John's River, beyond the spotwhere now spreads the city of Jacksonville, and even up to the woods andsprings about Magnolia and Green Cove. Yellow jasmines trailed theirfestoons above their heads; wild roses grew at their feet; the air wasfilled with the aromatic odors of pine or sweet bay; the long gray mosshung from the live-oak branches; birds and butterflies of wonderful huesfluttered around them; and strange lizards crossed their paths, or lookedwith dull and blinking eyes from the branches. They came, at last, to onespring which widened into a natural basin, and which was so deliciouslyaromatic that Luis Ponce said, on emerging: "It is enough. I have bathedin the Fountain of Youth, and henceforth I am young." His companions triedit, and said the same: "The Fountain of Youth is found."No time must now be lost in proclaiming the great discovery. Theyobtained a boat from the natives, who wept at parting with the whitestrangers whom they had so loved. In this boat they proposed to reach themouth of the St. John, meet Juan Ponce de Leon, and carry back the news toSpain. But one native, whose wife and children they had cured, and who hadgrown angry at their refusal to stay longer, went down to the water's edgeand, sending an arrow from his bow, transfixed Don Luis, so that even hisforetaste of the Fountain could not save him, and he died ere reaching themouth of the river.
Pages:
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175