The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-10-18
A BOTTOMLESS BOG.
A Horseman's Thrilling Adventure I'm Am
Illinois Swamp.

Some few evenings since Post re-
porter made the acquaintance, at the
Lindell Hotel, of Mr.. James Laffon,
an old resident of this city, who related
to him curious incident Mr.. Laffon
is man about 80 years of age, of fine,
imposing appearance, and having "a
| physique indicating frequent and con-
tinued exercise. Mr.. Laffon, without
being a mighty hunter" is, neverthe-
less, very fond of making journeys upon
horseback throughout the surrounding
country of Illinois and Missouri, and,
with his gun by his side, passes many
hours in picking off the smaller game,
in which pursuit he very frequently
wanders quite distance from the regu-
lar highways of travel. He says that in
the spring, having occasion to make a
visit to Cairo upon business, he de-
termined to proceed thither in his favor
tie manner, and, mounting a good,
strong horse, he started upon his journey
through the bottom lands of Illinois.
Nothing of consequence happened until
within about forty miles of Cairo; there,
in swamp overgrown with jungles of
blackberries and shrubbery common to
such spots, he espied flock of birds, a
few of which he determined to carry into
Cairo as specimens of his skill in shoot
ing. The birds, however, were shy, and,
the anxious sportsman persevering in
the ardor of the pursuit, he penetrated
further and further into the swamp.
Presently he came upon spot very much
more open than the rest-no shrubbery
of any size grew upon it, but kind of
coarse grass, interspersed with clumps
of bulrushes, covered the entire sur
face. The birds had settled upon the
most remote point of this open space,
on to which he urged his horse so as to
approach near enough to be within
good range. No sooner had the horses
feet touched the sod than he sank i'm
mediately above his fetlocks. Founder
ing out of what his rider supposed to
be only mud hole, the animal leaped
forward with considerable force, and
this time sank almost to his knees. His
rider touched the beast with the whip
to hurry him out of the bad place. The
horse raised himself by main force from
the mire, and leaped forward again, APP
parently as anxious as his rider to get
out of the bog This time, however, he
sank almost up to his girth, and the
most powerful efforts on his part could
not result in extricating his feet from
the mud. The more he struggled the
further he sank, and in a few seconds
he ceased altogether to make any effort
to release himself, but remained per-
fectly quiet, trembling in every joint.
Mr.. Laffon now began to feel consider
able alarm he was obliged to extend his
own legs out parallel with the body of
the horse to keep them from sinking
in the bog. His mind instantly revert
ed to all the tales of quagmires and
auicksands that he had ever read, and
he began to suspect he had struck some
thing of the kind himself. The situa-
ton was looking gloomy; he must do
something; so he spoke to his horse
again. to induce him to make one
more effort, but the poor beast was be-
yond the power of helping himself.
Already a part of his body was in the
black, ielly-hke mass of mud, which
everywhere surrounded them. And
Mr.. Laffon discovered, to his horror,
that he was slowly, but surely, getting
IL
felt certain now that, unless help came,
he must surely disappear with his poor
horse in this lonely bog and his fate
forever remain mystery. His first inn
pulse was to shout for help, although
the probabilities were that no one would
hear him, as the country around was
very sparsely settled and the last habi-
tation he had passed was several miles
back. AS he feared, therefore, no an
swer was returned to his repeated hal
looings, and cold fear for one moment
overcame him. Determined not to give
way to despair, he glanced once more
anxiously around, and this time noticed,
not more than two or three yards dis
tant, the branches of tolerably large
tree, which, with roots still partially in
the firm ground beyond, had fallen
across the bog. Its wide-spreading
boughs had prevented its sinking into
the mire, and he now felt that to reach
that tree was the only hope of salvation.
He could not reach it from his position,
and he dared not leap lest the added
impetus should only send him deeper
into the bog, without enabling him to
get hold of the branches. An idea
seized him. He took the bride from
the horse and hitching-str which
he carried with him, bound them tight
ly together with some Irvine he found
in his pocket, and, forming a sort
of moose, threw his impromptu
lasso toward stout dead branch
which projected from the fallen
tree. His first trial failed, also the sec
ond and third, but the fourth succeed
ed, and he had only to make the at
tempt to draw himself to the tree. He
was now standing upon the back of his
doomed horse, which had sunk several
inches further, and with head raised
was looking with terror-stricken eyes
back toward his master, every once in a
while uttering pitiful cries. With few
last tender pats Mr.. Laffon said farewell
to his poor horse, and leaped from his
back as far out as possible. He sank
several feet, but, keeping firm hold of
the line, he began to draw himself out
hand over hand, and, after hard strug-
CLING, finally succeeded in reaching the
tree, into which he quickly drew him
self and crept carefully across its trunk
/ to terra firma thankful for his miracu