Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-12-31

How a Traveller was Saved BY the
Intelligence Of His Horse.

Intelligence ~ his NURSE
About Ave miles south of Platfsmouths
Nob.. IL one of the most dangerous piecer
of road In the whole country, aud whic
In some seasons of the year II is safe for
travelling, ut others II Is all mans life
Is worth to 60 over Il. The cause of this
IL quicksand which lies directly across
the road which is used in the fall of the
year. but is abandoned in the spring and
summer.
TO prevent strangers from getting into
trouble, there is generally sigDboard at
the forks warning them of their danger.
In some manner this signboard was re-
moved, and the result was that Henry
Girard, who lives at Joplin, Mo-, came
near losing his life.
Girard tells the following story Of his
adventure: II was coming to Plattsmouth
to transact some business regarding some
lands in which have an interest, and as
/ wished TO see the land before l got
here, concluded to come on horseback.
The horse is a regular pet and is one
raised by myself. He comes at my call
or whistle like dog
"When got to the forks of the road
saw that the river road was not used,
but that the travel went over the hill, but
i concluded to go along the bank, and
thought that | could pick my way with
out trouble. got down off my horse and
turned him loose to follow me as walked
along. He stopped TO Craze and walked
slowly, watching the river. Having got
some distance ahead of the horse, sat
down to wait for him. How long | sat
there do not know, bur wns suddenly
aroused by finding that my legs were
firmly grasped by the quicksand / was
slowly but surely being drawn into the
earth.
threw myself on my back aud tried
to draw myself from the sand, but all my
efforts were unavailing, and was slowly
being drawn under the sand. l shouted
for help until almost exhausted, but i
could get no response, and was forced to
believe that my last hour had come, and
that was to suffer most horrible death.
1t was late in the evening and wondered
why my horse did not come. l called him
time and again, but he was evidently too
far away to hear me.
''As lay there, sinking deeper and
deeper every minute, heard party of
people on the river. 1t appeared to be a
pleasure party of young folks, and ne
they fioated down the stream they were
singing. The song came distinctly over
the water, but for some reason could
not make them hear, and they passed
down the river singing Home, Sweet
Home while lay there thinking / had
seen my home for the last time. BY this
fbn nj ho1 Ia1
it was almost up to my shoulders, and !
lay with my arms spread out in order to
give as much resistance to the terrible
suction as possible.
Il thought l heard my horse and
called with all my might, giving pecu-
liar whistle which | had taught him to
answer. He heard me, and came run
ming TO where lay, but could not see me
on the ground where l was in the hole,
as il was rather dark by this time. j
called him again and again until he found
where / was, and then he came to me and
l tried to reach up and get some sort OF
a hold on the saddle or bride, but l was
too low. BY some chance he stepped by
me, and got firm hold on his tail, and
then urged him to go on. 1t was an
awful pull, but l could feel that / was
being dragged out of the sand.
. 1t was such strain that / was com
PEELED to stop and rest often, hut at last
l was pulled so far out that could extri-
cate myself, and then managed to hold
on to his tail until he dragged me away
from the place, and there | lay until l
heard wagon on the road, and was
brought to this city to recover from the
terrible mental and physical sufferings.
1t was anarrow escape, and do not think
l will ever hear Home, Sweet Home
again without feeling spasm of thank
fulness. u Fort Worth Gazette.