Page:Maud Howe - Atlanta in the South.djvu/194

 excepting the young lady who leaned comfortably back in the camp-chair, quite unconscious of the maledictions called down upon the devoted heads of her companions.

The people on the steamer, after watching the preparations for departure, settled themselves to enjoy the sail up the river. They passed great orange-groves, where the flat monotony of the landscape was agreeably broken by masses of dark foliage. Groups of pecan-trees, tall and beautiful in shape and color, were outlined against the crystalline sky. Here and there a few scattered negro cabins were to be seen; but for the most part there was little sign of habitation on either bank. At one point they passed an enormous raft of logs brought to anchor at the river-bank. Margaret was much interested in this, which was to her a novel sight. "I wish I could see what it is like to be on such a raft," she said, "and what sort of people live in that queer little house."

Philip, who knew no better law than Margaret's wish, gave the necessary orders, and five minutes later she stepped lightly on the outermost of the great trees solidly chained together. A man came out of the shanty set in the middle of the raft and asked if they were come to buy his lumber. He was a rough-looking old fellow, hard of face and voice. When Margaret told