The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1849-08-22
evenings prior to his return to citv
duty, caught that sMermaid.'

duty, caught that sMermaid.'
The two sportsmcn having conclu.
ded rather poor days fishing, deter.
mined, OH returning, to diverge from
their direct course for the purpose of
rounding point in Newark Bay, some.
what famous for an excellent batb;no
beach, there to luxuriate, by the light
O the moon'-whch was in it, last
quarter, and nearly down to the horizon
in a glorious swim, as Bob proposed,
'malgre' his ignorance of that useful
accomplishment. Accordingly, the bath
was indulgcd in, until the waninr
Queen of Night was upon the point Of
leaving her throne, when the coming
darkness admonishcd the couple of the
necessity Of return. They according.
ly rcgamcd the skiir, and having dres.
sed, lifted the 'kedgc' and pulled for
hcme, Ned being oarsman and Bob in
charge of the tiller. They pulled
away in silence for some time, with n
careful stroke, giving the recfa wide
berth, 1T being now quite dark, and
hugslns the shore as close as POSSIBLE
to keep out of the swiftly running tide
which was ahead. The night dark
very dark-lt was impossible to distin-
gulsb objects two yards distant, and the
voyaScrs, though satisfied that thcy had
rowed long enough to be close home,
we're in doubt as to their precise local..
ty: at Bob's suggestion, Ned ceased
pulllng' and rested on his skulls with
view to an 'observation.' After
looking vainly some time, he was about
to resume his labor whcn-
'Wh-i -is-h-t-sh.sh!' says Bob, shold on
Ned, what the deuce is that?'
'WEat!!'
'Sh-sh, bark hero, on your left
Where! | don see anything
'Hash,sh-sh, keep dark, back
watcr!n
Back it is says Ned.
'llark, again'--and now Ned's ear
was rcgaled with sound like that of some
one suppressing or suhocating an incli-
nation to laugh, and pcering into the
darkness he discovered what he at first
supposed to be a large stake. Closer
scrutiny invested it with something of a
human appearance.
What t-h-ed,e-v-il is it?' gasped
out Ned, now as much excited as hi,
mcrcurial companion Again they fan
cicd they heard the tittering sound.
by thundcr!' exclaimed Bob
whose very thoughts were Of risciv-
crous charactcr,--'it S Merma:dn
Still, whatever it was, it remained
motionless. The boat had drifted from
the object Of wonder some five or six
yards, when Bob,-whose hand seized
upon the body Of clam, intended for
bait, which lay on the skiff's bottoms -
standing up i'll the skif,, vowed he'd
know, and before his partner could pre-
vent, hurled with all force the said clam
at the said Mermaid The precision
of his aim was cvinccd by 'spl.ishy'
sort Of sound, as of two aeshy substan-
ccs in collision; whcreupon faint shrek
went up from the 'crittcr,' and at the
same moment Ned was made sensible
of some invisible misfortune 80 Bob,
who was by some unseen agency. vio
lcntly pulled over backwards into the
water.
Ned! Ned! pull-pull-for-s-l.a-s-h
God 's-g',r-gg- gle g-glc--sur g-glc---
splash oh!-Mur.d-c-r, Ned! splash
souse, gnrsl < ss-g5-yIc, s s.pish sh, s-pa-sh.
murder, d-mn- tn shrickcd Bob,
who had never used such an cxclama-
ton in his life, before. Who--arc We?
what-oh--oh.-.-sp-i-s.h sousc-gur- g-g.
slc-sgu. .Gg-ggle-- 6 g the Devil! Ned, oh! Ned
shouted he with all his strength, as
momcntary respite was afforded him, as
he came up at intervals from under the
water, beneath the surface of which
some three or four Of the most Amazo-
nian Of the Mermaids were laughinyly
engaged in thrusting him. Where was
Ned, in the skiIf? not by Jug full, the
skiff was bottom upwards. Ned was in
deep water where the water nymphs
didn't like to venture.
At the first alarm! Ned had tried
his oars, but the skif was fast: he'd pull
with might and main but somo invlsi.
bic power held him, and at every pull
the skiff would rebound towards shore.
And now Ned could distinguish some
four or five human looking creatures of
gigantic size Gas they appeared to him)
holding on to the stern of the boat, he
was III the hands Of the Philis:incs. his
position was defined! and he knew it;
he'd seen the elephant had Ned!
he'd been there before.