One of our casual acquaintances accompanies us to the station, loads us
with heaps of good wishes and a basket of beautiful flowers; we exchange
a pleasant farewell, and the train moves slowly off. We take our last
look at the majestic river, whereon we have passed so many delightful
hours; it is clothed with a silver sheen, and ripples and sparkles and
flashes in the royal light of the sun. The little Palatka steamer, with
a single white sail fluttering from its masthead, puffs fussily on its
way, bearing a fresh freight of happy tourists on their way to the
wonderful Ocklawaha--as it bore us only a few days ago; for a moment it
seems to be racing with us, then we pass out of sight. We take a last
look at the pretty embowered city of Jacksonville, and then proceed to
decorate our section with flowers, have a table set up, get out our
books and a little idle needlework, and settle ourselves comfortably in
our travelling home.
The car is almost empty, and the few companions we have are of the
masculine order; the touristical element is absent. Our companions,
judging from, their conversation, are all Texan farmers who have been on
a trip through Florida, combining business with pleasure, investigating
the land generally, seeing how they could improve their own possessions;
and gathering up hints and facts and scraps for future use. One talked
of giving up his cattle ranch in Texas, and migrating to Florida
altogether.
“Steers and heifers, and such-like are well enough raisin’,” he said,
“but them cattle lifters are always about, and keep us a little too
lively all the time. When we go to bed at night we are never sure we
sha’n’t find our cattle driven off in the morning, and then--well,
there’s generally a little shootin’ before we can get ’em back. I’ve
seen so much of that sort of thing that now I’m getting an old man I’m
tired of it. It seems all so quiet and peaceful down Florida, no lifters
nor raiders thereabouts. I think,” he added, after a pause, “I shall
turn my cattle into orange groves.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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