full force upon his head, but it seemed to produce no impression: he still advanced as I retreated battering his skull.
"What is that brute's head made of?" inquired Herbert as he came to my assistance with another club; and between us we managed to stun the hard-lived reptile, and left him on the ground.
The hunters brought in a young buck and two turkeys, so that we had a plentiful supper after our tramp.
"At what season do the deer breed here, Mr. Weldon?" asked Colonel Vincent as we sat in front of the tent smoking after supper.
"They breed all the year through, sir, and are always in order to kill: they are quite different from your Northern deer."
"They are much smaller than the Canadian deer," said the colonel, "and not as fat. When do you find them in the best condition?"
"In the spring—say next month, when the grass is fresh and tender—our venison is best. I think they are more plenty since the Indians left Florida."
"You are not old enough to remember the Seminole war?" said Morris.
"No, sir: it happened before my day; but Mr. Pecetti can remember it, I reckon."
"Indeed I can," said Pecetti: "I was about sixteen when it broke out. I was living with Captain Dammitt at New Smyrna when the Indians burned all the houses along the Hillsboro' River. You saw those stone chimneys and ruins just below Loud's on the creek? Well, there stood a splendid sugar plantation, with the finest buildings in East Florida: they cost one hundred thousand dollars, as I've heard tell, and belonged to two men from New York by the name of Dunham and Griswold. Well, sir, the Indians burned and destroyed every thing, and carried off the niggers. The whites all came across the river to Dammitt's: he lived where Major Allen does now."
"Did the Indians pursue them?"
"No, sir: they were too busy plundering and burning. I think they had no boats, either: we took care to bring them all across before the Indians got there. We were about ten men and a dozen women and children there at Dammitt's. We could see the red devils running up and down and dancing about the fires, and we could hear their yells. I think there were about thirty in the gang, under Wild Cat. As soon as we could get away we all went off to Augustine for safety. The next year I enlisted in a company of scouts, and served most of the time during the war."
"Did you see much fighting?" inquired the colonel.
"Plenty of marching, but not much fighting: you see, we couldn't often find the Indians. They won't often fight unless they have the advantage. Oh, they are smart! Then they know the country so well that they can always keep out of your way if they choose. The biggest fight I ever saw was on Lake Okechobee, where we are going. Old Zack Taylor was in command, and I was in the spy company with Morgan. The spies and volunteers under Colonel Gentry led the way, and we found the Indians in a thick hummock, with palmetto scrub and saw-grass in front, all covered with a foot of water. It was a terrible strong position: every tree had an Indian marksman in it, all covered up with moss, so that we could not see them. As soon as we entered the scrub they opened fire: we gave them shot for shot, but they picked off our officers from the trees. Gentry was killed, and a good many more, and the volunteers began to get discouraged, and many of them had business in the rear. There were about two hundred and fifty of us against five hundred Seminoles, and we were driven back upon the regulars. The Fourth and Sixth Infantry, about five hundred strong, now took our place, and charged with a yell right through the scrub into the hummock. The Indians fought well, but they couldn't face the bayonet, and in five minutes they were gone. They had the lake right behind them, and escaped along the beach. We had twenty-six killed, five of them officers, and one hundred and twelve wounded. We found ten dead Indians on the ground, and how many dead and wounded they
