The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1881-06-10

/ the mud as / swan, and when in this
/ position could push my arms into it
/ with almost as much ease as I could
/ push them through the water; but to
draw them out again was far from easy.
With horrid fear of being unable to
extrlcate myself from the mud, and off
! slow suffocation, made sudden dash
back into the deeper water, and tried
the other bitches, only to be repulsed
in the same manner. swan round
and round the pool, seeking for an
outlet, and beginning to feel my boots
and clothes very heavy. Even now /
inyoiuntarily smile at the comparison
which suddenly occurred to me between
myself in this plight and mouse
swimming around bucket of water;
but the thought that I too, like it,
might be swimming for my life soon
drove all ludicrous thoughts out of my
head.
Masters noWbeg to look very serious,
when saw d root or branch Of some
long buried tree projecting out of the
bank. I caught hold of it but it was
not strong enough to enable me to lift
myself out of the water. All that I
could do was to support myself with my
hands just sufficiently to keep my head
above the surface. I took this opportu-
nifty of kicking off my boots.
Up to this time, could scarcely real
ize my position but now the conyic-
| ton began to dawn upon me that I
might never again see the mother and
sisters had left in the cottage mile
and a-haf away. looked up at the
sky, in which the twilight was fast Civ
ing place to the moonlight. and across
which the clouds were merr1ly driving
before the evening breeze, and then /
| looked at the black and Shiny walls
which hemmed me in, and feltas though
was about to scream with terror.
From my CHI dhood, I have always had
Ia horror of confinement of any kind. I
have felt strangely uncomfortable when
have been persuaded into exploring a
cave, or when I have been shown through
prison. This feeling felt now more
strongly than the fear Of drowning. To
die hemmed in by those gloomy walls
would be terrible.
To add to the weirdness, hollow
booming sound, almost amounting to a
roar, ran through the quiyering bog,
intensified to me, no doubt, by my i'm
prisonment in the heart of the moss.
This, though I had never heard it before,
I knew to be the note of the bittern.
During the night, it was repeated several
times, and anything more weird and
dismal it would be hard to imagine.
I had not as yet thought of shouting,
but now did so till / was hoarse. The
only answer was the eerie scream of the
curlew. The improhapility Of any one
being near enough to hear me SO late,
stluck me, and Idesisted from the use
less labor. The stiffness was intense,
broken only at rare intervals by the
bittern or curlew. How long I cIung to
the branch / do not know. Fortunate
II, theSNater was not cold. c The clouds
had cleared away, and the moon, near
full ahcns b1ig fiaa If lsnen
dark, my courage must have given way,
and I should most probably have sunk.
As it wasy I cannot say that quite des-
paired Of q rescue in some way OF other.
II I could only hold out till morning,
some one might, Iconjectured, come for
the purpose Of carrying away the turf
sods, and might see my coat and gun,
which would lead to search. [ had
not much hope in any search from the
village; I had started in the direction
of the cliffs, my fayorite evening haunt,
and fancied that would be the direc- |
tion the searchers would take. As the
night wore on-oh SO slowly-with the
moon SO calmly gliding through the
stars above me, / fell into kind Of
stupor, and eau distinctly remember
repeating scraps of verses totally un-
connected with each other. From this
state, I was aroused by the loud note of
some night-bird, probably an owl, and
found my arms were stiff from holding
on to the root while my legs felt like
weights Of lead suspended beneath me.
While trying to change my position [
fancied heard the gurgling sound of
running water, and that not far off. I
listened intently, and found it was no
fancy. Water was evidently running
into the pool, and I saw by the root
that was clinging to that the water had
risen some inches.
A cheering hope sprang up within me,
as it flashed across my mind that the
tide must be rising, and that the pool
must have an outlet into the river.
The thought infused new life into me,
and I struck out in the direction of the
sound. Then, tony intense Joy, / saw
distinctly, In the clear moonlight, that
the water was streaming in fast through
several small inlets, and pouring IN
quietly and steadily, through one Of the
bitches I had previously swan up. I
knew that If the tide rose another foot
or eighteen inches, could by treading
water fast, spring up SO high as to be
able to catch hold of the top of the
bank, and SO swing myself up. knew
also that the water could not possibly
begin to flow into the bog-pools until it
was nearly high tide. Returning to my
resting place, watched anxiously, the
prospect of speedy deliverance banish-
ing all weariness. The water continued
to pour in steadily and in great volume
The dawn was now breaking, and had
not rauch longer to wait. The water
had ceased flowing, and the bank in
one place was barely five feet above the
water Taking a long breath, I let my
self sink low, and then treading water
as strongly and quickly as possible, I
threw half my body above the surface
of the pool, and caught the top with one
hand. Before the soft earth had time
to crumble beneath my weight, T had
obtained firmeT grasp with the other
hand. and in another moment stood on
the moss saved, drinking in with eager
gasps the fresh air of the morning.
The white haze was rapidly clearing
away, and through it I saw five or six
men hurTying towards me. / have
| confused idea Of being helped to my
lodgings, and afterwards telling my adj
venture to many eager questioners.
The soaking had had, and the ex-
posure to the unhealthy mists which
rise from the morass in the night, caused
an illness for a time, but the effects soon
wore of.
The heron is stuffed, and adorns my
cabinet, unconscious of the revenge
| which overlook its destroyer.
Prince Hioashi Fushini Yoshaiki. the