The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-01-11

didn't ask the drummer to help, cause
he was too fat and didn't look as
though he could pull none. But he had
to walk and we fixed him up with
creepers, so that he shouldn't slip, and
told him to keep close to the boat for
fear he'd fall through a thin place
and get wet.
well he did just that. The sun was
shining, the air was bracing, he felt
pretty frisky, and he let go of the boat.
By and by he got to skylarking around
and then in a minute he was i'm up to
his armpits. He'd stepped through
big suck hole'-made by rain-and
all we could see of him was his head
and arms. He wasn't really in any
danger though it must have been
mighty unpleasant for him, but ne
thought he was done for sure.
:" oh, I'm drowned he screeChed.
I'm dead, I'm dead, sure. Won't no.
body help me out and save my life?'
I'VE fished him out, but it was a
pretty tough trick, for he was heavy
and as helpless as a big bag of pota-
toes. After we got him out he wanted
to Iget into the boat, but we couldn't
have that. He'd have taken cold sitting
still after his ice bath and got pneu-
monia, ana besides he was too heavy to
haul.
got fine Wetting and came near be-
ing drowned. l wasn't along thank
goodness, but all Bass Islanders re-
member ii. There was no ice to speak
OF, except floating cakes, at the time t;
there had been a breakup owing to
high winds and the men had to row
and pole the boats. One morning they
started out from South Bass with a
big load of fish besides the mail. There
had been a solid freeze for weeks. the
islanders had been lucky fishing
through the ice and the carriers were
freighting the fish to the mainland. The
sea was running high and the boys
were warned that it might be risky to
try to go through the breakers with
sc big a load. But they took the risk.
and, say! When they got out to the
breakers they just rolled right over,
and men, mail bags and fish were all
atloat in a minute The folks ashore
had great time rescuing them with
ropes and such and there wasn't any
mail brought to the mainland that
day"
Typical Lake Erie Yarns.
Perhaps the most picturesque of the
stories are told by a certain weather
| beaten old carrier who never uses a
sleigh when the ice is solid preferring
his sledge-boat instead. To this he
harnesses his horse, a broncho which
| doesn't weigh more than 600 or zoe
! pounds at most
"Twict," says the old man in a dia-
| lect which it would be impossible to
more than family indicate in type
| when warmed up in the company OF
| his friends, II have struck open wa
| ter when 1 was making the trip with
me pony. Do you know what l done
the first time? Why, l just got out
me ak, be jung, and l cut off a big
cake of ice, be gosh and l put me
! pony on the ice and l got me boat or
| it, too, and 1 poled the big cake ano
| the pony and the boat and all right
| acrost. Couldn't have did it if the
water had been rough. And it was {
fool thing to do, anyway, for suppose
the icecake had splits4n two! I'd hav,
| lost me pony, you bet.
| The next time that happened to mi
| tried another scheme. 1t worked
all right, though maybe you won
believe me if l tell you about it. But
this is the way it was, be jocks.
1T was an ALFRED cold day-mer-
curry away down below zero, and
was so cold a sitting in the boat and
| driving me pony bling, that l was
| wishing for some exercise to warm
me up and keep me from freezing
! Well just as l was a getting drOwsy
l seen a big wide black strip of water
ahead of me. 1t was then that L found
out what a knowing critter my pony