Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1865-11-03

Az moon ~as llst passing behind bank
Of eioais as made nv ~sy 20 the rect Of
mud on which the teal lay seemingly diving.
IL bad Suffered on some -ay. and drarn
me four or Eve hundred yards from the en-
bAnknent The mud "a. particuiariy
Welding here; bit I pushed on 20 tbe edge
ofa litfie dip. siH yards down Which lay the
bird. deal A. l nov .aw
The descent -as not inviting. bat -ent
on travclv. over ankles in the hateful black
mud A seized my bird. beng rather
out Of breath. slipped and fcn on had.
and knees. lackily saving NV gun from re,-
ting lamp. When ~ith a hftle dificuhv 1
recovered ny feet turned ard commenced
ascending the nud-bank. To nv horror I
slipped back AZ every step. Ny previous
foot-tracks wrre htils pools The treacher-
ous water SLED them in irnn-dis;ely. With
Perspiration breaking out coldiy over ne.
once more madly esssyed the sscent. Ia
~as only three yaiGs in height. but tbs, hid
The co1u'ry and even the moon from me.
u vas proposterous % BE- foiled AZ such a
trife. For fan Eve minutes tried nv b,-st
% mount the incline but only made about
yard Of IL. ;he mud higher up the slope
being les tenaciou. than the loser part
and wh~re ~ith difculty maintain~d nv
sisnd. Nos be.sn 20 wish had listen
ei 90 reason AID r-ulaine,i AZ home. How.
esvr. thsr- ~ss nothing for y. bot. weak as
icit nysch b-eo'nIng. 90 drain nv Task.
(-hirh luckily retained fe~ uoufhioIl.
from our lat e~pedition.) and once more
csssy 90 return.
After bong Struggling snd eSp~nding al
NJ little rrtnaining strength in vain. b.
came seriously alarmed. and 6rvd several
iiu'es By ~sy q bringing help Alas, the
u~aresi house was too miles a~ay IL ~4s
bali past eleven on q bitter March nighf.
and even professional gunners. felt. would
hardly come from Griu-by. - far down
the river. except by The neres chance.
Then ! shouted nys~if boarse. and once
more ~Asted ny little remaining strength
IN trying % get oct Of the msddy prison IN
~hich fOand myseh One SIDE "a Just
a. bal a. the other. hearl the far oil
lapping q the sea in the death ike stillnc..
of that intensely bitter night: behind me.
or the opposite side. the call Of a duck or
the scrcam Of q curlew casiOnally render
ea the stilin-s- more iE:s..rable.
an no, one given 20 despair. 80 made
up nv mind to wait tll morning. and trust
either % nv abscn-e from the house creating
hue and cry. or else. I kne- the coast
guard boat passed do~n at dawn. and
could bal them a. they ro-ed By. had
wasted al my po-der and shot already.
Wrapping my PLAID siill tighter round MY
breast. cold and yet a. I Sas. lighted ny
Pipe and rested. lesn.ag on nay gun.
soon ] began 20 perceive myself sinking
in tie aud- cxtrscafcd myself only 60
s.nk deeper. Thoroughly alarmed pot
a-ay ny Pipe. and psccd 10 the other end
Of my prison. Ab0st ten yards. Oncc more
! rnsdly essAFcd % sale the bank. Down
on my knces cra-led. sni driving the yun
into the yi.iding mud. sirose % ase it a. a
lsvrr. Naia ihoagai slipped do-n
again. up to the knees IN water and mol
Then the fail borror OF ny position dAsn.
ca upon ne. ] bad beard there -ers dan
gerous quicksanls on the coast. The water
~as up 90 my thighs nov 40 plgngiug
was q any asah; it seemed % do harm I
hai dropped ny gsn. reason almost left
ule in unafcrable despair. BOXED % fhe
skies. The stars t-inklsd brightly. ard
here and there a heecy cloud passed ma est
ically along There va % sympathy sith
then. Far over purple waste of 80
sa- The Spqrn light a. the extremity Of
lprk-hirc coast Il was jsst seven miles
on. bot I screamed ani shouted 10 % Or
heip- Nov. I bad settled dosn 90 ms
EAST. a burst of tears cane to mr relief
To De. whcn so ial Of hfe. anI strength.
aui bop. Oa. horrille, Another p..ags
/ settled doun decprr stil. a1i bale fare
v~ll iheu fo thc worli. Like some siiniy
sfrpent. t.io pi' si1~ly dre~ me dosn~arls
bolton after luifea of my ~aistcoai dissp
Tearsd. -pr,a4 aai niy hands sod rl,p~d
.n bitter despair. What touched one. f,ots
si,sei anl fet something harI. The
other rraeh-i f-m groaai Coz. Oh. Joy
sas oa thr gravel sabsoli. snd fhough .
fcol.i not STIR. ! could uot siak DEEPER
IT, r~vl.sions of feeling a. a. dreaifol
as Bal b-en ny previous despair shoot.
ei shl.s for delight D. -as Ike being
once norc restored to Lfc
Soon ny raptures abated. ! as up b.
the arms .n deadly coh wrer. tbe roof Z
stool on '-l a~ay. foand by sspeumenf.
oa au ..ies My PIPE -as hop~ie...y -ct.
50 onr coai sre my b. 81 and shouLlors