The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1890-06-10
ALONE IN A FOG.
Frightful Experience Of a Fifteen
Year-Old Boy.

Having been brought up on the rugged
coast of Maine, / have. almost yearly.
sacrificed few of the longest summer
days to the indulgence of coast ramble,
the excitement of climbing the immeas-
urable crags, exploring the depths of
the black coves, or proving my powers
of swimming amid the waves of some
sunny bay. Frequently, also. / have
borrowed the boat belonging to an ac-
quaintance and solaced myself with the
novelty of an aquatic expedition. OF all
thirst for the latter enjoyment | was
at last completely cured by an occur
renee which / am about to relate.
On a fine forenoon about the begin
ming of August put TO sea, with the in
tention of fairly crossing the watery
horizon-of having the satisfaction of
seeing the far-off headlands sink away
behind the waves. The day was hot
and calm, without a breath of wind TO
fill a sail, but knew little of the man.
agement of such matters, had the case
been otherwise.
After / had fairly left the shore dis
covered that the weather was by no
means favorable to observation. Gray
wreaths of mist were creeping with sim
ister-like molten among the low grounds
of the interior country, and a slight
haze was beginning TO be visible far out
on the sea; but those dreary accompani-
ments of a warm and moist morning
would. persuaded myself, entirely dis
appear as the day strengthened; so on
hut o1+ ho
land indeed became somewhat more in
distinct. seemed, after an hour or two
of severe labor, to be but very little
nearer my purpose than when | first
dipped my oars in the brine. / could
still discern the white line of foam along
the shore. Some one had told me that
two hours rowing would take me quite
over the horizon, and out of sight of the
highest hill. Either my informant was
mistaken, or / was even worse hand at
the oars than / supposed.
My chagrin at this was by no means
abated on discovering that the mists
which boiled in the far-of hollOWs were
reinforced by squadron of dun clouds
that came trailing their long, ragged
skirts over the distant hills. Their
dense skirts at last stole across the sun,
the mists boiled up higher and, drop
ping my oars, / stood up and looked
around. There were few signs of tenn
pest or foul weather, l thought, yet the
safest course was to turn towards the
shore, which l accordingly did: but
scarcely had | wheeled my little bark
landward when light breeze swept
In Of bka
ocean like thick snow shower. In one
moment the land was invisible. and the
fog continued to roll up astern, and
closer and thicker, until naught was
discernible, except the waves that
tumbled around me.
Never, not even at the guenching of
fire, had i labored with such eager
perseverance as | now did. | was be-
yond measure terrified. and vet it
might have been thought there was lit
tie cause OF dread. What could be more
simple than to row straight on 10 the
spot which | had left in the morning?
At all events, / thought it would GER
tainly be impossible to miss the land.
and my greatest dread was that the
wind would strengthen.
had hoped to reach the shore in
much shorter space than had required
for rowing out, now that my energies
were fully awakened; but after half an
hour of underwriting toll, neither
land nor rock appeared: and now began,
with accommodating horror of soul, to
think that, after all, / might possibly
enough be steering wrong course. The
f,,1
moment; yet, what could do? To rest
on my oars and wait for frightening
weather would have been intolerable; to
alter my course, worse than useless
had no compass, nor the slightest notion
how far from the blessed land / might
be; and, worst of all, the mist surround
ed me on all sides. No opening seemed
In view.
At five p. m. there was still no sign Of
land. Oh, what priceless Joy would it
have been TO have heard the town-clock
strike; nay, even to have heard the
scream of a bird telling that life was
near. I had provided for no contin-
gency, and was now necessarily hungry
and heartless. Visions of a. lingering
death by famine began already to arise
on my disordered senses, and thought
OF the folly which had tempted me to
trust to the ocean on such a day of clouds
and vapor as this threatened to be at its
commencement And still the thoughts
Of death struck hardest on my heart,
and rendered me weak and tremulous.
To perish alone on the waste of waters;
TO have q grave among the rocks thou
full and startling to the man of strong
mind INIT tn tho green fealiurS of f3fteen