They heard a
very simple story and a very short one, for now that I came to recount
it all my great adventure dwindled to a few dreary facts. But as best
I knew I told them of the routine of the camp and of the endless drills
in the long spring days down there at Tampa before the army took to
sea. I spoke of the sea and the strange things we saw there as we
steamed along--of the sharks that lolled in our wake, of the great
turtles that seemed to sun themselves on the wave-crests, of the
pelicans and the schools of flying fishes. Elmer Spiker interrupted to
inquire whether the turtles I had seen were "black-legs, red-legs, or
yaller-legs." I had not the remotest idea, and said that I could not
see how the question was relevant. He replied that it was not, except
that it would be of interest to some of those present to learn that
there were three distinct kinds of "tortles"--red-legs, black-legs, and
"yaller-legs." They were shipped to the city and all became
"tarripine." This annoyed me. Elmer is a great scholar, and it was
evident that he was simply airing his wisdom, and rather than give him
a second opportunity I tried to hurry to land; but Isaac Bolum awoke
and wanted to know if he had been dreaming.
Pages:
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38