The record-union., 1894-04-16
AWFUL EXPERIENCE OF A HUNTER.
Barnard kelIer's Three Days and
Nights on an Island.
His Boat Drifts Off and Leaves Him
without Food or sheiter-Res-
cued on Friday Night.

Three days and nights on an Island,
without food or shelter, and with death
from starvation staring him i'll the face,
would be an ordeal that few men could
pass through and retain their reason.
There is young man in this city. how
ever, who safely went through such an
experience last week, but be admits that
he doesn't want to try it again.
His name is Barnard Keller, and in the
wild fowl season he follows the occupa-
ton of hunting ducks and geese for the
market. Last Tuesday he concluded TO
20 on wild-goose hunt to what is known
as Lone Tree Island, piece of ground
few acres in extent that rises above the
inland sea lying between the Marysville
road and the Sacramento River. north of
the city.
The locality is some three miles from the
mainland, and is favorite hunting
ground in the early fall. when the great
basin about it is dry and hunters can drive
there in vehicles. After the river rises,
however, in the winter or early spring,
and the water flows through The numer-
Gus breaks in the levee upon the great
stretch of low land about Fishermen's
Lake, that whole country. from the
Rancho del Paso to the river, becomes an
inland sea for many miles in extent. II
is commonly known as the Overflow"
Keller went to the Flint ranch on Tues
day, on the Yolo side Of the river, to get
young man there to accompany him on
his proposed days excursion. Young
Flint could not get away, however, and
Keller concluded to go alone.
The wind was blowing quite strong
from the north, and as the water some
times becomes very rough on the over
flow he wisely decided to leave his duck
boat at the Flint ranch and make thetrip
in larger skitf capable of riding out any
sea that might be encountered.
Arriving at the island, he pulled his
skif partly upon the land, got out his
ammunition and laid it on the ground
few feet from the waters edge. put enough
in his pockets for few hours use, and
set out for the other side of the island.
The geese were not Hylng well that day,
and after an unsuccessful hunt he decided
on returning early to the city. In the
mean time heavy wind had come up,
lashing the sea into white-caps and driv-
ing down the water from the north, until,
aided by the waves, it had encroached
several feet upon that side of the island
where the boat had been left unmoored.
To the young hunters dismay, he ar
rived at the spot only to ind that the
waves had tloated his boat of the shore,
and looking out over the wide stretch Of
water he saw it bobbing on the waves
half mile Oft and drifting rapidly before
the wind
Keller did not sit down and wonder
what he should do. There was but one
thing TO be done. He knew he could not
reach the mainland without boat, and it
might be days and weeks, even months,
before anyone would happen that way,
and there he was without food or shelter.
So he undertook to swim out 10 the boat,
10
it, lie says ne swan nearly mile, but
finding that the craft was drifting before
the wind nearly as fast as he could swim,
he gave up the pursuit and returned to
the island nearly dead from exhaustion.
lie had only light pocket-lunch with
him. but he determined to make that go
as far rs possi Die. His ammunition was
mostly ruined by the water, and he was
theruipre unable to kill game enough TO
last him any length Of time.
The situation was appalling, and would
have unnerved most men, but the young
Lunter Was stout OF heart, and resolved
not To give UP while ray of hope re-
nlaineu. 1t WAS dismal night he passed,
with no more cheerful sound to comfort
him through The long ann dreary hours
than the mouotonous hooting OF few
owls. and the steady swash of the turbu-
lent waters beating against the shores of
the bleak and wind-swept little island on
which he was imprisoned.
Nor WAS his personal danger all that
disturbed him, for be knew that back in
the little family home on the bank of the
river mother, sister and brothers were
also passing a sleepiess night through
fear that evil had overtaken him.
On the following morning-cold,
hungry and weary-he looked about the
island, in the hope that during the night
the gale that had deprived him of his
boat might have made partial recompense
therefor by bringing some vagrant logs
or timbers TO the island with which he
might construct some sort of raft that
would bear him to the shore.
But the search was in vain. Nothing
but few small branches or rotten sticks
could be found, and Keller realized that
his only hope was that some other vent
uresome hunter might come along, or
that his absence might cause friends at
home to send out relief party in search
OF him.
All day long he scanned the sea that
surrounded HIM, but no friendly craft
came in sight. He could see the MAIN
land three miles of, and knew that peo-
pie wore travelling to and iro along the
highway, but there was no way by which
he could attract the attention of anyone.
Wednesday night came and passed, but
Thursday morning brought no succor.
while he felt himself growing weak and
faint from hunger. His little stock of
eatables was exhausted Oh Wednesday,
and it looked as if starvation would come
upon him before he could get relief.
The family at home did not know in
what direction Keller had gone, nor did
they know that he had visited the Flint
ranch in Yolo on the morning he set out.
For this reason they were at a loss what
TO do, but continued to hope that the
wanderer had fallen in with friends
somewhere and that he would show up
all right
When Friday came Mrs. Keller could
endure the suspense no longer, so her
other son and daughter got boat of r.
b. White of Washington and went out in
search of the missing hunter. They did
not think OF going to the island. how
ever, and therefore found no trace of him.
Then the family sent word To the Flints
that Barnard was missing, and that alter
noon young Flint set out to search for his
friend. He knew that Keller had in
tended going to Lone Tree Island, so he
made direct TOR that point.
And there he found the young hunter,
more dead than alive. after exposure 10
the hot sun and cold night winds for
three full days, two of which had been
passed without food.
When Flint arrived at the island Keller,
weak as he was, was trying to make
rat OF stray sticks and limbs he had
gathered about the waters edge, on
which he intended making desperate
effort to cross the choppy sea that rolled
between him and the main land. It was
necessarily flimsy affair, and had Keller
set out upon it in his weak condition he
would surely have been drowned.
lie has now almost recovered from the
effects OF his adventure, but the memory
OF those three days of suffering and anx-
iety viii remain with him while he lives
ARCHBISHOP GROSS.