Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1899-09-07
IN A SOUTHERN SWAMP.

HOLIDAYS in one Of the little settled
counties of Eastern Arkansas.
They had established their camp
upon the banks Of small creek,
and were determined to get as much
pleasure a. possible ont OF their
short outing.
| Most Of the country for niles
ebonf their camp was then virgin
wilderness, and the rongh cabins Of
the natives" as the inhabitants
OF the country were called, were few
and far between. Quite Q number
Of sluggish streams intsrsected the
region, which was, generally speak
ing. low and swsmpy.
However, the immssss forest was
filled with various kinda Of game,
big and little. and fish abounded in
many Of the streams, so that the
country was veritable sportsman's
paradise. Up to the time of which
/ write, they had a very enjoyable
outing. without any unpleasant sd-
ventures.
One afternoon, just after the
party had finished their midday
meal, q stalwart young man, named
Stone, fireman on the Missouri
Pacific. shouldered his rifle and set
of through the forest, in an easter
ly direction. The old man from
whom they bought their provisions,
had informed them that quite q
number Of deer had lately been seen
in that direction, and Stone was
determined. if possible, to have a
shot at one of these.
The remainder of the party had
decided to fish that afternoon, and
he had gone several miles-weary
miles at that-before he saw any
thing that was worth q shot. The
heavens had o threatening aspect.
and the sun was hiding behind
gloomy storm clouds. He had me-
elected to bring compass along,
and so he could not ascertain just
what direction he was going. How
ever, he felt that his general course
had not changed, and that he was
still trending eastward. AS for
his getting lost in the forest, he
would have scoffed at the bare IDEA.
Although he was becoming some-
what discouraged at his iii success
in finding game, he still trudged
onward. But he had not been gone
from the camp many hours, when
he discovered that he was all the
time getting deeper into a great
swamp.
The surface of the ground was
generally covered with a slippery,
springing coating of some kind of
moss, which sank slowly under his
feet when he remained in one po-
sition for any length of time. On
this account he had to keep con-
stantly moving about in order to
avoid sinking into the black, evil
smelling mud which underlaid this
covering. But Stone did not feel
alarmed, as there was . great deal
Of swampy ground about the camp.
Directly, however, - he proceed
cd still further, small pools Of dirty
brackish water sprang up all around
him, and the ground about these
was SO soft and slippery that it was
almost impossible TO approach them.
A drizzly. dreary rain now set in,
deepening the gloom of the atmos-
phere. and making young Stones
position still worse.
BY this time he was becoming
thoroughly alarmed, aud he deter
mined to turn back to the camp. or
at least. to find some shelter from
the rain. but in winding in and out
about the pools, he had completely
lost his sense of direction and, it
seemed, whichever way he turned,
the alarming state Of affairs grew
constantly worse.
The strips Of more solid ground
between the pools Of brackish water
we're all the time becoming harrow
er and more treacherous. while the
pools themselves became wider and
more extensive. In many instances
they were connected by channels Of
varying length and breadth. Often
narrow lagoons, q mile or so in ex-
tent, we're thus formed.
Stone turned first one way and
then another, but, instead of i'm
proving in whatever direction he
went. his position each moment be-