Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1896-06-04

watched the tidal wave for moment,
then started quite leisurely for the
dyke, shaping my course directly for
it. f
"After having gone so yards or So,
came to a gully, between eight and
ten feet wide, at the bottom of which
parallel with the dyke, and in order to
reach the marsh had either to cross
it or go away up and around. Not car
ing to lengthen my disagreeable tramp
for it was no fun dragging ones feet
out of the mud at every step-I decided
to hold my original course. The sides
of the gully looked soft and treacher-
Gus, but by taking running jump I
thought I could clear the dangerous
part.
II stepped back a few PAGES, and,
firmly grasping the gun, started. had
miscalculated the effect the bad footing
would have, and saw my mistake the
moment sprang; but too late!
II landed on the other side of the
stream, in what seemed to me the soft
est part of the mud. My weight and
the impetus of my jump drove me into
the mud knee-deep.
eat first I was inclined to laugh at
my plight, but that feeling speedily
gave way to one of anxiety, when real
lied that was swiftly sinking.
| II endeavored to draw my feet out,
| but when I tried to lift one the other
went further down. A cold sweat broke
out on my forehead. Twas in bed Of
| quicl1sand!
II struggled with all my strength,
! but it was useless. There seemed to be
an undercurrent of sand that was con-
| tinually Slipping away from my feet.
| Against that terrible power it was use
less to fight.
II had heard and read of people dy-
| ing in this horrible manner, but never
before had the chilling awfulness of
it struck me with any degree of force.
Now, as I thought of being drawn slow
~ down, down inch by inch, in inagi-
| nation I could feel the cold, wet mud
creeping, like some gruesome reptile
| about my neck, higher, higher-over
my chin; over my tightly-closed lips,
until my. breath. I tell you a mans
mind PUSHES when he gets so near the
border! sg -. il, Nh. III ..s. a.. .,......
II shouted for help, in the hope of
attracting some one, but it only ex-
hausted me, and my struggles caused
me to sink faster. ~
I'm extreme agony of mind, threw
myself on my facet had not sunk be.
low my waist-and .clawed the bank i'll
frantic endeavor to draw myself out
My fingers slipped through the soft
mud and touched some hard, smooth
substance, buried about three inches
below the surface. AZ
II struggled to grasp it, but it was
too large Tor my fingers to grip. It was
{. tree that had probably grounded on
the fiat long ago, and the tides had
gradually drifted the sand over it.. b
''When one is in 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 it's actual occurrence. A few min
utes only had passed since started to-
ward the dyke. -
''The sound Of the tide now rushing
over the lower part of the flats called
me to a sense Of new danger. AZ
''Even if / was able to keep from sink
ing for 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
of deaths,' thought I, though any kind
was preferable to being smothered in
oozy quicksand.
''In the water, too, could at least
struggle for life. But in that
narrow, clinging grave, every limb
bound as with elastic cords, allowing
freedom only to the extent of simply
maddening one, caught like miserable
fly in spiders web, would not even
have the satisfaction of struggling.
.'The feeling of fear that first pos
numbed my senses, and in it's place
came strange fancies, such as one
dreams when lying half awake. #
''The sun seemed beating it's 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 mate, dark
specks showing against background
Of white clouds, floating floating and
watching.
II wondered if the peck of ravens
beak on ones head would hurt much-if
they were up there waiting for me to
die. Then I remembered that before I
was dead would be buried! t&l
II smiled grimly at the thought OF
I'll, iE thor