The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-03-20


knees; but / waded nearer, with a mad idea
OF making a frantic rush for the canoe,
though l knew that ii was floating In deep
water, and that in all likelihood several
submerged bikes lay between u.s. He
noticed the movement, and pulled still
farther away from me, adding: 81 fetched
dead un from off here afOre, and got 8
shiliin' fur him. Little enough, too, luggin'
and dTaggin' in the mud"
My heart sank within me as he drawled
out the last words; but the offer of my
purse and all my belongings for passage
to the Cop only evoked the answer: NAY,
me mon; / car tax what i want tomorrow.
1t iSna the money I'm after, but can tell
thee this-Gm goin' to stop thee from Aba
Riches wench. Size Wilma tax me, know :;
but she shallDa have thee. Comm sneakin'
across here meet after meet like powcher I"
There was no installing the intense
haired with which he uttered these last
words, and, moreover, he emphasized them
by pulling steadily and swiftly away. /
waded back out of the tide and on TO the
narrowing strip Of marsh that was left to
me and gave myself up for lost. / had no
longer any hope, and l ceased TO call for
help.
The space now left to me was not more
than fifty yards in diameter, and the waves
were 1apidly aDDeXing it on every side.
number Of widgeon were floating buoyantly
on the waves near the bank; several gulls
were wheeling In the air overhead and one
or two were standing moticnless upon the
ground within few yards Of me. In q
shallow gutter at my feet two little stream
lets came together every other moment with
little shock and flirted the spray several
feet IN the air. Little trcsling advance
guards oyerran the ground in all directions {;
but as my death looked me full in the face
grew strangely calm. Strange fdncies took
hold upon me as | stood there with the
shadow OF death overcastiDg me.
In my sitting-room at Flint hung fine
engraving OF the REAPER and the Flowers, !"
In which the moonbeams lighted up river
scene very similar TO that In which l now
stood, while the radiant reaper was to be
seen cleaving the air with outstretche
wings, and bearing home the newly gath
cred flower, whose trustful little face rested
on his shoulder. lncopgruous as the idea
may seem, 1 thought of the picture as I
waited there for my death, and l thought.
too, OF sweet girlish figure that would be
worshIpiDg in the old parish church in the
morning, while lay dead and bedraggled
In the marshes. ] could see her distinctly
as she stood there meekly among the con-
gregation, her little gloved hand grasping the
iyory-backed Service" in which / had
written some foolish lines to "Helga
Richie for it had come to that
In the few moments that were left to me /
knel; down on the streaming bank and
prayed earnestly for the life of the world to
come.
A terrific report clcse to my ear stunned
me Tor a moment aud sent some OF the; birds
screaming away. L suppose I must have
cried oul, too, at the same moment, for the
next remember was powerful but terror
stricken voice calling out: 20 Lord! y
| Lord! Who's that?"
1t was Abraham Richie, frightened for
tue hrst aud only time in his life; and his
errand was explained by the circumstance
| OF number of dead birds being swept
ABOUT my feet by the waves. NV knees
shook under me at the prospect of being