The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1869-11-04
4 MORASS ADVENTURE.

1 MORASS ADVENTURE.
In the latter part of last summer a
scanty purse led me, in company with
some relatives, to spend my holidays at
little village oh the Welsh coast, out OF
the ordinary beat of tourists, but other
wise remarkable for nothing but its gen
eral air of bleakness and sterility. The
place was very quiet, and the lodging,
were cheap and tolerably comfortable
These essentials being secured, We had
to put up with the scenery, which was
not very attractive. A long low line OF
beach, .urmounted by high ridge, lead
ing on the one hand to the feot of some
bold jutting cliffs, and on the other losing
itself in an estuary behind this a black
and dreary looking bog, stretching three
or four miles inland, and intersected III
every direction by wide, artificial bitches,
and deep, natural assures connecting the
inky pools. A small river flowing into
the estuary divides the Dog. its course
being marked by mounds of peat, cut
from the frmer ground which forms Its
banks. Branching out at right angles to
the river are other lines of peat stacks,
following the course of the larger drains,
which herald the attempt to cultivate the
dreary waste.
This was the view [ beheld, as, stand
ing one evening on the top of the stony
ridge, faced eastward. The sinking sun
threw my shadow far over the bog, dis
tinctly seen as it fell over the crimsoning
gun, in the hope of adding some spec-
mems to my cabinet. and was thinking of
returning homewards, when long legged
heron slowly sailed high overhead, in the
direction OF the river. | watched the
bird till it alighted near one of the pea
stacks, and carefully noting the spot. |
proceeded to a careful stalk, hoping TO
secure an acquisition. | contrlved to get
within seventy yards of the heron, and
as there was no cover of any kind nearer,
lay down behind the last mound | had
reached, and with finger on trigger. watch
ed patiently in the hope that my quarry
would feed towards me. | was not dis
appointed; itgradually approached some
yards nearer my hiding place. and then
either caught sight or scent of me, for il
suddenly rose, but In SO doing came with
in range. Bang went both barrels. Ut
tering hoarse croak, the heron few
heavily away keeping close to the ground
and evidently hard hit | sprung up and
followed. jumping the bitches. and avoid
ing the soft ground as best could, Dur
ing one particularly long jump, | lost sight
OF the heron for a moment; | caught
sight of it again just in time to see it fall
to the ground as softly as snowflake,
and lie still with its wings spread to their
full stretch. Between the bird and me,
however, there was a canvasse wider than
any | had leaped, and dozen yards on the
other side Jay the object of my pursuit.
The black Shiny sides of the ditch over
hung the water, which lay deep and still
some six or seven feet below, and few
yards to the right connected with large
pool, having equally high and muddy
banks. To the left was a labyrinth of
similar bitches. Some distance in front
broarder and straighter crack in the fiat
expanse showed where the river lay. The
bank on which stood was foot or two
higher than the opposite bank | de-
scribe the situation thus infinitely In or
der to make the reader understand what
Afterwards happened.
Not liking to lose the prize so nearly in
my grasp, resolved to risk the jump.
Laying down the gun, and taking my
coat OF, l made the effort, and cleared
the ditch, only, however, by few inches.
l secured the heron, and smoothing its
beautiful plumage. but little injured by
the shot, threw it across to the bank from
which l had just come Then, on look
ing around, | found myself in sort OF
col de sac. The bit of firm ground on
which stood was an island, and the on
ly way to escape was the one by which |
had arrived. Having to ''take-otf "
from lower level, it was much harder to
get back than it had been to come but
IS there was no alternative, it had to be
tried. did not leap quite far enough,
and pitched with hands and knees togeth-
er against the edge. There was no vege-
tation to catch hold of and after hanging
on the balance for few moments, vainiy
clutching at the mud, l fell back wards
with heavy splash into the water
Fortunately. am good swimmer, and
At first, while treading water, the ludi-
crousness of the affair alone struck me
but when l began to see that it might be
difficult to get up those Shiny, overhang-
ing banks, / must confess | felt rather
frightened. 1t was impossible to get out
at the spot where | had fallen in
swan farther up the ditch, and trying t.
bottom it, felt my feet touch the SOL, te
naclOus mud, that gave no support. bu;
was ten times more dangerous than tn,
water. The water became more shallow
Is | struggled on, but the muddy bottom
refused to give me standing place, and
the banks afforded no hold for my hands
It At last became 80 shallow that | had IT,
turn on my back to avoid kicking the
mud as swan, and when in this posi-
ton, l could push my arms into it with
almost ~ much ease as could push then,
through the water; but to draw them out
again vas far from easy.
With horrid fear of being unable to ex
tricate myself from the mud. and Of "a
allow suffocation, made sudden dash
back into the deep water, and tried the
other bitches, only to be repulsed in the
same manner. swan round and round
the pool, seeking for az outlet, and be-
ginning to feel my boots and clothes very
heavy. Even now Iinvoluntarily smiled
1t the comparison which suddenly occur
red to me between myself in this plight
and mouse swimming round a bucket
OF water; but the thought that l. too,
like il, might be swimming for my life
soon drove al ludierous thoughts out of
my head.
Matters now began to look very serious.
when | saw . roc. or branch of some long
buried tree projecting out of the bank. I