The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1865-07-27
A dreadful Night.
From the london onco Week

- 81
From the london Once a Week.
If any man enjoys holiday, it is a clerk
ina public office; and in 49,, mo one
! stqrted for his winter trip with more pleas
ant anticipations than those with which l
locked my desk in the Title Deeds Office,
and started for North Lincolnshire. have
never been there since that time; indeed if
ever have a nightmare, wake from an
awful dream of having been smothered un=
der the wilds of that county, as the giants of
old were, whelmed q der Htna. But to my
tale.
Does the reader know Great Grimsby {?
Why it should be called Great Grimsby, l
cannot TELL as no one was ever known to
have found his way to Little Grimsby. But
let that pass A popular novelist of the
present day, when he wished to send the
william of his story to a place where he
might reasonably besupposed ableto escape
observation, relegated him to Grimsby.---
His selection was most judicious Does any
one even know of friend who has ever been
at Great GriInsby Dull and dreary as it is
gtwining its slow length along the one long
dreary street leading to the sea, like some
wounded serpent dragging itself to the wa
ter, doubled up here and there into cOnvul-
sive row, Of houses, writing at another part
into knot Of twoor three dingy cottages.
North and South Of it are spread out extern
sive tracts of mud and waste land called
''fytties," always dismal in the midst of
Ii summer, and tenfod more lonely and dis
NAL when the tide of the Humber runs
down, and invites numerous hocks of water
birds to their favorte haunts. In company
with the cousin at whose house l was stay
ing, used frequently during that winter to.
resort to these mud flats after nightfall, and
we seldom failed to obtain shot or two at
wild. fowl -
The modus opsraadj Of the gunners of
these shores is very simple. They dig
hole during the day ina mud bank some
way above low water mark. Towards
5nightfall they deposit bundle of straw in
it, on which they stand. They may wait
IN the cold for hours without seeing feath
er, but generally patience is rewarded by
getting flying shot at party Of ducks or
curlew coming to feed. .- i
~ One night (shalfI ever forget IT'D my
cousin had to spend at Lincoln on the Grand
Jury After dinner an imnoderate desire
took possession of me, to ranble toward the
Humber with my gun. 1t was a bright
frosty night, and all the time my hostess
was singing to amuse me, sat on thorns
Iongint to start for the shore. At length
ed her an untroIlable liking had come over
me to look up the ducks. Would she trust
me with the key, and could let myself in
after an hour or two without disturbing any
one {? she tried to dissuade me, urging the
charms of the chimney corner to no purpose
Then she reminded me that | might easily
lose myself, but | assured her it was bright
moonlight Finally, she gave me the key,
and saw me off literally ON a Wild goose
chase. | took my double barrel and made
direct for the ''fytties
q A walk fhalf anlhour brought me to the
bank, kept up at great expense to the pro-
prietors Of the land to prevent the waters
OVERLOOKING the rescued meadows, at the
back of which, lie the remnants of an old
dyke, that may havebeen constructed for
the same purpose by the Romans. Beyond
the low wailing of the green ployers over
head, had heard nothing during my walk
Now, as cautiously wormed myself up the
bank, and raised my head, an animated
scene presented itself. Some 800 yards off
at the edge of the Humber, where the tiny
wavelets glittered in the moonlight, was a
futteriug of innumerable wings, scream
ing, calling, Changing sound Of many wild
fowl. thought of Homers account of
Cayster's banks, and longed to be nearer the
waters edge, as little companies of eighteen
or twenty ducks and curlew bew.along every
now and then parallel to it. A little way
to my righta range of stakes and large
boulders ran towards the sea- Trusting to
them for conceaIment, | crept noiseessly
along, keeping well in the shade, and with>
out great trouble getting hundred yards
nearer the wildfowl, without as yet, arous-
ing their suspicious -- AZ ~
All at once heard loud rustic behind
me- A flock of teal came overhead, flying
toward the sea from some inland pond, and
without a moments hesitation, l fired both
barrels into their center Much to my de
light one bird huttered to the ground sixty
yards in front Of me evidently winged, but
still from the speed with which it made for
the water likely yet to escape me, as l had
no retriever. WGEE VI y
With noise like distant thunder, and a
loud screaming and whisting all the wild
fowl for a mile or more, either way, rose up
into the air and made off Over shingle and
over banks of black mud, ran towards my
prize, now sticking in the tenacious mire, at
other times plunging deep into pool that
.ried my Cordings water PROBING capabili-
les to the full. Gs8 e&4-sas 4ssA
The moon was just passing behind bank
If clouds as | made my way to the reef OF
mud on which the teal lay seemingly dying.
t had futtered on some way, and drawn
ne four or five hundred yards from the en-
,ankment. The. mud was, particularly
ieldimg here; butt pushed on TO the edge
f a little dip, six yards down which lay the
ird, dead. as | DOW saw.
The descent was not inviting, but went
bravely over the ankles in the hateful
lack slines As seized my Bird being
lther out of breath, slipped and fell OF
~ hands and knees luckily saving my CUR
ON getting damp. With a little difficult.
recovered my feet, turned and commences
sceuding the mud bank 20 my horror
Tipped back at every step. My previou
oot-traeks were little POOLS. The Preacher
Ius water filled them i'll Immediately. Wit
respiration, breaking out coldly over tneS
once more madIy asSayed the ascent,
was only three yards in Height, but that hi
,he country and even the moon from me =
Il was preposterous to he fooled at such
rifle. For full five minutes tried III
Jest to mount the incline; bat only mao