The Red Cloud chief., 1884-11-07

WobcSs 0lVco08 u @00 q UU0c0e& o.
sesweed. Between him and the cluster
Of Wild flowers was dead Mans Greek.
At low tide Il was . cory bed Of sofi
mud. with . tiny stream Of water trick
ling down its center; u high tide .
schooner might have foated In Il in
perfect safety. II got its name from
the fact that . mao was .ed there
several years before
Upon the Shiny bank OF Dead Mans
! Creek John Dorm neither stopped nor
STAYED. With his eyes fixed confidently
upon the cluster Of gay blooming
flowers be strobe down through the eel
grass and out into the mud. Had be
been less occupied with thoughts Of his
frst bern son and vague speculatiou-
concerning the career likely 10 open up
before him, he would have noticed al
once. with the experience OF an old
fisherman, that the mud was very sof.
and bc,vy. Almost a, = run be pushed
forward
In the middle OF Dead Mans Creek
he stopped. A shade Of vexa;ion cross
ed his face, for he found il impossible
10 cross the mud 40 near the main chan
mel. He stood still a moment. trying 10
think Of a better crossing further up the
brook. He turned to retrace his steps.
What Was this' The heavy mud held
him fast. With q mighty effort he
wrenched free one o. his legs and tried
TO struggle out TO iirmer ground. IL
was impossible He but sank the
deeper. Then like a tidal wave the
blood rushed back upon his heart. leav-
ing his cheeks and lips like ashes. II
was fear. Then he laughed aloud. a
hard. hollow laugh. Why should he
fear? Did he not know every foot OF
sea ard shore along the Grea, South
Bay. and was it likely that ans harm
should come 70 him in sight of his own
home2 IL was weakness To think of
such a thing. The long-dclayed arrival
of his son had unnerved him Tor n mo-
meat that was all. He would put
forth his strength and wrench himself
free. With the energy of desperation
he tried it-once-twice three times
and STOOD still. exhausted. Fear shone
in his eyes. and the lines Of u~nexpressed
anxiety deepcned across his pale face.
yet he would not cry out. People might
laugh 10 know that he was stuck in the
mud. and be a proud in his way
proud of his knowledge of sea and
shore, proud OF his ability rs n "a lor.
He would wait a while and try again.
Bnt what was this creeping up from
the channel? IL was water. The tide
was coming in. InStinctivc,y he sought
the higI-water mark on the bank and
measured il with his eve. Ii was fully
six inches above the top OF his head. In
4 sudd II frenzy of terror he beat the
soft mud with his hands and shrieked
aloud. Like a mailman he glarcd at
little sheet OF water wayiny in from
The swift channel like an ~Unrclenting
Ii seemed 10 mock him. Sea
circling overhead heard his cries
and scared away; Little Patty covered
DOWN in fear.
1t was not = quickSand. He did not
sink inch by inch. He stuck fast. AMI
De anne as immoyablc rs the bed of mud
It>cit. Cries, tears, prayers, alike were
n vain. y" one heard. for although
-he little house among the trees WAS in
plain sight. yet 1t was beyond the range
the human voice.
The tide came in slowly. and after
it touched him and climbed up
ais helpless legs and threw the radiance
the sinking SIM into his bloodshot
yes. Ii jeered at Kim and with trcm-
Ilous fingers reached up TO grasp him
~ the throat He struggled and
screamed until his strength wa gone:
Then he stood still and waited. Higher
ret climbed the green tide. Dumbly
he saw a slender line If smoke rise up
rom among the trees. Supper was be-
ne prepared for him for him Wllo
vould need it never again. He saw .he
nodding in tho breeze. they
night wither and die. His hand would
place them upon his baby's
Family he heard his daughter
PATTY calling. Papa, papa!' Did he
rear his wife hnmming an old tune. or
vas it the water gurgling in his ear?
lee raised his arms. still struggling
A M later the only o.
Get on the still surface of Dead Mans
'reek was a tangled tuft of brown hair,
mingled with the drifting seawced.
1t was high tide in Great South Bay.
Ludyet.