Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1882-09-23
TREED BY A CROCODILE
BY ROBERT MORRIS, LII. D.

BY ROBElk1 MOhhlcs LIZ L.
In the spring of 1851 Charles Ack-
worth, of our parts, took a tour
through Louisiana, and upon his re-
turn related to me some curious ad-
ventures. In the cane-brakes of
Louisiana he was engaged one day
in bear hunt, and, losing his horse,
wandered to the north side of Lake
Pontchartrain. Seeing the proba-
biIity of remaining there until morn
ing, he rugged up his hooks and set
himself to catch a supper of fish.
Those Southern lakes have muddy,
shelving banks, and it was necessary
to see a leaning tree, from which the
fisherman might cast his lines into
deep water. After a little search
Ackworth found one exactly to his
taste, an ancient beech tree daring
enough to spring up on the edge of
the bank so near in fact that slight
cave-in had effected its center Of
center of gravity until it had bent in
humble obeisance far over the lake.
With his fishing tackle always in his
pocket and a couple of frogs caught
mapping near by, Mr.. Ackworth
crept along the STOPPING trunk, out
to the very extremity of the tree, full
sixty feet from shore, and set him
self to his work.
The close of the day was beautiful,
and Ackworth had the sensibilities
of naturalist. The deep green Of
the spring leaves in that intense eli
mate reminds one Hooking through
green glasses, and at that particular
hour the verdure seemed more dense
than usual. It was, in fact, SO green
as to appear dark, as washerwomen
mix indigo into their suds until our
shirts become white enough to ap
pear blue He had scarcely got his
hook in the water before the birds,
frightened away at his approach, re-
turned, and after a little prudish
twisting of necks toward him, went
on with sport and labor undisturbed.
An immense heron, whose legs dan
gled under him as he flew, settled
upon a dead-branch halfway up an
old cypress and eyed him pleasantly.
A gang Of peacocks came screaming
and circliDg in their accustomed
manner, their gayish plumage gilt
tering in green and gold, and their
undrilled voices piercing the air as
harsh as piecolo flutes. A maternal
duck led her fleet Of buckets direct
ly under him as he sat, nor enter
tanned any suspicious of his presence.
a good time had our hero accumu-
lating spoil that afternoon. Such a
destruction of the inny tribe must
have devastated entire families. Gar,
goggle-e eyes, Grim, white perch, red
perch and cat yielded successfully
to the attractions of frog meat, eX-
ercised their various evolutions as if
10th to leave the lake and come to
his pouch In the excitement Of the
hour he had scarcely noticed that
the great top in which he was sus-
pended was gradually settling near
the water. His weight so far from
the fulcrum had borne heavily on the
roots and they gave way, bringing
down a great mass of soil, until half
the trunk was under water.
Now, Ackworth was never a good
hand to walk a log. AS long rs be
had hunted and hshed through tor
rent and ravine he had always taken
the safer way about in preference to
the straighter way across land though
he had walked the great beach trunk
with some boldness when out Of
water, it was quite a different affair
to retrace it with fifty pounds OF
fish on his back. Standing long