Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-05-26


or summer, had generally been fellows.
as has been infimated before, who had
been tDid never to go near it.
4 And so it happened that the pres
ence Of this dismal piece of water made
people unwilling that their children
should go into the woods, for fear that
they might wander to the pond. And,
as they did not wish to do themselves
what they had forbidden to their chill
dren, they took their own rural walks
in others directions. and the woods, thus
getting bah name throughout that
country, gradually became quite lonely
and deserted.
Attic time ofsofsr story there lived in
the town of Danford a man named Cur
tbs Blake, who wa4 well known on ac-
count of peculiar personal character
istic. He had no arms. lie had been
soldier and had lost them both in
battle.
Curtis was a strong, weil-made man,
and as he had very good pair of legs
left to him after the misfortnnes of war,
he used them in going errands and in
doing anything by which walking could
be made useful and profitable. But, as
there was not much employment of this
kind tos be hsd,s he frequently found
himself with a great deal of time-not
/ on his hands exactly-but which he
could mot sadvantageously employ. Con-
Fsequently. he used to raEtie about q
good deal in a purposelessssort OF way,
and one summer afternoon he rambled
into the Danford woods.
He found it very cool and pleasant
here, and he could not help thinking
what a pity it was that the towns-peo-
pie could not make resort of these
woods, which were 50 convenient to the
town and sd delightful in every way.
But, of course, he knew it would never
do for families, or forsany one, In fact,
to frequent the vicinity of such q dam
gerous piece of water as the Black Pond.
And, thinking of the Black Pond, he
walked on until he came TO it and stood
upon its edge, gazing thoughtfully out
upon its smooth and somber surface.
IF / had arms" said Curtis to him
self, I'D go to work and find out Just
how deep this pond is. I'd have q boat
carted over from Stevens's Inlet-it's
only four or five miles-and I'd row out
into the middle of the pond with all the
clothes-line could buy or borrow in the
town, and I'd let down a good. heavy
lead, that wouldn't be pulled about by
currents. I'd fasten on line after line,
and l think there would certainly be
enough rope in the whole town to reach
to the bottom. But, having no arms,
couldn't lower a line, even If 1 had q
boat. So can't do it, and I'm not 60
ing to advise any other folks to try it,
tumble overheard, and there would be
cf nd %ho
Of it. But Ed like to know, anyway,
how soon the bottom begins to shelve
down steep. IF we knew that, we could
tell if there'd be any danger to. q little
codger who might tumble in from the
town ought to put up high fence all
around tive mind 70 try how deep
it Is near shore" - ~.
- IfCurtis had been like other men, he
would have cut long pole and tried the
land. But he could not do that, and
could carry out his plan, and that he de-
wade in and feel with his feet for the
down. This was a rash and bold pro-
and not very prudent, and he had be
come very much interested in finding
out something about the bottom of this
had anything to interest him.
often waded. and his clothes were thin
linen, of not very good quality, SO that
if they became blackened by the water
= \ l.
ANcold when he came out, Curtis
Enerer thought Of hat. He was rough
EfslloNsd couldsoQ dry himself in the
HsrsnkS>de up RsAind, he did not
furtherdday hut SUPPLEMENTARY in
to the writer Even near the shore he
could not seethe bottom, and he moved
very slowly ant. feeling his way care
fully with one foot before he made Sstep.
He did not expect that the, bottom would
begin to descend rapidly vary near the
shore, but as he got opt tan or fifteen
feet frpm land and found the voter con-
-sidArab1v above his kneess he Began to,
take sin greater precautions Head
vosced sidewise. standingsson one foot
and stretching the other one ons Is far
as he could, TO Nnake <1ure that he was
not Oh buc cuRc VI d4x UuSc0n pTcClplCos'
In this way he went slowly on and on,
the water getting deeper and deeper,
until IL was up to his waist. Henow
felt slight rise inthe bottom before
him. This made him very cautious, for
he knew that where there was a great
opening down into thee6owels of the
|earth there was, almost always, a low
mound thrown up sround it, and this
| Il ~ IL
s II 10 very ya On the side where
he ~as, but On the other side it might
GO down almost perpendicularly.
So no man ever moved more slowly
through the water than did Curtis now.
A few inches at . time, still feeling be-
fore him with one 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 suddenly
Icrumble beneath. him.. He had not in-
tended to venture in SO far. But he did
mot tnrne back. He must go a little
IL AZ