The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-05-23
Guy de Maupassant Tells of an
Adventure ON the Seine.
An Old 0arsman's Singular Recital-Unex.
plainable Terror-Ths Fishermen
and Their CHASTITY Find.
Written for THE CALL.

one.
One evening, as we were walking along the
bank Of the Seine, asked him to relate to me
some anecdotes OF bis life on the water. Imme-
diately the good man grew animated. was trans
figured, became eloquent almost poetic. He
had in his heart grand passion, a devouring, Ir.
resstibe passionate river.
"Ah!'' said he to me, chow many recollections
have OF that river which you see flowing there
so close to us. You jewellers In streets do NOT
know what the river is. But hear a fisherman
pronounce that word. For him it is a mysteri-
Gus object, deep and unknown the abiding Mace
OF mirages and phantasmagoria. where one sees.
at night, things which are not. where one hears
sounds one is unaeduainted with, where one
Irembles without being able to tell why, as on
passing through cemetery; and it is in fact,
the most sinister of cemeteries, that in which
one has no tombstone.
lone evening as l was returning, alone and
quite iatigued, toilsOmey pulling my big boat
twelve feet long. which | always used at hight.
stopped lew seconds to take breath near the
point of reeds about 200 meters before the rail-
way bridge IS reached. The weather was mag
nihcent, The moon shone, the river sparkIed. tae
air was calm and mild. This tranquility tempted
me. / S. id 10 myself that II would be very nice
to smoke a pipe in this spot. The action fol-
lowed the thought. l seized my anchor aud cast
ii into the liver.
The boat, which redescended with the cur.
rent, ran out the length of It's CHAIN then
stopped, and seated myself In the stern on INV
sheepskin as comfortable as was possible Moth
Ing was heard, nothing; though / occasionaiiv
thought l seized a slight almost impercepfibIe
swasnng of the water against The strand, and 7
saw groups of reeds higher than the rest. which
took surprising shapes and at times seemed
shaken.
STRANGE SYMPTOMS
The river was perfectly tranquil, but I felt
myself agttated by the extraordinary silence
those nocturnal singers of the marshes-weTe
stlll. Suddenly, on my right, a frog croat ed: I
gave gave STAR; II stopped; | heard nothing fur
Their and resolved TO amuse myself by smoking
little. But, though was famed for nv love OF
the pipe, l could not; the second puff
disguised me, and 1 ceased. 1 began to
painful 10 me; then l stretched nv
self out III the bottom of the boat and LOOK ed az
the SKY. For some time l remained Tranquil,
but soon the slight movement OF the boat dis
turDed me. II seemed TO Inc that it was making
gigantic sweeps, touching the Two shores of inc
stream turn by turn; then | got II into my head
gently into the depths OF the water and raising II
to let II fall again. l was tossed about as IL In
the midst OF tempest; | heard noises around
me; sprang uD with bound the water sLone
all was calm.
" comprehended that my nerve. were some.
what shaken and resolved to quit the place |
pulled at my Chain; the boat b gan to move :
then felt resistance; tugged with greater
strength, but the anchor would not Weld: n had
hooked on TO something at the bottom of the
river and ] could not raise IL. | Recommended IN
pull but useessy. Then with my oars turned
the boat up stream to change the position of the
anchor. In vain-ll still held. [ got angry and
y.
Discouraged, | sat down and began 10 reflect
upon my position. ! could not hope either 10
break the chain or separate il from the boat, for
1t was enormous and rlveted to the fore IN a
block OF wood thicker than my arm; bur as tile
weather continued very fine thought that. with
out doubt, some fisherman would soon appear
and come TO my aid.
SPIRITS TO THE RESCUE.
My misadventure had Gained me and at last
j could smoke my pipe. had d bottle OF rum:
drank TWO or Three glasses, and my situation
mace me iausl. IL was quite warm, SO, II forced
TO, could pass the night where l was Without
great harm.
Suddenly I heard a slight blow against the
size OF lie boat. gave start and cold sweat
froZe me from head to foot. The noise douht-
less. had come from bit OF wood drawn along
by The current, but IL had sutficed and Ieli nv
sell again seized upon by strange nervous agi.
tatlon. l grasped tue chain and stilfened myself
In desperate effort The anchor held its own
l sat down again exhausted.
" Meanwhile the riyer nad gradually become
covered with very thick, white mist which
crawled over the water almost at the surface SO
that when stood up l could no longer see the
OF the reeds and, further away, the plain white
in the moonb beams, with tall, black stains formed
by groups OF Lombardy poUlars. l was as II
buried TO the waist in a sheet OF cotton of a ain.
gular whiIeness, and fantastic imagiDlngs came
to me. fancIed that some one was irving
10 climb into my boat, which / could no
longer distinguish, and that the river hidden
by THIS opaque mist was full OF strange beings
who were swimming around me. l felt horribly
uneasy. My temples ached. and my heart beat
thought Of escaping by swimming; then thar
Idea made me shiYer with fear / saw my
ELF lost gong going as; as chance might direct,
among the river grass and seeds which could
not avoid, unable TO see the shore una bile a gain
to find my boat, and IL seemed TO me that some
one was pulling me by the ieet Into the depths OF
the dark water.
'' In fact, as would have to swim IN apalns,
the current Tor at least 300 meters before could
nna point iee from grass and reeds where
might gain footing, there were nine chances
out OF ten that | would be unable 10 guide
myself In the mist and that would be drowned
good swimmer as l was
INExPLICABLE FEAR.
Z" grew afraid aud my stupid and ipexplicabIe
lear became terror. l stood motionIess with
open eyes aud listening ear. was waiting. For
what? DID not know; but was convinced IL
must be something terrible. / believe THAT II a
fish had taken notion TO leap out of the water
IL would have sutficed 10 make ME fall i'm
swoon.
BY a violent effort l gradually recovered
somewhat OF my escaping reason. / again re-
sorted TO my bottle OF rum aud guided down
great Quantities OF the liquor. Then, an idea
came TO me anu L commenced to shout with ali
might, turning IN succession 10 the four points of
The horizon. When my throat was absolutely
paiayzed, lstened-a dog was howng far In
tile distance. "
q drank again and lay down In the boat
lay mus perhaps an hour, perhaps two, without
sleeping, my eyes open' with nightmares around
lently desired TO DO SO. L dare not make a
moment. At last / raised myself with minnie
precautions, as Il the slightest noise would have
endangered my life, and looked over the edge of
the boat.
81 was dazzled by the most marvellous. the
most astonishing spectacle possible to see, II
was one OF those phan aSinagoria of FARMLAND
one OF those visions travellers in far distant
countries tell us of without being believed. The
mist, winch Two nouns before was floating upon
the water, had gradually withdrawn and nassed
Itself on the banks. Leaving the river absolutely
free, 1t had formed upon each shore an uubroixen
wall SIX OF seven meters high, which shone in
the moonlight with the superb brilliancy of
snow. Nothing else was to be seen save the
river coated with IRE between these two white
moon IN blush and milky SKY. "
"Al the creatures of the water had awakened.
the frogs We're cfoaking inriously, while from
instant to instant, now TO the right, now to the
left, heard That short. monotonous aud sad
note which the Grassy voice of the toad sends I'm
to the stars. Strange 10 say, l was no ion GER
afraid was amid spectacle so extraordinary
poweriess to astonlsh me. A
A CHASTITY FIND
How long this lasted l do not know for
finished by falling asleep. When reopened INV
eyes the moon had set and The sky was fnl of
clouds. The water swashed Iugubriously' the
wind was blowing, it was cold and the obscuritv
was profound.
I" drank what rum had left; then listened
all in SILVER, TO the rustling of the reeds and
the sinister noise OF the river. l stroye to nee
but could mol distinguish my boat; l could NOT
even make OUT my very hands when he Id them
before my eyes. A.
Little by little. however the density of the
gloom diminished Suddenly l thought [ saw a
shadow glide along quite near me. / uttered a
cry ana voice responded IL was fisherman I
called him, he approached and l related TO him
my misadYentuie. He then brought his boat he
side mine and both of us tugged at the chain.
The anchor did not bulge The day came on.
gray, rainy ana glacial one OF those days Which
bring US sadness and misfOrtuues / saw an
other boat; we hailed IL. The man In charge OF
II joined MS Efforts TO ours; then gradually the
and loaded with heavy weight Finally Wa
saw black mass and drew IL into my boat. IL
was the corpse OF an old woman, with huge
stone fastened 10 her necki" AeS