Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1916-08-31

In these vast labyrinths OF weeds
and weed choked water 1t is easy to
lose ones way, for the wild rice In
autumn stands higher than a man.
But Blame in the three weeks he had
passed at the farmhouse by Lake RI.
beau, had learned the landmarks.
He could almost have told his direc-
tioa from the contours of the dark
masses OF trees that lay against the
phosphorescent luminosity of the sky,
away off toward the shore.
Once his oar struck a big garfish
that had been doing near the top of
the water. In its fright it leaped
squarely against the boat, and Blame
vas so startled he nearly lost an oar
among the submerged vegetation
which made rowing so difficult.
But the incident served to wake
him up: he began to think Of the
ducks--how they come like specters
out of the morning mists, and how
the gun leaps for JOY at the command
of the finger.
With the first faint light Of dawn
the sport began. Blame crouching I'm
the boat behind his blind" would see
the birds when they were but specks
in the mist that ascended from the
| marsh.
The specks swiftly grew to spheroid
| bodies enveloped in a haze of beating
wings, and then the report of the gun
rolled out over the wild rice. In the
excitement of shooting Blame forget
his headache.
Gray dawn ripened into gray morn
ing, and by the time he judged the
/ last brace of teal had passed it was
full day, and he set about gathering in
his spoils.
In the open water this was simple
enough. One after another he lifted
the birds into the boat, sixteen Of
them, all glistening with wet necks,
long and limp, feathers ruffled where
the shot had entered but not blood
stained.
There were two however which had
tumbled far to one side, in an eNpanse
of weed choked water almost impossi-
Bile to penetrate. Only by using one
oar as pole was Blame able to pry
himself toward them.
After he had picked up the nearer
one, it was still some fifteen feet to
the second. Just behind him was an
overturned stump, very old, that rose
like a great touseled head above tie
water, with sprays of grass growing
in its crevices.
Against this he placed the end oi
he oar and showed with all his might
The boat lurched. 1t came so sudden
ly to a stop that he barely saved him
self from topping overheard
A glance told him all. He had ruI
on to submerged snag. Water wa!
cushing into the boat through lont
cash in the canvas.
Blame swore gently to himself. The
watching the water climb higher ant
Iigher around his ankles, he swor'
'oudly and repeatedly. But there wa
not even time for profanity.
In a minute more he would hav
found himself sinking quietly into tn
marsh. BY way of stimulating ideas
he drained his flask and flung it say
agely at the malevolent duck whic!
mad led him into this strait. The bir
was not yet dead.
1t answered his bad aim by flat
ping It's wing-in 0erision? he wonder
ered-and by silently opening an
shutting it's bill it laughing
But with a series of sickening shuo
ders the boat was already settling.
Blame saw only one chance. He mus
reach that gnarled stump.
He dropped his gun, placed foot o
, the stern of the boat and leaped!
/ AS soon as the first chill hook {
L the water passed off, he began
splash toward the goal.
: To swim was impossible because {
G the water weeds
n He tried to touch bottom 18th hi
feet, but they only became more el
: tangled in that treacherous veget
tion.
/ Masses of water weeds clung hea
# lily about his chest; slime filled h
ears and Tapped at his mouth.
e But by reaching a hand at arm
length in front of him and strikir
+ { esperately downward, he found
q was able TO make some progress al
e after an exhaustive struggle, he q
e actually reach the stump and clim
out upon 1t.
q Revived by moment of resting,
Z was somewhat inclined to laugh.
4 1t seemed to him ridiculous TO
y rerched out there all alone, like "a tt
4 tie on a log in. the center of wi
rice marsh. But the cool wind, whi'
e began to go through his wet cloth
>. as if they had been netting quick
- brought home 10 him the truth of /
I, situation.
Unless something extraordinary ha
to pened, he was likely to have to
~ main a good long time huddled in th
selfsame stump,