Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-07-15


seriousness. At about 3 O'Clock in the
morning 1 became so chilly 1 could
sleep no longer, and 30 got up and
beat my arms until the blood began TO
circulate more freely. Then / went to
the end Of the bridge to see II the
water had risen any higher. I was
amazed and startled to find that il was
nearly on level with the floor of 10
bridge, and was surging by with dis
tinct gurgling and tapping sound, that
showed there was considerable force
to the current. 1t was, I knew, only
question of time before the bridge
must yield to the undermining power
Of tho flood, and yet dared not leave
it, for realized bythis time the water
on the fiat must be over my head.
Returning to my wheel, as if for
sileM companionship. L sat down,
lighted another pipeful of tobacco, and
waited. 1t might have been half an
hour later-my pipe was not yet
burned out--when / heard sound
like heavy breathing from the end of
the bridge I had lately visited, and
then distinct splashing, over and
above the gurgle aud lap OF the water.
Presently, as my eyes were fixed on
the spot whence the sounds seemed to
come, saw what looked like two dim
ly burning candles, set close together,
rise over the edge of the floor and
slowly enter the bridge. At the un-
canny sight felt as il stream of ice
cold water were running down my
back; my hands involuntarily clutched
my knees, and there was strange,
priokling sensation all over my body.
1t was positively q relief when 1
heard scratching sound on the floor
of the bridge, and knew then, at all
events, there was nothing ghostly
about my mysterious visitor. Evident
ly, it was some wild creature of the
woods seeking shelter and safety, like
myself, in the bridge, I could hear it
rustling cautiously about, and occa-
sionally uttering slight wheeling or
coughing sound, as If to free its throat
and nostrils from water.
BY and by the animal, whatever il
was, began to sniff suspiciously, and
knew that its quick sense of smell had
detected my presence. Then, for the
first time, / experienced feeling OF
genuine alarm. / could see the eyes
Of the beast glazing through the dark
ness; and the size of the phosphor-
escent eye.bails, and the distance be-
tween them, showed that the animal
was one Of considerable size. I was
unarmed, save for light 22-caliber
revolver that would prove about as
effective against boar, wolf or cata-
mount as a boys popgun. Suppose
the beast should be hungry enough to
crave even meal OF soaked and
gristly bicycler? Shut up in that cage
OF bridge, what could I do to balk
him OF his purpose, should he decide
to eat me?
While was debating one side OF
this question, and my unseen visitor
was, doubtless, debating the other
side, something occurred that was cal
culated to divert the thoughts of each
from the other, for the time being.
Without the slightest preliminary jar
or lurch, one end OF the bridge foated
off its pier and swung down stream.
Then followed grinding noise, as the
other end was dragged from its bed OF
masonry, and with a rolling and toss
ing motion our unwieldly craft got iun-
der way down streaml
/ had sprung to my feet, as I felt
the water rushing up through the
cracks in the floor. There was an in
sane idea in my mind that I must
make rush for the free end OF the
bridge and leap into the water, to
save myself from going to the bottom
with my leaky craft. Then reflected
that, from the time OF Noah's ark un-
til the present, oil wooden structures
tossed upon foods-no matter how
leaky-have invariably foated until
they found some resting place on dry
land again. Undoubtedly, was
safer, aud would be more comfortable
where / was than anywhere else in
that flooded wilderness provided my
fellow passenger would keep his dis
lance. So / sat down again, unmind-
full Of the cold water swirling about !
my feet, and listened.
1 could hear nothing OF the I'M
known animal whose company I so
much desired to part with. But. |