Norfleet: the actual experiences of a Texas rancher's 30,000-mile transcontinental chase after five confidence men. Page: 98 of 369
4 p. l., 344 p. front., plates, ports. 22 cm.View a full description of this book.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
80
NO R F L E E T
let my good leather shoes sink deeply into the oozy
black earth. I hated to do this and bade a fond farewell
to their faithful soles. Down, down, down they
sank. The cool wetness of the mud sucked in around
my ankles and crept stealthily up, up, up!
Ugh! I shuddered, and thought of the pull of
quicksand. Higher and higher up, until my trouser
legs joined hands (or cuffs) with the landscape.
So firmly was I rooted into the general scheme of
nature that I expected any moment to blossom ol bt
pulled up with other bunches and served for dinner.
I pulled out one foot after the other and with difficulty
trekked my way to the hotel, walking on two big
balls of mud. Certainly I was taking with me as perfect
evidence of an intended investment as Florida mud
would ever provide.
I registered at the Montezuma Hotel under an
assumed name. I was assigned to a good room on the
second floor in a faraway corner of the long, low,
rambling structure.
After washing my hands and promising my shoes a
later restoration I descended into the lobby. It was a
long room and had a fire place at each end. Bright fires
burned on both hearths. The flames leapt and licked
with a great cracking and snapping, the oak logs piled
high in the openings.
It was a cheerful sight. At one end of the lobby
was the office and at the other end, the guests usually
congregated.
I seated myself close to the fire, my back slightly
to the room, but not enough to cut off my view of those
who passed up or down stairs. I reached and tore off
several flat splinters from the wood heaped beside the
fire place.
I crossed one leg over the other and began elaborately
and thoroughly to peel off the half dried mud from my
ankles and trouser legs, meanwhile taking note of all
who came within my vision.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This book can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Book.
Norfleet, J. Frank, 1864-. Norfleet: the actual experiences of a Texas rancher's 30,000-mile transcontinental chase after five confidence men., book, 1924; Ft. Worth, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth5864/m1/98/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .