Wakulla: a story of adventure in Florida

e as soon as possible, the children did not mind it a bit; indeed, they were rather glad of it. In the nov

a walk in the afternoon with her husband. So the children went off on long exploring expeditions by themselves, and the follo

FLA., Decem

h has happened since then. This is the very first chance I have had since I left to

a-sick a bit,

n. A few days before we got here we found a wreck, and helped get it off, and brought it here to Key West. Now we are waiting for a court to say how

s down here are called keys. The Spaniards call it 'Cayo Hueso,' which means bone key, or bone island; but I'm sure I don't know why, for I haven't seen any bones here. The island is all mad

nics and get thirsty. And the roses are perfectly lovely, and they have great oleanders and cactuses, and hundreds of flowers that I don't know the names of, a

Mark says he don't think this is very tropical, because we haven't seen any bread-fruit-trees nor a single pirate; but they used to have them here-I mean pirates. Anyhow, we have cu

straw hat and my thinnest linen dresses-you know, those I had

? and who's head in the algebra class? Mark wants to know how's the skating, and if the boys have built a s

s calling me to go to the fruit auction.

ybody, I am your o

H EL

you are coming down here

the auction would be all over before they got there. She hurriedly directed it, and put it in her pocket to

wharf at which the schooner lay, whe

l about it. Just wait here a minute whi

he very carelessest!" But Mark was

king beautiful flowers out of tiny shells and glistening fish-scales. She became so much interested in their work tha

to a square, on one corner of which quite a crowd of people were collected. They were all listening attentive

t forty-five to Mr.-Beg pardon; the name, sir? Of course, certainly! And now comes the finest lot of oranges ever offered for sale in Key West. What am I bid pe

ng in Key West is bought or sold at auction; certainly all fruit is. For an hour before the time set for the auction a man goes through the streets ringing a bell and announcing what is to be sold. This morning he h

first lot offered. He waited until somebody who knew more about the value of oranges than he should fix t

"give me a starter. What am I to have fo

called a voice

three? That's right. Do I hear the quarter? They are well worth it, gentlemen. Will no one give me the quar

self heard or of catching the auctioneer's eye, until, finally, in a sort of despair he calle

er is bid. Shall I have a half? Do I hear it? Half, half, half; and sold at three dollars and a quarter to Mr.--what name, please? Elder.

d for them. After that, during the rest of their stay in Key West, whenever Mark went near a fruit auction he wa

they scraped acquaintance with a weather-beaten old sponger, who sat in the stern of one of the smallest of the boat

cayne," said the old sponger; "but the best comes

re we're going!"

enty raked up there, I reckon. Did y

Ruth, "I

nd he showed them what looked like a wooden bucket with a glass bottom. "Jest

ld man directed, and uttered an exclamation of delight. "Why,

fust comes up they's plumb black, and about the nastiest things you ever did see, I reckon. We throws 'em into crawls built in shallow water, an' lets 'em rot till all the animal matter is dead,

of them at Key West Mark and Ruth saw little negro boys diving to bring up stray sponges that the rakes had missed. They did not seem to enjoy this half a

about these little, unhappy-loo

as play, may become hard and unpleasant w

ings they saw were old Fort Taylor, which stands just outside the city, and commands the harbor, the abandoned salt-works, about five miles from the city, and the

r lying in the harbor, and hid themselves in this Martello tower. They made it so that through it they could point their muskets and shoot anybody sent to capture them as soon as he entered the lower rooms. They did not have

rns for storing rain-water, for there are no wells on the island, and the only

he cabin of the schooner one afternoon and announced that the cou

nsisted upon giving Mr. and Mrs. Elmer each two hundred dollars, and Mark, Ruth, and Jan each one hundred dollars. As neither of the children had ever before owned more than five dollars at one time, they now felt wealthy enough to buy the

er the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. On the evening of the third day a bright light flashed across the waters ahead of them, and "Captain Li" said it was at the mouth of the St.