Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-01-01
ghe ddahita Daily eagle Sunday zor,no january l. 1857

attention was attracted by slight flop" on
the water, and looking round 1 saw big,
bullet looking head appear above the surface.
! had never seen one, but / knew at once that
this was a seal having heard that they fire.
Quente1 the Inch at certain times of the year.
He evidently did not see me, and, breathless
with excitement, l stole the rife TO my Shout
der. | covered hina-but my hand shook so,
/ was afraid to fire. Taking a long, long
breath, TO try and stay the bouncing of my
heart, ] again took aim, pressed the trigger,
! and had the satisfaction to see the fish beast
! give a conclusive spring out of the water. roll
over on its side, and commence splashing and
! tumbling about Ill a way that told me it had
/ got its death wound. Almost mad with joy,
/ / threw the rifle TO the ground, and began
! clanIbering down the face of the rocks to
/ where my prey was now giving its last kick.
/ managed 10 get DOWN 10 the waters edge,
and stretching out, | was just able 10 touch
my seal, and when it gave struggle to one
side, and ] missed him. ] was not TO be done,
however, so catching firm hold of q tuft Of
sea weed growing ont of rock. | bent for
ward and made another grab at it, when
whish! and | was in head firstl How man
aged ii don't know, but when came to my
senses | found myself clutchipg a rugged
ledge of rock like grim death.
On trying 10 climb up, what was my con-
sternatiOn to find that the rocks shelved in
I under me and afforded no foothold, while the
ledge on which my hands rested was so Shiny
and wet that could hardly keep nay hand on
it. much less raise myself by it. Half stupid
with fright, L could do nothing but yell out
Tor help for some time. but the only answer
was the hooking screams of the sea gulls as
they whirled over my head and the roar of
the waves as they dashed against the rocks.
Seeing at length that | was only wasting
the little strength had left, l stopped shout
ing and looked about to see If there was no
way Of escape. Except about two feet of a
ledge to which | held on. | now saw that on
both sides Of me, for several yards, the face
of the rock was perfectly smooth and shiny,
50 Shat l had not the slightest chance of being
able to wor.; along. hand over hand, to some
spot where 1 could get up
Oh. what would | have given then to be
able 10 swim then even a half dozen strokes,
for what would have been sufficient to bring
me t. place where / could easily have as
cended But it was all no use-there | was,
and there | should stay, till help came. Again
ana again | snouted-Du6 all to no purpose.
What was my horror to see that an oc-
caSional wave now washed in through the
inlet and came surging up 10 where | clungl
1 remembered it was ebbing when we left
Granton harbor, and that the tide must now
be on the flow,
My terror gave me fresh strength, and /
gave the NEST frantic screams for help. 1t
seeTHed 2 fearful thing to be drowned by
ilcnes--to watch every wash Of the waves go
a little ana a little higher.
Tho sea was now dashing in angriIy through
the inlet and l found it hard to keep my pre-
cal'iou> hold on the ledge.
Higher and higher came each wave surging
up to me, and / felt ii was but a matter OF
moments. [ closed my eyes and tried to pray,
but | could think of nothing but my dear,
fond mother, and Of her anguish when she
would hear that her only child was gone.
Higher and more angry! / felt my hands
relax and | was just sinking when suddenly
l felt a good, sound thump on the back. Il
seemed to revive NE, aud looking over
my shoulder, what was my JOY to see a
short, stout plank washing up against
me; it had been driven in through the
opening without my roticing it,
To clutch it Was the work of an instant, and
was safe Pushing it before me struck out,
and managed TO propel 1t 10 a place in the
rocks where | easily got UP. as soonI felt
my feet on firm footing again l fell on my
knees ard cried Ike a child. / must have
stayed there some time, for tie first thing
that aroused me was dash of spray over my
head, as if some wave was making a last,
angry snatch at what they had begun TO look
on as their lawful prey. This wakened me up
TO the knowledge that the sooner YVES out of
that tho better, and proceeded TO Climb up
the rocks, Z matter of no small difficulty, as |
was thoroughly worn out and nurlbed.
When / crawled back to the camp
found the boys over blazing fire, cooking
meat AID the fish they had caught
They all gave a cry of establishment as
they looked up and saw my pale, haggard
face and dripping clothes, ana commenced
volev Of questions, which l vainly tried to
answer. Ned, however. took in the situation,
and clapping down panncan OF ale, with
about an ounce OF black pepper III it, on the
fire. be quickly had a drink ready which.
am sure, ought to have revived any one who
had only been short time drowned, so potent
was It. Thanks 20 it, the fire and good
dinner, added to boys we'll known recuper-
alive powers, l was soon all right and told
ms story.
I found that the boys did not intend calling
me tn dinner WAS really, as they feared they
might spoil ny getting shot. They had no
superstition OF anything being wrong, only
thinking that waS intrenched in some quiet
SPOT. waiting for a pot shot' at a rabbit.
Il l had had 20 wait for them l fear they
would have found it hard to find me- After
dinner we Went to look at the scene Of nv
adventure. We found it a regular seething
caldron, and | shuddered as / saw the waves
dashing about madiyfis II side TO side against
the rocks, and thought what would have been
my fate if | had been lew minutes more in
the position l was in.
There was no sign Of the cause of the
adventure, so l suppose it must either
have been washed ont to sea or have
sunk 70 the bottom Ned quantity
remarked, when / said Il wish | knew the
fate Of icy seal, Wei, one thing is certain,
lie was near putting seal on your fate"
We got home all right that evening. and l
was none the worse for my dip. but the
very first thing l did was 10 go 10 Professor
Brown tor swimming lessons l soon mas
tered tie arb under his able tuition. and
though I shall never rival poor Capt. Webb
III any Of his feats, will never be caught in
such "A hole" IS when l shot my first SEAL
Capt Thomas S Blackwell in Outing
Rare Books in Paris.
The decree has gone forth in Paris that