Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-05-17
HIS Death WATCH.
Written for Gazette and journal.

Written for Gazette and journal.
1t was one of those perfect nights last
summer when my old friend. and
strUlled out on the Washington street
bridge for chat and q smoke. The full
moon was just coming up out over the
Delaware and converted the scene into
one, which seemed to partake somewhat
Of enchantment. My friend paused n
moment and leaned on the railing. at
reminds me of Florida, he said abruptly;
but unfortunately the recollection is u
painful one in this case"
Glow could any memory of Florida
be painful :n asked wonderiugly. "It's
n long story" he said in reply; "sup-
pose we go over and sit on the grass
while | tell you. don't like to recall IL
very often, but l feel somewhat in the
mood tonight"
"ltsupwards of 12 years, now, since il
occurred, he began, as soon as we
were seated, "but every detail is as fresh
as If it had been yesterday. had gone
down to Florida to try and repair my
wasted fortune in the orange business,
and had made pretty good start when
tins interruption came. All well ordered
orange groves in Florida have a herd Of
cattle in connection with them and these
cattle simply run out on the range, until
the spring, when they are rounded up,
branded, and herded in different parts
Of the grove by means of movable pens
In riding in aud out of the way section
Of the country late one afternoon, look.
ing up some stock, | came suddenly
upon little cove in which were great
numbers of ducks
| Fortunately had seen them some
distance off; and as | always carried my
| gun l felt pretty sure of getting de-
cent bag to take home. l disnounted
and hobbled my horse, and crawled up
very carefully to within range. As
there was an abundance of high grass
| growing on the edge of the lake had
no trouble in getting a first-class shot
though | gave them their chance by
making both shots on the wing. The
water was black with dead and wounded
| ducks; but as | have horror for useless
| suffering | looked for extra shell to
| give the flushing touches to one or two
which were swimming away with
broken wings. ! discovered that had
no more shell and without waiting to
make any preparation plunged in after
them. l remembered having once seen
the same place high and dry during low
water-so l knew the depth would not
| go over two feet--and was not at all
afraid TO venture out until l noticed it
was rather DOGGY, then l became more
cautious, but becoming interested in the
chase became very careless again.
II had almost caught up with one Of
the ducks, and was increasing my own
speed as his lessened, when | suddenly
felt myself sink up to my waist in bog.
knew in moment il was one of those
dangerous mires known as COW bogs.
A cow bog doesn't suck you under like
quick sand, but very often it is deep
enough not only to hold anything cap
tive, but even to drown the victim.
"As soon as | stepped in l sank al
most to my waist, and in trying to work
myself out | sank only deeper, and soon
l could feel tine water around my
shoulders aud neck. My dear boy the
feeling of helpless despair that came
over me then, made me realize my con-
dition to the fullest extent; sometimes
even now | am afraid to go to sleep
fearing may again experience that
awful feeling.
"At first | could do nothing, nor think
of anything, except simply to cry out,
then began to struggle, thresh the
water, and yell like mailman, until |
saw that all this was simply making me
sink. Then | got my scattered senses
together, and tried to think of some
means of escape. ...
Everything / turned over in my
mind only made my situation seem more
desperate. ....-. -
81 was fully 80 yards from shore and
in running after the duck had got about
the same distance away from the island.
| knew that no one lived near the lake,
and the nearest house to me, was nv
own--fully eight miles away. There
was only one boat on the lake, and that
was an old thing used only for ferrying
purposes, and that was three miles off. /
was pretty sure that hunters rarely ever
visited this spot
Then, in looking up my stock was
very often away from home two or
three days at time, and l would not
be missed for some days; even then no.
body knew where | was. II they ever
even knew what had become of me il
would only be after the water had dried
up that my bones would be found rooted
and scratched up by hogs or other ami
|
and shuddered at the remembrance. but
soon resumed. Slowly and deliberately
turned each OF these thoughts over in
my mind, then cast it aside, until at last
saw the terrible conclusion staring me
IN the lace; 1t contained but one, one
black, awful word-death.
"Ihere was nothing, absolutely no
straw TO which | could cling, and for
once fully realized the meaning of the
WORD despair; tried to pray, but at that
time prayer and were strangers, and
knew not what to say; | could only beg
like the dying brute lknew myself TO be.
Every agonizing cry seemed to choke
me, but at last my head fell forward
ana big tears ran down my checks. |
firmly believe that they, and they alone
were the agents In saving me from my
now being raving maniac.
soon after shutdown the moon rose
Just as it rose tonight in all of its love
llhess, ana thus | was saved the utter
darkness OF body as well MS mind
"Some people may wonder why | did
not commit suicide by drowning myself
and thus ending forever the suffering i
endured.
II don't know, now, unless it was be.
cause was afraid; to be compelled Ia
give up life is different from being tired
OF it. Men have since told me that sui.
eide showed cowsrdice; maybe il does
but | can't see it that way. Tortured
as | was, loved the little life, still left
far too well to give it up by any violent
act of my own. Rightly speaking
however, don't think / thought much
of suicide, not much of the hereafter
either, for the horror of my situation