The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-08-19
A LUCKY STROKE.


A LUCKY STROKE.
Tom MORTON was young English
fellow, who lived in Australia. He
had been there for two or three years,
and greatly enjoyed the outdoor life
which he led, for, as his father was an
extensive sheep-farmer, he had plenty
of opportunities for all the open-air ex-
ercise the most active and healthy
boy could desire. If anything was
wanted from the town, twenty miles
away, or if anything was to be done
at the fartheSt point of the sheep
range, Tom was the fellow to mount
his horse and ride away to attend to
the matter.
One day he had had very long
ride, and, coming back late in the
afternoon, he thought he would try a
short cut. To do this, he must ford a
/ small river, which was brid red a few
miles above He knew that there was
/ a fordable place in the stream. some
where near where he was, and if he
could find it, it would save him nearly
all the distance to the bridge and back
again.
He thought that he, could better ex-
plore the bank of the river on foot,
and so he tied his horse to a tree, and
made his way through the reeds to the
7 water. There were not many trees
| hereabout, and he could see better than
in the woods where he had been rid
ing, but he could find no place which
looked as if it had been usel as
ford. He walked quite a distance
up the stream, and was about to
give up his search when he heard a
sound which startled him. 1t was like
q foOtstep upon cracking twigs. He
stopped and listened. He heard an
other--many of them!
He greatly wondered who could be
stealing along in this way; but rs he in
cautiously looked up over the reeds, he
was amazed and frightened. 1t was a
band of native blacks, or bushmen, as
they are called, who are often as danger
Gus to meet as the hostile Indians of our
Western plains. The Savages were
armed with spears, and were approach
inc the river 1t is probable that they
had no idea that any white person
was near by, until Tom so rashly
raised his head above the weeds.
Then great shout gave token
that they saw him, and instantly every
black rascal of them rushed toward
him with brandished spear and fearful
yells.
Poor Tom had not moment to think
what he should do. There was only
one thing that he could do, and that
was to jump into the river. He threw
off his hat and sprang into the water,
without hesitating a moment.
His first idea, which he formed
rs he gave his jump, was to
swim under water to the opposite
bank. but he soon found that he could
not do this. The river was too wide,
and he could not hold his breath long
enough. He soon would be obliged to
show his head above water, and the
moment he did this he might expect to
have half a dozen spears hurled at him.
So, before his breath gave out, he turn
ed and swan back to the bank from
which he started, coming up gently
among some tall reeds growing in the
water. Here he crouched, with only
his head above the water, and watched
the enemy.
The current had carried him some
little distance down the river, but the
blacks were not far from him, some on
the bank and some standing in the |
wafer. By the attitude of the latter, !
whom he could plainly see, he supposed |
that they all were waiting with spears
poised, ready to hurl them at him the |
moment his head appeared above
the surface.
But it did not appear, and, Judging
from their cries and movements, they |
seemed much astonished at this. They |
had seen him 90 down, why didn't he
come up? Even if he had swum across
under water, the opposite bank was in
full sight and they could have seen him
when he reached it.
But as he did not appear, they must
have concluded that he was capable of
STAYING under water like a fish, or that
he had struck stone or sunken log
when he dived, and had been stunned
Evidently, they thought he was some
where at the bottom, for they all waded
in up to theirwai SITS, and began thrust
ing their spears into the water.
Some went up the river, and some
went down; they even crossed over,
for the water was not higher than their
chins, and wickedly jabbed their spears
down to the bottom at every step.
Poor Tom trembled Had not the
daylight been so nearly gone they
might have seen the reeds about him
shake little. At any moment they
might thurst their spears into the very
place where he was crouching!
But they seemed to fancy that he
must be at some distance from the
bank from which he jumped in, for the
water near shore was not very deep,
and they had seen him leap far out; and
so, for the greater part of the time,
hey kept near the middle and toward
the opposite side.
1t was not long, however, before a
number of them began to cluster to-
yether very near Toms hidin@-place.
He could see them very plainly through
he reeds. Some seemed to be infuri-
lted by their failure ana were thrusting !
about wildly, while others were talking ;
md @esticulating as if they were advis-
NJ some different plan of action. One :
nan began To thrust his spear into the I
%, l. q. +o,, foot fro,,, ,,oor Tov,f /