with our drive, and Mrs. Shepard declared that sheshould like to live at Orange Park. Before we left, the Colonel hadbargained for two lots on the St. Johns, and to have them covered withorange-trees. We started for the end of the pier where the steamer lay,for the shallow water did not permit a near approach to the land.
As we approached the Sylvania, we heard a scream from a woman on board.I was not a little startled by the sound, and Washburn and I broke intoa run. On the quarter-deck we found Griffin Leeds and Chloe. Herhusband had seized her by the arm, and was dragging her towards thegangway. Already Ben Bowman and the two deck-hands were rushing to herassistance, and before we could reach the scene of action they hadgrappled with Leeds, and released Chloe.
The stewardess retreated to the farthest part of the deck, and appearedto be in mortal terror of her husband. Griffin Leeds drew a knife,--notthe one he had used before, for that was in the possession of the citymarshal of Jacksonville,--and threatened to take the life of any onethat interfered with him. It was evident that he had seen the partycoming from the hotel, and had made a desperate effort to securepossession of his wife before we could defeat his purpose. I was afraidsome of the ship's company would get hurt when I saw the knife.Griffin's wrath seemed to be especially kindled against the assistantengineer, on account of the affair on Saturday.
"You white-livered villain!" said he, gnashing his teeth, with a savageoath, "I will teach you to meddle with me!"
He rushed at Ben, with the knife gleaming in the air; but Ben, who wasas cool as when on duty in the engine-room, grasped his uplifted armwith the left hand, while he placed his right on the throat of theassassin. Though the engineer was no taller or heavier than I was, hewas very athletic and very active. He did not move or make anydemonstration till the assailant was within reach of him, and then hegrappled with him. In vain Griffin Leeds struggled to release his handfrom the grasp of the engineer, who held it as firmly as though it hadbeen screwed up in the vise in the engine-room.
Buck Lingley was not an instant behind Ben in taking prompt action. Heseized the other hand of the furious octoroon, while Hop Tossford laidboth hands on his coat-collar behind. In another instant Griffin Leedswas borne down upon the deck. The young ladies of our party began toscream and run up the pier; and Mrs. Shepard was so agitated that herhusband feared for the consequences.
"Tie his hands behind him, and put him ashore!" I shouted.
My order was promptly obeyed, and Ben and Buck began to march thedesperate husband up the pier.
"There is no more danger of him, ladies," said Ben, as he approachedthe young ladies.
Miss Margie and Miss Edith halted, and when the men with their prisonerhad passed them, they scampered to the steamer as fast as they couldrun. Mrs. Shepard was assisted on board, and the danger seemed to bepassed. Chloe was herself again, and flew to the assistance of theinvalid lady. But Mrs. Shepard recovered from her agitation in a fewminutes.
"I say, Alick, how much more of this sort of thing are we to have,"asked Owen, when the excitement had subsided. "Are we to have a scenelike this every day in the week?"
"I hope not," I replied.
"We had better let the man's wife go than have him following us in thissort of fashion. How came the fellow up here, when we left him atJacksonville this forenoon?"
"I suppose he came up in that steamer," I answered, pointing to a boata couple of miles up the river. "The hands ought not to have let thefellow come on board."
"The rascal is a regular butcher, and we must all follow the Americanfashion of carrying a revolver."
"I see just how it was: we had to run in at the side of this pier, sothat a steamer that had occasion to stop here could make a landing atthe end of the wharf."
"Is that the reason why that villain wanted to stab somebody?" askedOwen, with a wondering stare.
"Well, not exactly. The crew of the Sylvania were on the forecastle,under the awning, for I saw them rushing aft when I heard the womanscream," I continued.
"Then it was because the crew were on the forecastle?" inquired mycousin, with open mouth.
"When Griffin landed from that steamer, he probably saw Chloe on thequarter-deck, or if he did not, he went into the cabin and found her.The crew being forward of the deck-house did not see him. She refusedto leave the steamer with him, and he undertook to take her away byforce," I explained.
"And you think that makes it all right, Alick?" asked Owen.
"I think not. If I had thought of such a thing as Griffin's coming onboard, I should have set a watch to prevent him from doing so. I shalltake this precaution in future."
"Does that mean that you will set a watch in the future?" asked Owen,seriously.
"That is just what it means: and one is lucky when the dull brain of aBriton catches the idea," I replied.
The appearance of the young ladies called Owen away, and I announced tothe passengers that they would want their fishing-gear in the course ofhalf an hour. I had plenty of fishing-tackle of all sorts which I kepton board; and I knew that all the gentlemen in the cabin, unless it wasMr. Tiffany, were supplied with all the implements for fishing andshooting. Cornwood had procured a supply of bait while we were atdinner. The fasts were cast off, and we backed out into the river. Benand Buck had returned, having made their prisoner fast to the railingof the pier, at the suggestion of Mr. Benedict, who said he would lookout for him.
The steamer stopped when she was clear of the pier, and then wentahead. The pilot said he was perfectly familiar with the navigation ofDoctor's Lake, having surveyed it in the service of the State. Thewater was very shallow near the shore, where we had broken through thebushes to its brink; but it was said to be very deep in many parts. Ihad read that the frequent passage of steamers over the waters of theSt. Johns had driven the frightened fish into such places as Doctor'sLake. We entered its waters, and steamed several miles up the lake.Then the pilot rang the gong, and the vessel was soon at rest.
We baited our hooks, and dropped the lines into the lake. Miss Margiewas the first to hook a fish. After a hard pull she got him to the topof the water. It was a catfish weighing twelve pounds. The Colonel andOwen were disgusted. A catfish is an exaggerated hornpout, or"bullhead." None but negroes eat them at the South.