Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1898-03-25

the open patch of black mud, which was
as soft as treacle.
The brook was we'll stocked with suck
ers," clubs, and very thick bodied kind Of
trout, and afforded good trapping. IL
Edwin set his otter traps along the banks
and beneath the ricks of wood where the
animals burrowed
One morning he set off from home with
his dog Frisk to visit his traps on the bog.
The distance from home was nearly four
miles. The dog was one he had bought Of
an Indian two years before. It was of COM
mon breed, yellow and white, short-legged,
with thick neck and head.
As the boy came through the woods upon
the bog his dog suddenly started some ami
NAL from it's burrow.
The canine pursued his game closely, and
after running Is or 20 rods the otter, as it
proved to be, took refuge in one of the ricks
of wood few yards from the creek.
The boy had given every rick on the bog
thorough examination, and he knew there
was no burrow beneath this one, but directly
across the stream, under the opposite bank,
was fine, deep burrow, to which the otter
often retreated.
and the boy feared the otter would dart out
down the bank to intercept and shoot it be.
fore it could take to the water.
He had 40 or so rods to go, and between
him and the rick was one of those long mud
beds of which have spoken.
It did not look very yielding, and he deter
mined to cross it. It was not more than
40 or so feet wide, while to go round it
would take so much time that he was likely
to lose his game.
1t is said that by putting the feet close
together and taking very short steps of not
more than three or four inches with great
quickness and dexterity a man can cross q
very soft surface without sinking have
often "forded'' soft snowbanks in this way.
Young Martin knew OF this mode of pass
ing over dangerous Dogs, and had often
tested it, and he tried it now. For the first
20 or 80 feet he succeeded very well, but
near the middle the mud was softer than
he expected, and he sank almost to his
knees.
Expecting nothing worse than to be thor
oughly covered with mud, he flung his gun
to the bank, and using his hands to support
himself he struggled to get through to the
pile of driftwood. But he sank into tho
slough at an alarming rate. When he pulled
one foot up the other went still deeper
Collecting all his strength, he now made
desperate struggle for life But the unre.
sisting muck held him as in a WISE His
utmost exertions only served to draw him
deeper into the mire. Then he shouted and
called "Help" again and again, though he
knew there was very little chance Of making
any person hearing his outcries, for there
was not a house within three miles
II thought I could hold myself he said,
sJyrIfb hot ,%c&r for T
seemed to support myself by bearing on my
hands. I then called Frisk, but he was 80
excited by the game under the rick that he
would not come. After a time, however, he
ran back to the edge of the slough and
whined. Then tried to make him bring
my gun to me, but all he did was whine and
roll over. I couldn't make the dog under
stand what wanted him to do. Yet he
l-;c| l was in trouble, for he would sit on
TIE lank and whine. Still, he wanted to 60
back to the otter, and would start for the
Eick; hut, called, would turn back to
me. At last let him do as he wished"
TIE upward pressure under the boy 8 arms
1T length grew so intolerable that he had to
raise them higher, though every inch thus
yielded let him down deeper into the mud
nearer to death.
Edwin thinks that as much as an hour
passed in this way, during which he wa9
sinking slowly but surely. Ffisk now came
back to the slough of his own accord and
nat down on the bank, wagging his tail and
whining. = j.
II took my cap off with one hand, !" said
Edwin, "and flung it at him. had never
tried to teach him to carry things, but now I
told him to carry home At first all he
would do was to play with the cap and roll
over it, Then he picked it up and carried it.,
few steps, and then came back to the edge
of the bank. talked to him, but I got dis.
couraged at last. He didn't seem to know
what / wanted him to do. Yet, awhile aftez'
] stopped talking altogether, he took the cap
and ran off 20 or 80 yards. There he left e
and went to the rick. I heard him barking
again, but he soon stopped"
The poor boy had now sunk over hid
high as his head, The cold, black ooze wa6
closing around his neck. s
BY this time the mud had SO compressed
bis chest that he could not speak loud
enough to be heard over hundred yards
Just at this time, he says, he fell into sort
Of lethargy, and did not care much whether
anyone found him or not.
Frisk, after barking at the otter again.
took up the cap and went with it to a clear
ing some thee CT four miles south Of ~
bog. A settler, named Jarvis, was p r.
IL S. elt ss d IS !. ,.p, and b.x.. .
roll and frisk about. Jarvis supposed it waa,
an old cap the dog had picked up; but. a.,
INDIAN, Who was liking to Jarvis said = !
There be hurt somebody 2
Then they both set off ii the directions
Frlsk had come, the latter leading the wav II