The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-06-25

clothes-line I'could buy or borrow in the
town, and I'd let down . good, heavy
lead, that wouldn't be pulled about BY
currents. I'D fasten on line after line,
and think there would certainly be
enough rope in the whole town to reach
to the bottom. But, having no arms, l
couldn't lower . line, even il I had .
boat. So l can't do it, and I'm not 60.
ing to advise any other folks to try it,
for ton to one they'd get excited and
tumble overheard, and there would be
an end of them, and I'd get the blame
of it. But I'd like to know, anyway, |
how soon the bottom begins to shelve |
down steep. II We knew that, We could !
tell il there'd be any danger to little
codger who might tumble in from the |
shore. And II it does shelve sudden, the !
town ought to put up . high fence oil
around it. I've 3 mind to Try how deep
It Is near shore"
II Curtis had been ike o6er men, he
would have cut . long pole and tried the
depth Of tho pond . short distance from
land. But he could not do that, and
there was only one way in which he
could carry out his plan, and that he de-
termined to try. He would carefully
wade in and feel with his feet for the
place where the bottom began to shelve
down. This was rash and bold pro-
ceeding, but Curtis was bold fellow
and not very prudent, and he had be-
come very much interested in finding
out something about the bottom Of this
pond. It was not often, now, that he
had anything to interest him.
He wore high boots, in which he had
often waded, and his clothes were thin
linen, of not very good quality, 30 that
il they became blackened by the water
it would not much matter. As for TAX
ing cold when he came out, Curtis
never thought of that. He was rough
fellow and could soon dry himself in the
sun.
Having made up his mind, he did not
further delay, but stepped cautiously in
to the water. Even near the shore he
could not zee the bottom, and he moved
very slowly out, feeling his way care
fully with one foot before he made step.
He did not expect that the bottom would
begin to descend rapidly very near the
shore, but as he got out ten or fifteen
feet from land and found the water con-
siderably above his knees, he began to
take still greater precautions. He ad.
vanced sidewise, standing on one foot
and stretching the other one out as far
Is he could, to make sure that he was
not on the edge Of an unseen precipice.
! In this way he went slowly on and on,
the water getting deeper and deeper,
until it was up to his waist. He now
felt . slight rise in the bottom before
him. This made him very cautious, for
he knew that where there was . great
opening down into the bowels Of the
earth there was, almost always, . low
mound thrown up around it, and this
mound he had probably reached: II
sloped up very gently on tho side where
| he was, but on the other side 1t might
20 down almost perpendicularly.
So no man ever moved more slowly
through the water than did Curtis now
A few inches ct . time, still feeling be-
fore him with ono foot, he went eau
tiously on. He was very much excited
and even . little afraid that he might
unaware reach the edge Of the preci
pice. or that the ground might suddenl,
crumble beneath him. He had not in
tended to venture in 90 far. But he dit
not turn back. He must 60 . it'll
, further. He had almost reached tn!
edge Of the great mystery Of the Blscl
I Pond!
But he had not reached It yet. TIL
, | ground on which he stood still rosa, q
though by slow degrees, % that he W
|, really higher out OF water than he ha'
I been ton minutes before.
+ Suddenly be looked up from the water
down on which he had been gazing ~
! he had expected to 80 some dsope
!. blackneee beneath II black surface, 90
!. glanced IN iront of him. Thsn b turne
IA looked behind him. Then 10 stoo
|. still, ard rave great shoat.
! The Shout ochoed IRON The surround
|. in9 woods; to birds and TIE lnsecel
q and To rabbils, which IN, and hun
4 med, and jumped shout 20 freely In tho!
: soNtudss, must have been amazed
= Srch 1 shout had not been heard nea
3 the Black Pond In the memory q %
], living thing. ...s....s u.
'. Il ~ . shout q lasghter! -
4 No wonder Curtis laughed. He VI
4 = rood deal more than halt way aero
4 tie pond! He had walked right ov'
|. The place whore that mysterious DEPT
! vas supposed to DO, and the water b,
. not reached ID shoulders. The gradu
!. rise IN the bottom, which he supposed
: 30 8 mound, Vas tho rise toward the o
= posits shore!
e when Curtis Blake had .fnisha
!. ,An;hins. 70 uudhed through thS wat
= n - g hsl could go-hs 0mb3 nm
& 81 inA very Nv minutes he stood
= the bank. ct tho other side d 10 pom
Il IA tnrned and booked back over The v
tar. He had crossed OVER tho very nj
i. dle of To pondl
= Then be laughed ord laughed agai
i sr1e14ine his wet olothss, losgetdl
4 evsvthise but IL faet thAt hs, Witho
,nnes = leads Or boAt q ri, o. o.
"A I'M "a found ~ bot3om d q
n dreeded plsce Of w., thae b bad =
q many e lis4Qah.. - :. ! s1lssss