Los Angeles herald., 1892-01-30
A PERILOUS VOYAGE.
A YOUNG WESTERN HUNTERS
THRILLING EXPERIENCE.

ItTcU W AecoCuo 4RlH from DeaCns
81 had an encounter with a water
witch when was in Utah." remarked
one of party of young men who were
seated round small table the other
evening (no matter where), telling tales
of adventure by land and sea- In re-
sponse to the general demand the speak
er told this story:
"ln the month of July, few years
ago, canped with a party from Salt
Lake City on the banks of the Provo
river. The Provo, as we used to say at
school, rises amid the snow clad peaks
OF the Wasatch mountains, flows south,
and empties into Utah lake. The track
of deer discovered one morning within
the borders of the camp caused some
excitement among us.
"The next day Mr.. F. and shouldered
our guns and went out to shoot the in
vader. We crossed the river by bridge
a few miles below camp and climbed
bold mountain wall. At the end of
long tramp found myself on the oppo-
site bank of the river about half mile
above our camp. was alone, having
separated from my companion early in
the hunt. Twas in disgusted frame of
mind. had started the deer, had an
excellent shot and touch of buck fever,
although the deer was doe, and had
missed.
''The way l had come looked long and
hard, and resolved to ford the river.
At the time it was at full bank, deep and
swift. l crossed one arm of the stream
to a large island without difficulty, the
water not coming above my knees. From
this island the other branch of the river
looked more uncertain. The water was
certainly waist deep and the current was
swift. l noticed that at the lower end
of the island, where the two currents
joined again, the water foamed up three
or four feet high, as if breaking over
rock. On each bank there was dense
growth of willow bushes, with long
dropping stems which reached out over
the river, some of the tips touching the
water.
TERRIBLE VOYAGE.
Though no hunter / am good swim
mer, and have always been accustomed
to the water from boyhood. The thought
of any personal danger in crossing a
stream not more than twenty yards wide
never entered my mind. I thought
might possibly drop the gun, and was
quite certain to ruin a box of cartridges
l carried in my pocket. These consid-
erations alone made me give any atten-
ton to the lay of the land and the course
of the currents.
81 entered the water and advanced to-
ward the opposite bank, holding the gun
in one hand and high. It was deeper
than thought, the water coming quite
up to my shoulders. Twas about to reach
for one of the bending willow stems
when made misstep and was swept
off my feet, the current carrying me
swiftly to the center of the foaming water
at the end of the island, where went to
the bottom like lead. / came up far
enough to see daylight shining through
the water when went to the bottom
again. still had the gun. AS came
up the second time began to spin around
like top.
"Then I realized that I was in trouble.
I dropped the gun, and with the aid of
both arms brought my head above water
tbiAo OlOdl VI OllO WAIllPOOl. WdS SdOD-
ing for breath when got to the air, but
had not taken in any water, and al
though much exhausted from the pound
ing had received by the fierce current
was congratulating myself on my
escape when, floating easy with both
arms free, l felt myself slowly but surely
going under again.
"Then something like terror seized me.
thought my last moments of life had
come. Luckily there came with this
thought the resolve of a desperate man
to die by inches and to cling to life until
the last gasp. There was great inn
pulse at first to cry out for help Icould
hear the clip of Mormon farmers hay
rake in the field on the other side of the
river and his chirp to his horse. But
knew in that awful moment that the call
for help was only to waste the breath l
had resolved to husband.
THE WATER WITCH.
81 felt my strength going as you can
feel a pair of reins slip through your
hands. Every few feet, slowly but
surely, would go under. Then, by
desperate exertions with my arms, !
would bring my nose and mouth above
the water again. The river swept me
under bunch of those long, graceful
willow branches, but again was steady
enough not to catch hold of them. I
knew that to do so was to waste my eff
forts for life in vain. They were slip
perry, they were small, and would not
hold me.
cat such time ones thoughts travel
faster than light. I have heard it said
that drowning is an easy death to die.
1t did not present that phase to me. In
going 100 yards, in spite of every effort
on my part, went under several times,
but never to the bottom.
GAS was shot along out of reach Of
the willows I.saw an old log lying half
on the bank and half in the water. My
hopes rose again and thought should
certainly save myself there. AS l came
to it went under again and the current
swept me up against it full length. l
tried to grasp it, but it was Shiny and I
could not hold to it, and pushed my
self free from it. The current made
bend around little point there, and as
I rounded it not six feet before me
willow root as thick as my wrist elbowed
ont oxyor tho xuafar diractlu i,, INV path