TALES OF SOUTHERN RIVERS

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BOOKS BY

ZANE GREY

TALES OF SOUTHERN RIVERS

THE CALL OF THE CANYON

WANDERER OF THE WASTELAND

TALES OF LONELY TRAILSTo THE LAST MANTHE MYSTERIOUS RIDER

THE MAN OF THE FOREST

TALES OF FISHES

THE DESERT OF WHEAT

THE U. P. TRAIL

WILDFIRE

THE BORDER LEGIONTHE RAINBOW TRAIL

THE LONE STAR RANGER

THE LIGHT OF WESTERN STARS

DESERT GOLD

THE HERITAGE OF THE DESERT

RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE

THE YOUNG FORESTER

THE YOUNG PITCHER

THE YOUNG LION HUNTER

KEN WARD IN THE JUNGLE

Harper & BrothersPublishers

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II

TALES OFSOUTHERN RIVERS

by

Zane GreyAuthor of

"Tales of Fishes," "Tales of Lonely Trails," etc.

With Many Illustrationsfrom Photographs

Harper & Brothers PublishersNew York and London

TALES OF SOUTHERN RIVERS

Copyright, 1924By Zane Grey

Printed in the U. S. A.

First EditionR-Y

mm- *wn%

CONTENTS

PAGE

THE GREAT RIVER OF THE GULF . . . . . . . ... .. 3

RIVERS OF THE EVERGLADES . . . . . . . ..... 41

DowN AN UNKNOWN JUNGLE RIVER . . . ... . . 135

• -' , - . . -r

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

WATERFALL ON A TROPICAL RIVER . .. .. FrontispieceFACING PAGE

HOUSEBOAT "LADYFISH" . . . .. * * * * * 6

SAILFISH TUMBLING . . . . . . . . . . . 6

A LEAPING SAILFISH .. . . . . ..... 7

SAILFISH WALKING ON HIS TAIL .. . . ... 22

SAILFISH NEAR BOAT .. . . . . ..... 22

MOLA-MOLA, A SPECIES OF SUNFISH .. . .... 23

MOLA-MOLA UNDER WATER .. . . . ..... 26

ORCA . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 27

THE ROUND WHITE SPOT BACK OF THE NOSE IS PLAINLY

VISIBLE . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . 34ORCA, OR WHALE KILLERS, WOLVES OF THE SEA .. 35

SMALL TARPON LEAPING . . .......... 35

END OF ARUN . . . . . . . . . ... .. 42

TARPON UPSIDE DOWN ..... ...... . 42

TARPON WRESTLING TO THROW HOOK .. . .. . 43

LIKE A SPECTRE OF A FISH ...... . ... .50

TARPON, OR SILVER KING . . . . ......... 51

NEST AND EGGS OF CURLEW .......... 54CURLEW FRIGHTENED FROM NESTS ........ ' 54A CREEK AT THE HEAD OF SHARK RIVER . ..... 55R. C. HOOKED TO ANOTHER TARPON ....... 55CURLEW AS THICK AS BEES .. .... 70

NOTE THE BLACK-TIPPED WINGS .. . . . ... 71

CURLEW RELUCTANT TO LEAVE THEIR ROOST . . . ..74

vii

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

FACING PAGE

SPLITTING THE WATER WHITE . :. .1 :.. . :* .... 75

TARPON IN TENTH JUMP . .. . . ...... . . . . 82

TARPON CAUGHT ON LIGHT TACKLE MAKE GREAT COMMO-TION WHEN LED TO THE BOAT . . . . . . . . 83

TARPON HEADING UP CREEK .. . ..... . 83

TARPON TRYING TO HANG HIMSELF ON MANGROVES . . 86

MAKING FOR THE OUTLET TO THE SEA . . .. ... . 86

GULLS ON THE WING ............ . . 87

PELICAN ROOST . . . . . ................ 87

SNOOK IN NOSE DIVE . . . . . .. ...... 102

TROLLING AT MOUTH OF BROAD RIVER . . .......... 102

HOOKING THE GAME SNOOK . . . . . . . .... 103

A FORTY-POUND SNOOK LEAPING TO FREEDOM . . . . . I06

THIRTEENTH LEAP OF TWELVE-POUND SNOOK . 1... .e. I07

SNOOK SNAGGING LINE ON MANGROVES . . ......... 107

TROLLING BETWEEN THE ISLANDS . . . ......... 114

SNOOK LEAPING AFTr THROWING THE HOOK ... . 14

Too SWIFT TO PHOTOGRAPH . . . . .. . . .... 115

BIG SNOOK AT END OF RUN . ..... ....... 122

LAGOON IN EVERGLADES . . . . . ........... 123

THE EVERGLADES PALMETTO AND SAW GRASS . . :. . 123

CLIMBING TO PHOTOGRAPH FISH-HAWK NEST .. . 130

NOT ESPECIALLY WELCOMED BY YOUNG BIRDS . . . . 131

YOUNG FISH HAWKS, BUT FULL GROWN AND VERY TAME . 138

THE RETURN OF THE MOTHER FISH HAWK. TIME TO GET

DOWN! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

OYSTER BED AT EDGE OF MANGROVES . . . . . . . 146

ZANE GREY IN THE MANGROVES . . . . . ... . 147

THE FORBIDDING AND TERRIBLE MANGROVE FOREST . . :.0 147

A TUNNEL IN THE DARK MANGROVES .. . ....... t. 150

viii

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

FACING PAGE

WALKING ON THE STIFF IRON-LIKE ROOTS .. ... 1 50

AT Low TIDE . . . . . . . . . ... . . . 151

SHOWING THE WEB OF MANGROVE ROOTS .. . . .. 151

A GIANT MANGROVE TREE .. . . . ... . 166

EVERGLADE SEMINOLE INDIAN IN NATIVE CANOE . . . 166

Z. G. AND R. C. ON THE WAY TO THE TARPON GROUNDS . 167

MILES UP THE WINDING CHANNELS . ...... 167

R. C. HOOKS A BIG ONE. FIRST LEAP-CLOSE .... 170

SECOND LEAP . . . . . . . 171

THIRD LEAP . . . . . .......... 178

FIFTEENTH LEAP OVER ONE HUNDRED YARDS FROM BOAT . 179

TIRED TARPON ROLLING . ....... . . 182

TARPON SWERVING UNDER BOAT .. . . .. 183

THE LAST FLOP ............ 198

"TAKE THE HOOK OUT AND LET HIM Go," SAID R. C. 199

CASTING NET FOR MULLET BAIT . . . . . .... . 202

BEAUTIFUL WATERWAYS OF THE EVERGLADES . . . . 203

GATHERING SHELLS AT CAPE ROMANO . . . . .. 210

Z. G. AT THE ROD. TARPON TEN FEET IN AIR . . 211

THE FUN OF FIGHTING SMALL FISH . ....... 2214

Z. G. HOOKS BIG TARPON ON LIGHT TACKLE .. :. :. . 215

SECOND LEAP ........... . .230

TARPON LEAPING TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT .. . 231

WADING UPSTREAM .. . . ........ .. 234

MICAS FALLS 2.. . . . . . . . . . . . . 234

WORKING DOWNSTREAM .. . . . ...... 235

CAMP ON CYPRESS ISLAND . ........... 235

THE AUTHOR AND HIS INDIAN, PEPE . . . . . . 242

TIRED SAILFISH IN LAST LEAP . . . . . :. .. 243

ix