7

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right outa there, an hitch-hiked to Marco.

"There I run into Virgin White, a feller I usta cow-hunt with. Virgin
wuz a regler ole woods rat. He wuz fixin to go down in the Everglades a--
trappin, an he ast me to go in with him. I had around $80 on me, so I holp
him buy the traps an rations an a tent, an we lit out fer Big Cypress Swamp.
I figgered that wuz a good place to hide out if they had a warrant fer me.

"Varmints wuz plenty that winter, an we got a lotta hides--coon, otter,
deer, skunk, gator, bear, an one big panther. By spring we had about $400
wuth.

"We went to Miami an sold em. My share wuz $197, an I felt purty rich
with all that money bumin a hole in muh britches pocket. But I hadn't had
no fun fer the longest, so I started out lookin fer wimmen an liquor, an a
little gamblin. Well, I found plenty-a all uv em--specially a big crap
game. I be John Browned if I could win a bet in that game, an by mawnin I
wuz clean, plum broke.

The Florida adventurer laughed ruefully as he paused and leaned over
to pick up a fresh piece of whittling timber. The back of his weathered
neck presented a fascinating study, with its crimson and deeply creased skin,
caked in diamond-shaped patterns like red alligator skin. Such necks are
frequent among rural Floridians who have lived much of their lives exposed
to the sun, wind and weather.

From the trailer now came busy sounds of sweeping, and the woman's
rather sweet voice was lifted in an old church hymn.

Jaydy continued to reflect as he spat out a quid the size of a golf
ball and took a fresh chew from a thick plug. Then he resumed his story.

"Well, I decided Miami wuzzent no place fer a pond hopper like me, so
I hit the hard road a-walkin nawth. I soon thumbed a ride with a feller on

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