The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1896-08-07
THE DEADLY QUlCKSANDS.

Troopers "Reminiscences OF q Distress
Ing Tragedy.
We had made q long day of it over the
Texas plains; and it was after dark be-
fore we went into camp on the banks of
a small and muddy stream. By the time
the men had finished their suppers,
watered the horses and gotten ready for
the night 1t was time to turn in. There
was good pasture just below the camp,
and instead of fastening the horses and
mules to the lines they were hobbled
out to Craze and guard of four men
detailed to the herd. OF the cavalry
horses there We're As; of the wagon
mules and extras SO. They were
counted and reported when the guard
was detailed.
The night was warm and clear, with
out breath of wind, and by ten o'clock
nearly all the animals were lying down.
At II the camp was quite still, but the
herd guard and the sentinels reported
wolves prowling about, and the horses
becoming uneasy. At 1880 the guards
had to enter the herd and calm three or
four horses that were unduly excited.
At exactly midnight, as the relief was
ready to march out of camp, three gaunt
wolves suddenly rushed out of the
thicket and in among the herd. The
men had scarcely shouted the alarm be-
fore the herd began whirling in cir
Gle, and as it moved each horse sought
to free himself Of his hopples.
The sentinels ran to the help of the
herders, and the relief also FASTENED
up, and for 4 moment IL men tried to
hold the frantic herd from breaking
away. The minute had not ended when
the 10 frightened animals suddenly
bulged out 10 the west and tramplcd
down the guards, and were off at
| laundering gallop, some free of their
hopples-some going on three legs and
| fighting the straps as they went. The
| thunder Of the hoofs had not yet died
away when half the men in camp were
in pursuit of the herd. 1t was hoped
they would not run far, but in this they
were disappointed. We followed on,
mile after mile, picking up mule now
and then, which had fallen and could
not rise without help, and thus we COW
cred five long miles. We had all the time
been following the creek, which ran
almost due east ard west, and the herd
had not attempted to cross. At dis
lance of five miles from camp it had
| suddenly turned to the south and
crossed the stream, which at that point
had four or five channels and was 200
! feet in width. AS We reached the bank
and were ready to step into the water
there was cry of alarm from one of The
men, and all drew back.
1t was a strange, weird sight we saw
as we pecred into the gloom of the sum
mer's night. The bed of the stream was
full of horses-horses moaning ard
grooming and struggling, in the clutch
of the deadly quicksands. On the far
| side about dozen animals stood on the
firm ground, with their heads turned our
way, as If spectators of the terrible
scene. We could do nothing whatever
| to rescue one single animal. Had we
been able to pass chains about the near
| est one, no siX-mule team could have
broken the death-grip of the octopus
pulling him down. We stood and
watched the heads swinging from side
to side-listened to the groans of
despair as the victims sank deeper and
deeper-and were helpless.
When daylight came we gathered up
eight mules and ten horses-18 out Of
the 10 which had broken away. Of
the others not one was in sight; the
| quicksands had sucked them down and
closed over them and left not the
/ slightest trace of the fell disaster.-M.
/ Quad in Detroit Free Press.