DeSoto times. (Hernando, Miss.) 1879-1898, 1890-04-24
ALONE IN A FOG.

ALONE IN A FOG.
\ a rightful Experience of a Fifteen
a 81 Year-Old Boy.
ss o Having been brought up on the rugged
q "a mast of Maine, / have, almost yearly,
4 ,rifced a few of the longest summer
~ Avs to the indulgence of coast ramble,
a saf no excitement of climbing the immeas-
$SI rable crags, exploring the depths of
Su, he black coves, or proving my powers
u swimming amid the waves of some
. a pnny bay frequently, also, 1 have
s8ssA orowed the boat belonging to an ac-
SsSS uantance and solaced myself with the
S% Eoyelty of an aquatic expedition. Of all
\ AL |hirSt for the latter enjoyment / was
b y last completely cured by an occur
n r., w y ence which ! am about to relate.
,' "'lsa On fine forenoon about the begin
World ng Of August put to sea, with the in
ssTs daaIs eniOn of fairly crossing the watery
'AoTh Orzon-of having the satisfaction of
Aaa eeing the far-off headlands sink away
- behind the waves. The day was hot
EN1 nd calm, without a breath of wind to
A''' Ill a sail, but l knew little of the man
al cement of such matters, had the case
nv been otherwise.
IAS After had fairly left the shore I dis
d, III, Wered that the weather was by no
beans favorable to observation. Gray
tttt freaths OF mist were creeping with sin
vi sterllke motion among the low grounds |
,ttt the interior country, and a slight |
YAH haze was beginning to be visible far out |
"' n the sea; but those dreary accompani-
uunto Vf ---~--,~ ------r,. I
h1s "a ouM persuaded myself, entirely dis
IHE ppear as the day strengthened; so on
lRa md on | pulled; but although tho
lk, and indeed became somewhat more in
Ya Instinct, seemed, after an hour or two
va f severe labor, to be but very little
Hn hearer my purpose than when | first
WV dipped my oars in the brine. | could
+ Fill discern the white line of foam along
the shore. Some one had told me that
InA two hours rowing would take me quite
Aga 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.
q My chagrin at this was by no means
abated on discovering that the mists
which boiled in the far-off hollows were
reinforced by squadron of dun clouds
that came trailing their long, ragged
, skirts over the distant hills. Their
dense skirts al last stole across the sun,
\ the miSts boiled up higher, and, drop
4 ping my oars, | stood up and looked
n around. There were few signs of tenn
Il pest or foul weather, thought, yet the
II safest course was to turn towards the
shore, which l accordingly did; but
scarcely had | wheeled my little bark
landward when light breeze swept
] past casting around me the vapor of the
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
assemble, except the waves that
tumbIed around me.
Never, not even at the quenching of
ahre, had labored with such eager
perseverance, as l now did. l was be-
yond measure terrified, and yet it
might have been thought there was lit
tie cause Of dread. What could be more
simple than to row straight on to the
spot which had left in the morning?
at all events, thought it would GER
tainly be impossible to miss the land,
anu my greatest dread was that the
wind would strengthen.
lhad hoped to reach tho shore in a
aluch shorter space than had required
ior rowing out, now that my energies
were fully awakened; but after half an
aour OF unintermitting toll, neither
lana nor rock appeared; and now began,
Hth accumulating horror of soul, to
'nlnk that, after ALL might possibly
enough be steering wrong course. The
dreadful idea gathered strength every
moment; yet, what could l do? To rest
on my oars and wait for Frightening
weather would have been intolerable; to
aller my course, worse than useless. /
lau no compass, nor the slightest notion
now lar from the blessed land l might
vi and, worst of all, the mist surround
eome on all sides No opening seemed
in view
AZ i've p. m. there was still no sign of
anu Oh, what priceless joy would it
nave been to have heard the town-clock
sflke; nay, even to have heard the
sVream of bird telling that life was
near l had provided for no contin-
selcy, and was now necessarily hungry
anu heartless. Visions Of lingering
"ea'h by famine began already to arise
vi my disordered senses, and l thought
vi 'he folly which had tempted me to
NuSt to the ocean on such day of clouds
anu Vapor as this threatened to be at its
announcements And still the thoughts