River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-01-03
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! A CLOSE CALL
BY I. W. Birney.


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description, and numbers Of tourists
annually visit the locality to contem-
plate its beauties.
Especially attractive is a spot a
few miles from the town Of Danville.
Here the river widens 10 twice its
usual breadth, and flows between
thiekly wooded hills; though tie cur
rent is still strong, its whole aspect
is that of a peaceful and harmless
stream.
But the apparent calmness is mo-
mentary and deceptive; 30 yards be-
low the water narrows again, and
PUSHES swiftly between banks which
become constantly sleeper and more
rocky, until finally it dashes over a
fall Of 40 feet, frowned down upon by
preciptous cliffs which rise more
than twice that distance toward the
sky.
The quiet spot above the falls has
been q great deer crossing. Many a
noble animal has here met his death
from the hunters rifle, as he shock
the water from his TANKS on one side
or the other.
Sixty years ago, however. the coun-
try was thinly settled and the only
person in a position to take more
than occasional advantage Of the
crossing was woodsman, named Joe
Hatton, who had cabin on the hill
above the river and spent his life, as
was customary with men of his kind,
entirely in hunting and trapping.
Hatton was a good shot, and as he
kept, moored in the bushes on the
bank, a canoe, which enabled him to
pursue a deer in the water, he never
wanted for yenson.
In all his excursions, however,
whether for hunting or fishing. he
never padded down stream, knowing
full well that If he once got between
the cliffs it would take more power
than lay even in his strong arms TO
propel his boat back again
Finally he had an experience which
amply justified his respect for the
rapids" as IL was called,
was about ten o'clock Of a bright
October day. and Hatton. having fin
iShcd his chores was sitting at the
base Of a tree, a short distance from
his cabin door, whiting stick with
his hunting knife, and laziIy trying
To make up his mind to visit his traps,
when lie perceived a deer walking
down the gully that led to the river
shore. 1t was a fine buck, but was
evidently partially disabled for it's
movements were slow and painful
The hunter Spraug to his feet, and
showing his knife into its sheath, hur-
ried down the hill, intending to pur-
site and secure the animal in the wa
ter.
Just as the deer reached the bank
il saw him, and the change Of de-
meauor was instantaneous With
bound it flung itself into the water
and struck out for the opposite shore.
Hatton whooped with delight, and,
pushing off his canoe, padded quick
u after But so swiftly did the deer
swim that il had almost reached the
other bank when the boat shot be-
tween its eyes and the wished-for
goal.
At that IL turned and started back,
but this time the hunter overlook it
in midstream.
Being greatly weakened by its ire
mendous efforts to escape, he was able
to seize it by one horn
Dropping his paddle and drawing
his knife, Joe reached over with his
right hand to make ap end OF his
quarry, maintaining a firm hold with
his left hand upon the horn.
But as the steel touched his neck
the buck made conyulsive spring
and flung his head desperately in the
mir. A prong of his near horn caught
Hatton under the arm, and the next
instant the hunter was struggling in
the river.
His first feeling on coming to the
surface was of anger, and, being per-
fectly at home in the water. he made
dash for the deer, to finish the job
he had begun
The animal at first seemed not to
care to avoid him. but when Hatton
seized his horn, with the intention of
putting the poor beast out OF his mis-
cry, he struggled with all his
strength, springing from side 10 side,
and shaking his head in vain efforts
to free himself; for the longer the
contest lasted the more determined
did Joe become, as he growled to him
self, to git that buck or bust"
But suddenly shadow seemed to
fall on the water, and, raising his
eyes, Joe saw, with dismay, that in
his reckless struggle he had been borne
by the current far below the cross
ing and that he was almost between
the cliffs.
Instantly he released the deer.
dropped his useless knife and struck
out for the shore, endeayoring to
swim diagonally up the stream. But
il was too late
In spite of his great endeavors. he
could see that the mark on which he
had fixed his eyes was slowly rcced-
ing from him, and in a few moments
he had passed into the jaws of the
canyon.
The fact that he was being forced