The Lake County star., 1877-11-15

come, everybody said. AS to going In
there hadn't been any idiots along thai
way yet, ana 30, OF course. n0bodv had
tried to go in. Could i get into the
swamp? Certainly, II didn't mind
going In perpendlcularly. I could sink
In almost anywhere. What were the
special difficulties? Well, the rivers
were In their banks now, for the most
part, but the nire was hopelessly bad
all along. And besides, there's the
Devils Race Course, you know, every
man Of them said in conclusion, as II
that reminder were In itself sufficient
to settle the question, and crush all
hope out of my bosom. After having
that one sentence, "And besides, there's
the DEVILS Race. Course - hurled at
me by sCme thirty or forty different
persons, / naturally began to feel
curious concerning the peculiar nature
of his Satanic Majesty's special pleas
ure ground. Being unwilling to APP
pear abjectly ignorant of SO important
matter, concerning which everybody
had assumed, as q matter of politeness,
| suppose, that was fully Informed,
tried in various ways, by indirect
means, to learn something of the race
course, 1t was no use, however. No
body who knew anything at all could
possibly be ignorant on this subject,
and the courteous dwellers In Green
wood were seemingly unwilling to offer
an insult to my intelligence by volun-
teering information with regard to so
well-knOwn q matter. was forced,
therefore, to seek the knowledge by
direct means. Selecting the neekest
and most looking man
I'm the.village-the one least likely, rs
/ thought, to browbeat me or to pub.
lish my ignorance to the Greenwood
wOrld-I took him aside, and with de-
termination wrought up to its highest
pitch, threw myself upon his compass
sion.
"What Is this DEVILS Race Course,
anyhow asked.
The man looked at me as he might
have looked at hippoT otamus, had
one walked up out of the YazoO. He
braced his nerves with an entirely
fresh quid of tobacco, spat three or four
times with great deliberatiOn, wiped
his spectacles, and adjusted them OH
his nose in order that he might inspect
me to advantage, walked to the door,
and returning said, emphasizing each
word with fOrefinger and palm:
"If you don't know what the
DEVILS Race Course Is, stranger, let
me advise you not to find out by ex-
perience."
This was alarming, but not quite ex'
plicit.
Having already subjected his powers
of astonishment to the utmost strain
of which they were capable, had
nothing more to fear in that way, and
SO determined to ply him with fur.
ther questions.
II am aware, SIR" I began, "that
my ignorance seems to you incredible
and inexcusable, but pray remember
that am atOtal stranger here, depend.
ent upon better informed people fol
intelligence in regard to this swamp
which desire to visit. Cam you not
bring yourself to believe that really
never heard of the DEVILS Race Course
until to- night, and will you not en-.
tighten me regarding it?"
"Well, that's easily done," replied
he. 1.-THE DEVILS Race Course is just
a little the worst bit of road you evel
saw in your life. It's the only track
across q pipe-c clay bottom. It's q mile
and half long, and a thousand mile;
deep, according to my best belief. II
crusts over, and gets hard enough tC
bear a horse on top in July or August
but the first shower spOils 1t again
| The pipe-clay Is rather stickier thar
glue. Ifhorse or man gets his hoo
| into 1t an inch, the easiest way out l.
| to unscrew the foot and take 1t off
You can't pull il out, that's certain
and if you try to cross IL now, yOul
hOrse'H go in leg deep the first step
That's what know about the Devils
Race Course. It's q mile and half o.
impassability.h
This was definite, at least, If not en-.
couraging, and after debating the mat
ter In my mind, determined to cross
the river, and inspect the race course
some miles away-fOr myself. Accord
ingly, the next morning was in tn,
saddle early, and stealing away from
Greenwood before its citizens wer,
astir, lest they should run after me, a,
boys do after an elephant.
The travelling was reasonably goot
until we reached the pipe clay land
Here 1 halted, and cutting stout stick
went forward on foot to inspect tn,
road. Returning, I sat down by th'
roadside to reflect. III should aJtemp
the passage, knew / should almOs
certainly lose my horse, and possibly
myself. / knew something of pip'
clay, and was not deceived by its spe-
cious look of stability. / realized th'
difficulty and the danger Of the attemp
/ was about to make to the fullest ex
tent; but determined to make it In
spite of all. Had I not already come
a long way for this express purpose
Did not an insurance agents promised
land lie beyond this slough of despond
And would not Major N N--gnash hi
teeth when he should learn that hat
been the first to enter it? This las
was, 1 confess. the chief impelling mo
tive. Mounting Broadly, my horse,
pushed forward cautiously. In q very
few minutes his hoofs began to MAKE
reports like that Of a pistol, as he with
drew them from the glutinous mud
He was sinking perceptibly deeper a
every step. but his magnificen
strength still enabled him to lift hi
feet and go forward. He understood
the difficulty, apparently, and wa
careful 10 take very short steps. Wher
he had gone quarter Of q mile, how
ever, he began to show signs Of ex
haustion. The labor was too severe :,
be borne much longer. Presently h,
stuck fast, and failed in his effort Il
withdraw his feet. Instantly slippet
off to relieve him of my weight. As
sank little way into the clay, he ex
tricated himself, and I led him will
great difficulty toward little lot
twenty feet in front of us. Standing
upon this to avoid sinking, 1 Orderet
Broadly to lie down-a trick hat
taught him In sport. He lay down q
the word, and, lying, was able to rest
The little log was slowly sinking un.
der me, but before It was completed,
buried, BROADLY was ain wind" again
and went forward as before, walking
and leading him. Our progress wa
very slow and very exhausting.
| When we had gone o hundred yard
further, / made use Of little clump o
roadside bushes as q foot-rest, and CAV
BROADLY another breathing spell upol
his side. Our next stage was lOnl