The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1896-10-30

ration ] -oaiJ feel tie cold. vet mud
creeping. like some. gruesome reptile
about ny meek. higher, higher-oyeT
ny chin; over my Gghily-closed lips,
until my breath. 4 tell you a mans
mind PUSHES when he gets so near the
border!
81 shouted for help, in the hope Of
attracting some one, but it only e1-
hausted ne, and my struggles caused
me to sink faster.
'In extreme agony OF mind, I threw
E.yseif on my face-I had not sunk be
low my waist-and clawed the bank in
a frantic endeavor to draw myself out.
iIy fingers slipped through the soft
mud and touched some hard, smooth
substance, buried about three inches
below the surface.
Il struggled to grasp it, but it was
too large for my fingers to grip. twas
tree that had probably grounded on
the fiat long ago, and the tides had
gradually drifted the sand over it.
when one is in a position Of great
bodily danger, events succeed one an
other much more rapidly than they
can be afterward told. The telling of
this has taken a great deal longer time
than its actual occurrence. A few min
utes only had passed since 1 started to-
ward the dyke
THE sound Of the tide now rushing
over the lower part of the fats called
me to a sense OF new danger.
Even if was able to keep from sink
ing for a little while, the red water
would soon rise over the place Of my
Imprisonment and complete what the
quicksands had SO surely begun.
Drowning is said to be the easiest
q deaths, thought I, though any kind
was preferable to being smothered in
coy quicksand,
"In the water, too, l could at least
struggle-fght for life. But in that
narrow, cIinging grave, every limb
bound as with elastic cords, allowing
freedom only to the extent of simply
maddening one, caught Ike a miserable
fly in a SPIDERS web, 1 would not even
have the satisfaction of struggling,
The feeling of fear that first pos
sessed NE gradually left, or maybe
numbed my senses, and in its place
came strange fancies, such as one
dreams when lying half awake.
"The sun seemed beating its piercing
rays into my brain. The hoarse cry of a
raven far up in the sky came family to
me. I pictured him and his male, dark
specks showing against background
of white clouds, notwithstanding and
watching.
81 wondered if the peck Of a ravens
beak on ones head would hurt much-if
they were up there waiting for me to
die. Then I remembered that before
was dead Iwould be buried
81 smiled grimly at the thought of
cheating them. But if they came be-
fore? Instinctively felt for my knife.
could keep them off whit. My knife!
Like a flash came the thought that it
would be a means Of rescue.
1.-THE cloud of fancies seemed to lift |
from my brain. With trembling fin
gers, burriedly drew it out and opened
it. twas the kind known amongschooI-
boys as 'toadstabber, stout and strong.
Hopefully, with one hand, felt for
the tree; but had sunk so far in the
mud that it was now beyond my reach.
4 groan burst through my clenched |
teeth, as my last hope fed.
1T seemed as if l must give up. But |
life is sweet-so sweet to one about TO |
lose it. One more effort, then-a re-
QUEEN chanted by the waves and flung |
landwaTd by the winds
Making violent struggle, 1 thrust
my hand that held the knife as far for
ward as | could and struck down with
all my strength.
THE tree must have been lying |
Obliquely along the sides of the gully, |
so that my left hand had not been able
to reach it; but my right, in which was
the knife, had found it. The blade sank
INTO the soft, half-decayed wood. Slip
ping my hand down as closely to the
tree as possible, so as not to pull the
knife out, and placing my left hand over
ny right, to give myself greater pur-
chase, I pulled. Slowly, almost imper-
ceptibly, the dreadful sucking power
was iessened-was stopped! Slowly
my arms bent-Iwas gaining! Wrench
ng the knife out, drove it in farther