The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-07-03
A FISH TALE
In Which Several Prominent Clarendon
Gentlemen Play en- Important Part.

and tail of the fish, but we have a fish
tale that is of symmetrical proportions,
true in every particular. Possibly we
ought not to tell it, but when we get a
good thing we just can't keep it, so the
gentlemen interested in it, or rather
connected with it, will please kindly
excuse US for stellin' on EN-" Mr..
J. Pat Brock, Capt. j. J. Broughton,
Mr.. Ashby Weeks, and Mr.. Jack
Weeks, are the parties most deeply
concerned.
These gentlemen, accompanied by
some boys, determined recently to
have a fish in Santee. Mr.. J. P.
Brock and Capt. j. j. Broughton were
the first to start ont in quest Of the
inny game. Before daylight they
arrived at creek in the swamp,
which they found deep and still rising.
Afraid to venture in with their bug
gy, they left the buggy on the bank
Of the creek, and swan across on their
horses.
Shortly after daylight Mr.. Ashby
Weeks drove up in his buggy. He
was somewhat surprised to see that
the other gentlemen had left their
buggy, but thinking probably they
didn't care to drive over the rough
swamp road, he drove into the creek,
not once thinkissgsss"wNsssls toe-deefS
SAFELY drive across, Very shortly bis
horse began swimming, lauging, and
jumping as bis feet would occasional
ly touch bottom. The buggy, howev-
er, was safely foated over, without
accident to Mr.. Weeks, except good
wetting. A cypress knee or similar
obstacle in the way Of the buggy
might, however, have resulted serl-
ously, not improbably in loss of life.
About an hour after Mr.. Ashby
Weeks crossed over, Mr.. Jack Weeks
came up driving his beautiful horse
which took several prizes at the last
State Fair. The creek was still rising,
and of course more dangerous to
cross. Mr.. Weeks, however, noticing
that others had crossed, both horse
back and in a buggy, supposed. all
was safe, and confidently drove his
horse into the creek, which by this
time was nearly FIVE hundred feet
wide. Very soon his horse began
swimming, and the buggy was float
ed or top the water. Mr.. Weeks of
course got a little damp! and the
surroundings asumed an interesting
aspect. His valuable horse was in
danger Of drowning, and his own life
was in danger for he was not a swim
mer. Once he cast furtive glance
down the stream, only to see floating
on the foaming waters everything he
had in the buggy-fshing tackle,
dinner, horse feed,--everything ex-
cept the cushion be sat on, and one
other important package in the bot
tom of the buggy,that was too heavy
to float. But his horse proved equal
to the emergency, and landed him on
the other shore safely, though pretty
we'll saturated with water.
All these difficulties overcome, the
party got together, caught plenty of
fish, enjoyed the day hugely, and in
the afternoon all started back togeth-
er. When they got to the creek they
found it still rising, and crossing it
attended with greater risk and dam
ger.
It looked risky crossing that stream,
but it must be crossed. All had con-
fdence except MI. Jack Weeks. He
himself could not swim, and his horse
was too valuable to risk his drowning.
! Finally it was concluded that Nh. Pat
Brock should swim his horse ahead,
and Mr.. Ashby Weeks would follow,
letting his horse carry the buggy back
the same way as be brought it over.
This plan worked finely for while,
Mr.. Weeks's horse swimming and
plunging, but doing no harm to the
buggy, until after crossing the deep
est part, he came to where he could
reach bottom with his feet. Then, as
Bill Arp would say, the horse 'sestab-
lished" imself, refusing to bulge
another tep, but stood there with his
lead ell }ated sufficiently to keep his
lose ou of the water. Mr.. Weeks,
after faiing to get his horse to pro-
ceed, crawled over the dash board, on
to the horses back, and again urged
him to go forward. Still no go. 9th
ers of the party swan to Mr.. Weeks's
rescue, and they toe tried to force the
horse to go, but he stiA refused, until
suddenly, new idea probably occur
ring to his horseship, he literally went
to diving. OF course he got strangled,
and coming to the surface, snorting
and blowing, he struck out for the
shore with huge lunges. Mr.. Weeks
lost his seat, was thrown out into the
o,,J boJ 10 Ho kho obora