Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1885-09-09
NY Curious Friend.

ingly cast out of His mind. Such
utter desolation turks nowhere else.
Such loneliness was never called up
before.
was lost. l had realized that fact
an hour ago. 1t had clouded up till
1 could no longer see the sun, and in
making detour to avoid a pond l
had become hopelessly confused. On
all sides of me grew the canes. Ahead
-behind-right or left was rank
grass, sloughs of dark and filthy
water, and no ground ON which the
foot could rest long in safety.
And there was worse. AS l stood
for a moment wondering what / could
do bideous black snake glided away
from under my feet and plunged into
the water ahead. His passage across
was disputed by huge cotton-mouth,
and as the two fought and writhed
and twisted, the noise of the combat
called out other denizens. A water
mocassin ran Kissing past me. A
great lizard flashed his fiery eyes at
me and disappeared under the roots
of dead cypress. The odor of musk
floated through the swamp, and pres
emily an alligator uttered his horrible
"snif'! sniff" and / heard him plung-
ing about not far off.
Which wayi l stood and turned
slowly until l had made a circuit. 1t
was the same on every side-cypress,
cane, reeds, water, and here and there
a hummock. ] could not stand still,
knowing that l was lost, and yet, real
izing the same fact, one route was as
good as another. 1t was no use to
shout. / was miles from the nearest
cabin, and there was no hope that any
other hunter was in the swamp.
Shout If life depended on it I would
not dare to break that awful silence.
A scream might collect the serpents
about me-might tell the alligators
where to look for victim.
crept carefully forward, but had
not progressed hundred feet when
the ground began to give way under
me. let go of the heavy rife, made
a wild leap and scramble, and as
my feet touched firm ground again l
was defenseless. The weapon had
sunk out of sight in the black waters.
Then 1 shouted. Aye! I raised my
voice and shouted "Help! helpr
with all the ferccness of a man who
sees death before him. 1t was un-
manly, but l was unnerved. The
serpents were gliding about me, and
that utter desolation-that awful lone
illness was breaking me down.
l could look back over my trail for
about 300 feet. As I stood there af-
ter the loss of the rifle q voice called
to me. With my heart almost in my
mouth / answered it. The voice call
ed again.
II am here, right ahead Of YOU
thank God !" l answered.
l could see no one, but now and
then the reeds waved in manner to
prove that body was being forced
through them. 1 waited for another
call, but it did not come. BY and by
the bushes parted and gaunt. Wild
eyed beast paused to look at me from
distance of only ten feet. 1t was a
panther, and he had been stalking
nae.
"Nr-r-r-r!" he growled as he Aatten-
ed his ears and parted his lips to show
his long yellow fangs.
How sleek he was! Such eyes
How those cruel teeth would rend and
tear! What power in those short
limbs
i laughed and beckoned to him.
"Nr-r-r-r !" he growled.
"Ah! / know you You were sent
from the house to show me the way
out of this awful spot. Come, l am
ready"
With no moro effort than q cat
makes to spring over stool he leap
ed the space and alighted beside me.
"And how did you find me" l
asked as / rubbed the soft fur on his
back.
"Nr-r-r-r-meow
Tracked me by scent, L suppose,
though you must have had n hard time
of it. Say, let's be going. I am oil
unnerved by this terrible loneliness"
"Meow meowW
"They talk about the horrors OF
solitary confinement for murderers,
but what is the dungeon cell compar-
ed to this? No man would live here
half a day. He would end his life
by plunge into one Of these pools"
"Pur-r-r-rp
"Well, we'll 20. Keep that big
cypress in line to prevent going iu a
circuit. Isn't it curious that people
who are lost invariably travel in a
circle ?"
"Purr purr n