The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-06-16

several inches deeper in the qulcksand.
The soft. clinging sand was already at
the top of my boots, and had SO wedged
them around nv ankles that it was i'm
possible to pull them of. ALI the time
I could feel myself sinking slowly and
surely, rs though some monster, deep
in the bowels of the earth, had grasped
me by the feet and was gradually draw
ing me under.
Almost beside myself with terror, |
shouted for help, land then I laughed
wildly ut the idea of my voice reaching
any one. was miles away from any
person. The only living creature within
hearing "a my horse, and he answered
me with q neigh, as if sympathlzing
with me In my despair.
And now I tried to think coolly upon
my position. Was there really no posi-,
bile way of extricating MYSELF Stay!
| Suppose I should lay my rife horizon
| tally across the sand, would it not pre-
vent my sinking? Perhaps SOL at least
I could try it.
looked around for my gun, but moth
| ing of it wusto be seen. That, too, alas!
| had sunk beneath the surface. Gould !
dig my way out! No; the sand streamed
| into the hollow as often as l tore it with
my frenzied fingers:
Could I not lie fat on my back, and
thus stay my downward progress! Inc
| thought was dismissed the moment 1t
came to me. The water was eighteen
inches deep, and I should drown at
once. Oh, heavens! dying by this slow,
torturing process. The thought O
me mad for the time.
After q while / became cool again:
If l must die, I must; and l aroused
myself to meet it manfully: l stooa
erect and found that my head had sunk
TO the prairie level, and l could just see
| the victims of my heartlessncss. MY
heart reproached me at the sight. Wa
not this a lust r]etribution for the misery
[ had inflicted What right had l to
| shoot those poor, innocent creatures
who had never harmed me! Was it
not the final adjustment of justice that
7 should be made to feel and suffer the
same pangs that I had inflicted upon
themp
that coursed through my seething brain.
I raised my eyes to heaven. and almost
| expected to see q frown OF Divine anger
| for the part I had taken. But no; the
sun was shining as bright and the sky
wasSs~ cerulean and mild as ever. No;
whatever transeressions I had COM
mitted, I knew there was nothing but
forgiveness and love bending over me,
and I prayed as only sinful man can
pray when encompassed by certain
| death.
But all the time I was sinking sink
ing slowly but surely, and the moment
could not be distant when | should be
swallowed up and disappear from view
entirely, and those who should come to
search for me could only surmise my
fate.
had taken my last fond look upon
the green, fair earth. l could only see
the blue, clayey wall which held the
| stream. and the water which ran un-
| needing by ME. Again I looked up at
the blue sweet sky, and then endeavored
to resign myself to my fate. But | could
not; the memories of the fair earth and
my past pleasures and friends came so
| wildly over me that ! found myself
continually bursting into struggling
| spasms to escape, but all equally fruit
less as were the first feeble attempts to
walk.
In the midst Of this. racking suspense
I was startled by the shrill neighing Of
nv horse. At first this gave me indie
scribable distress, as I could not avoid
contrasting his free situation with my
own. But suddenly a bright thought
flashed over me. Could not my horse
rescue mep
He was tied to a frail cactus limb
which he could easily break, it he chose.
Without losing time-for time was
neye SC precious-I uttered a call which
I had often used to bring him to me;
then listened with an anxiety which it
is useless for Inc to attempt to depict.
Suddenly I heard the sound Of his hoofs.
as though he were struggling to free
himself, and the next moment l recog-
nized his well-known tramp, and knew
that he was approaching. Then he
suddenly appeared on the bank, and,
looking down at me, uttered a joyful
neigh of recognition.
Peculiar attachment exists between
the hunter and his horse, and it was a
habit of his, whenever l called to him.
to gallop up to me and press his nose
against my cheek. Reaching out my
hands toward him. in my usual caress-
ing manner, I repeated the call. The
next moment he bounded down into
the channel, and I caught him by the
bride. Time WAS becoming feartully
precious. I was already down to my
waist in the water. / seized tie larlat,
and, pressing it under the saddle-girths,
secured it in a firm knot. l then made
d loop and passed it around my body.
Heaven bless the noble horse ! The
tears we'll to my eyes when reflect up
on the grand creature to whom n few
years ago I gave an honorable grave IN
Che broad prairie. All the time | be-
licve he comprehended my sore strait,
and understood perfectly what was re-
auircd of him. He knew, too the
treacherous nature Of the ground upon
which he stood, for while waiting he
continued lifting his feet and slightly
changing his position to prevent his
sinking. Finally, ] had my arrange:
ments completed, and I gave the word
to the horse to move. The intelligent
animal stepped off very slowly, pulling
gradually, but with all his tremendous
Strength. To my inexpressible joy, I
felt my body raising, and in less than a
minute I was pulled clean out Of the
sand, upon the hard, clayey-bank.
Thank heaven! and my true, tired, no.
ole horse!
l threw my arms around his neck
and kissed him, and shouted for JOY.
And had not a right to do SOP And
did l do more than my duty when l re.
fused all offers to part with him, and
kept him with all the care and kindness
that l would have nursed a feeble