Page:Maud Howe - Atlanta in the South.djvu/148

 ride over the waves in the stanch sailing-craft. Here one may dine pleasantly (and well, if one is an habitué) on wide galleries or gardens looking out into the sunset-land beyond the lake. In the gardens are a few very tame wild beasts, and a pelican too well provided with fish and promiscuous victuals to be ever put to the painful extremity in which it is depicted on all the official insignia of Louisiana. Here are alligators, immeasurably old and hideous, which have to be fiercely prodded with long poles, provided for this emergency, to induce them to feed on pieces of raw meat which the unwary visitor pays for.

And all these things Margaret saw and enjoyed a little: but it was not with her as it had been on the day of the fête; and Robert knew that this was so, and yet feared to ask the reason of the change. The General followed them about, and examined the ancient fort, whose remains are included in this pleasure-ground. Later, dinner was served, and there was music in the garden; but Margaret hardly heeded it for listening to a tale Robert Feuardent was telling her of the six tall slim trees which faced each other in a double row within a few yards of the place where they were sitting. These trees mark the graves of six young men of gentle degree who in the old time, when the fort was