Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-10-21
In the Jaws of n Swami.

A late number of the Detroit Free Press CON-
tains the following, which will remind our read
eTs of Victor Hugo's story of the traveller who
perished in the quicksands OF the coast of Bre-
tagne:
"a German about twenty-five wears old,
named Henry Osster, employed on farm in
Nankin township, set out to hunt after a cow
the other day. He took his rifle, and expected
TO return home at dark, whether successful or
not. About O'Clock in the afternoon, when
within mile or two of Perrinsville, he came
down from a bank in piece of woods to the
edge of a small creek. Across the creek was a
piece of marshy ground, not over four yards
wide, covered with long grass and plants. The
same sort Of ground extending quite distance
either way, Osster determined to cross il, after
getting over the creek. Taking half a dozen
steps, he found the ground giving way, and
made a jump for what he took to be solid
ground. He landed up TO his knees in the mre,
and found his feet firmly gripped az if in a vice.
He tried to work his feet out, but every trial
sunk them deeper, and in less than five minutes
his knees were out of sight. When he landed,
his gun struck the marsh five or six feet away,
alighting on piece of old log, which held it up.
When he found that he was mired, OSster be-
gan to shout for help, shouting himself hoarse
before recOllecting that he was three quarters OF
miles from any house, and half mile from
the travelled road. AS IL grew dark, and as he
felt himself slowly sinking, he took a careful
survey of the situation, TO discover his chances
of escape from death. His first act was to empty
his pockets and remove his coat and vest that
the extra weight might not sink him. To his
right, about ten feet away, was a knoll of solid
ground, on which grew a thornapple tree, one
of the limbs of which extended almost over the
mans head, and about four feet beyond his
reach. Thinking that If he could get posses
sion OF his gun he might secure the limb Osster
took off his suspenders, tied them together,
made moose, and after careful and tedious
work lassoed the rifle and dragged Ii to him.
This was after he had been in the mre nearly
two hours, and quite while after dark. He
thought he had not sunk any for the last half
hour, but the extra weight of the gun, as he
ID. Sunk nearly nd ha
quickly laid ii down.
The mans position, to say nothing of the
danger, was so painful that he could not help
but cry out. His legs were pressed together,
and the mire was cold enough to benumb him.
Little tufts of grass growing up from spots of
solid ground not much larger than his head,
were all around him, but the moment he took
hold of any of them it would pull away, having
no real support. Osster had pipe with him
He got this from his coat, and twisted off the
German silver ring around the stem. The ring
he broke between his teeth, bent it up like a
hook, and then fastened il to his suspenders
determined to make an effort to reach the limb
Time after tiT4 he made the throw, but the
straight, and at 10 O'Clock at night the victim
was up to his hips and slowly settling. Placing
his coat and vest on either side he pushed them
down with his hands, and in this way kept his
body from settling as fast as it otherwise would.
He ceased trying to shout, knowing that he could
not expect help before another day.
As Osster did not return at dark, the man for
d
direction from which he was expected, but
stopped within half mile of the place where
he was sinking down to death. Returning home,
he agreed to make a further search in the morn
ing, and when the time came got neighbOr to
60 with him. They took direction quite differ
ent from that in which Osster was TO be found,
and searched the woods until nearly noon. They
then determined to 60 the other way. In COM
ing out of the woods they passed within forty
rods Of Osster, and were nearly half a mile away
when one of them fired at squirrel. All night
long Osster was slowly sinking, and when the
sun marked noon he was up to his shoulders in
the mire. Hearing the shot, he put forth his
his voice was heard and re cognized. Even after
his friends were within fifty feet of him he had
to shout to guide them, as his head was below
the grass. They instantly set about rescung
him. Logs and brush were piled into the swamp
until they could reach him. Finding that they
could not pull him ont by the arms, the mud
was scoOped away from his body, and he was
literally pried out. He has been sick with a fe-
yer since.