Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-07-20
IN THE RESERVOIR.


street any fine October morning There
were two or three carriages in waiting and
half dozen senatorial looking mothers with
young children pacing the parapet as we
ourssIves, one day in the past generation,
basked there in the sunshine-now watching
the pickerel that glided along the lucid edges
Of the black pool within, and now looking OFF
upon the scene Of rich and wondrous variety
that spreads along the two broad and beauti-
Jul rivers Oh each side.
''They may talk Of Alpheus and Arethusa,"
murmured an idling sophomore, who had
found his way thither during recitation
hours, ''but the Croton, in passing over an
arm Of the sea at Spuyten Duyvil and burst
ing to sight again in this truncated pyramid,
beats it al hollow. By George, too, the bay
yonder looks as blue as ever the 1E.gean sea to
Byron's eve gazing from the Acropolis. Did
you see that pike break, sir"
81 did not
His silver fin flashed upon the black
Acheron, like a restless soul that hoped yet
to mount from the pool"
''The place seems suggestive of fancies to
syou" we observed in reply TO the rattlepate.
1T is, indeed; for l have done up good
deal of anxious thinking within a circle of
few yards where that fish broke just now.
Shall l tell you about til"
pray don
''Weil. you have seen the notice forbidding
any one to fish in the reservoir. Now, when
read that warning, the spirit of the thing
struck me at once as inferTing nothing more
than that ODE should not sully the temperance
tpotations OF our citizens by sleeping bait in
it Of any kind; but you probably know the
common way of taking pike with slip moose
of delicate wire. was determined to have
q touch at the fellows with this tackle.
Il chosea moonlight night; and an hour
before the edifice was closed to visitors Sc
GREETED myself within the walls, determined
TO pass the night on the top. All went as
could wish it. The night proved cloudy,
but it was only variable drift OF broken
clouds which obscuTed the moon. l had a
walking cane rod with me which would reach
10 the margin Of the water, and several feet
beyond if necessary. To this was attached
the wire, about fifteen inches in length.
II prowied along the parapet for consid-
cradle time, but not a single fish could / see.
The clouds made Pickering light and shade
that wholly fooled my steadfaSt gaze. was
convinced that should they come up thicker
my whole nights adventure would be thrown
away. Why should l not descend the slop-
ing wall and get nearer on a level with the
fish, for thus alone can hope to see onep
The question had hardly shaped itself in my
mind before had one leg over the iron rail-
ing
If you look around you viii see now that
there are some half dozen weeds growing
here and there amid the assures of the solid
L q
these spring, planted a foot and began my
descent The reservoir was fuller than it is
now, and q few strides would have carried
me to the margin OF the water. Holding on
to the cleft above, felt round with one foot
for place to plant it below me
In that moment the flap of a pound pike
made me look round, and the roots of the
weed upon which partially depended gave
way as l was in the act of turning. Sir,
ones senses are sharpened in deadly peril; as
I live now, distinctly heard the bells OF
Trinity Ginning midnight, as l rose to the
surface the next instant, immersed in the
stone caldron. where I must swim for my
life, Heaven only could tell how longi
''l ana a capital swimmer; and this natur-
ally gave me q degree of self possession. Fail
ing as l had, !, of course, Lad pitched out
some distance from the sloping parapet a
few strokes brought me- to the edge. l really
was not vet certain but that | could Chamber
up the face Of the wall anywhere. ! hoped
that could
II tried the nearest spot. The inclination
OF the wall was SO vertical that it did not
even rest me TO lean against it. l felt with
my hands and with my feet. Surely, l
thought, there must be some iSsure like those
in which that III omened weed had found
place for its rootl
There was none My fingers became sore
In busying themselves with the harsh and in
hospitable stones. Ny feet slipped from the
smooth and Shiny masonry beneath the water;
and several times my face came in rude con-
tact with the wall, when my foothold gave
way on the instant that l seemed TO have
found some dininutive rocky cleat upon
which 1 could stay myself
Sir did YOU ever see a rat drowned in a
half filed hogshead-how he swiuls round
and round and round, and after vaiRly try
ing the sides again and again with his paws,
fixes his eyes upon the upper rim as If he
would look himself out Of his watery prison,
Il Thought of the miserable vermin, thought
of him as had often watched thus his dying
agonieS, when cruel urchin Of eight or ten
Boys are horribly cruel, sir; boys, women
and savages All child ike things are cruel /
cruel from want Of thought, from perverse |
ingenuity.
Il thought then, say, of the rat drown |
ing in half filed caSk OF water, and lifting |
his gaze out of the vessel as he grew desper- |
ate, and l flung myself on my back, and 4
floating thus, fixed my eyes upon the moon
1.-The moon is well enough in her way, how /
ever yen may look at her; but her appear
ance is. 10 say the least Of Il, peculiar 70 a
man floating on his back in the center Of q .
stone tank. with dead wall of some fifteen 4
CT twenty feet rising squarefy on every side /
of him!" The young man smiled bitterly as /
be said this and shuddered once or twice be- /
fore he went on muSlngiyJ
The last time had noted the planet with /
hny emotion she was on the wane Mary was /
with mo; had brought her out here one /
morning TO look at the view from the top OF /
the reservoir. She said little Of the scene,
but as we talked Of our old childish loves /
saw that its fresh features were Incorporate
Ing themselves with tender memories Of the
past and I was content
"Ther>s WAS d rico golden haze upon the
landscape and as my own spirits rose amid
the yoluptuous atmosphere, she pointed 10
the waning planet, diScernible ike FAINT
cash IL the welkin. and wondered how long
it would be before the leaves would fall
Strange girl did she mean 10 rebuke my
;oyous mood as If We had no right 20 be /
happy while nature. whitening in her poup, |
md the S'"iyly- moon wasting in the blaze OF