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

THE B0TTOMLESs BLACK POND.
About half . mile from the town Of
Danford, there was IN extensive and
beautiful piece Of forest land. Many Of
the trees were large and picturesque, the
ground beneath them was generally free
from unpleasant underground and bush
q, and, in some places, It was covered
with moss and delicately.c olored Wild
flowers; there were green open, glades,
where the bright sunshine played fan
tastic tricks with the shadows OF tho sur
rounding trees, and, altogether, the
Dsnford forest was delightful place,
and any visitor, Of ordinary reasoning
powers, would have supposed it to be .
1avorite resort Of the towns-people.
But it was not 90; very few people,
excepting now and then some boys Of
disobedient turn Of mind, ever visited it.
The reason for this was the fact that
near the center Of the woods lay large
pond which had bad reputation.
This pond was 20 large that in some
parts Of the country, where such bodies
Of water are not common, it would have
been called alake.
Id ordinary cases the presence OF
such sheet Of water would have greatly
added TO the attractions Of the place, but
this pond exercised an influence which
vSefbalSnced al tho attractive beauties
~ tho woods. and made Il Q lonely and
deserted spot.
The, reason Of this was the peculiar
I reputation Of the Black Pond. A great
many strange things were said about it.
Ii color was enough to mystify some
people, and terrify others, for It was as
black as ink. Persons who had stood
'supOh It'd edge and hadlooked down upon
III md ovSrsits wide expsnse, were un.
.jsjld I'd see On inch below the surface Of
thavater, which, instead Of being trans
pab6uk .Sappearsd, whom there was no
Wind, like one Of those dark-col0red
,kntf6rv called " Claude Lorraine glass
!" in which . whole landscape is re-
Aected like . little living picture, with
~ its proportions, its perspective and
II colQrs, perfectly preserved.
Itmkht have been supposed that this
lake would have presented an attractive
picture, on bright days, when the sky,
1Ae clouds and the overhanging foliage
were reflected in its smooth and pol.
& ished surtSce but water which IS -
black o. ink is not the kind Of water that
peoples euerally Ike 70 look u. There
are ordinary ponds and lakes and rivers,
8 b which tie sky, clouds and trees are
Isdscted in = way that Is good enough
ior anybody.
But although II VA in color such q
blot upon tho beauty Of the Danford
woods, the blackness Of this pond Wa
snUe tng KfSaSSSt objection to It. The
4 most dreadful thing shout II Was that II
had no bottom! There Is something
& truly terrifying n the idea Of z body o.
4 ny tk1s Is bottbnlsss.. There an
& persons who would feel much safer II
Y sniline 0vGf those portions Of the ocean
which have been proved to be i've or d,
4 niles deep, than over the vast expanse'
{ n s1lljne tblllpWs whore bottom ha'
\ l{e{3esnf3uhG
sst llnh LII tbsysll known that bottom
n Iad never BEEN found in the Blacl
A Pond. Sons had heard this from thei
III hthers, and fathers 1rom their fathers
Al 81 Danford WAS an old town, and tn
D)nck Pond had always been the same
= iAr hack ~ The local history and tn