South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-11-07
IN THE QUICKSANDS
BY T. II. Crawford.

The following story, ~ the
Quicksands." written by +. II Craw-
cord. age II. appears iu the Octo-
Der issue Of Boys Life.
IL was the middle of the after
noon IN late fall when Bud Meyers
came riding along the bank Of the
Little Missouri IL was 30 miles
back % the ranch by way OF the
ford. He had decided 10 take a
shortcut and save 10 miles or so.
Before him stretched the valley OF
the Lite Muddy 10 was per-
haps 200 yards wide, 81 which the
river now occupied scarce 80. The
rest Of the rive- bed was filed with
silt and covered with fine sand.
stretching in level expanse as Tar
az the eye could see.
Urging his pony along. he started
across. At first the sand seemed
..lite firm and easily able 20 bear
the weight OF the two As they
nenred the river. however, IL grew
softer and less firm until suddenly
10 gave way and let the horse sink
10 his launches. He had crossed
too far up and had struck quick
sand For "A moment the horse
struggled valiantiy only 10 get far
Their and farther from firm ground.
The rider. seeing that TO remain on
his horse meant death. climbed up
on the saddle and jumped as far
as ne could in the direction of the
shore. He struck with a Chug and.
Co mis- horror. saw that he too was
in the quicksand. AS he pulled one
foot up. IL came up with a sucking
Eurgle and the other sank deeper.
For a moment. like the horse. ne
struggled frantically. but only to
sink back utterly exhausted. deeper.
il anything. then before.
As his breath returned. and ne
found himself still sinking deeper.
the awful truth gradually Gawned
on him. After all, perhaps it was
no use. And yet. to die there like
begged steeri" He could not bear
g. Turning his head in the direc-
ton whence. a moment before. had
come the groan OF his struggling
horse. he beheld only level. sand. not
even a hollow TO mark the place
where his beloved pony had sunk.
The very sight filed him with
frenzy and drove reason from his
brain. II sent the hot blood pound
ing through his veins and yelling up
ia his temples. He uttered inartic
ulate cries. but the very desert vast
llt - fAAffA hft AAAAlls AAN 1f NAAH Ills
arms wildly but 20 no avail. Soon
ne ceased, overcome with the ut
ter hOpclessress Of IL. The blue
black mud. as IL some giant, was
slowly sucking him into its nav.
He could feel a force pulling at
his limbs. a force persistent. relent-
less. inevitable.
Already the treaCherOus mud had
risen 20 his shoulders and was ris-
ing higher. He had long ceased bis
vain struggles against this insidious
memorable foe. His mind was now
filled with the shadow " death He
had never thought much Of death
before-this COwbOy-hut now he
was face 10 face with. Il had lost
some OF its Gwfulness. II was get
ting hard for him 20 breathe now.
The giant had its Shiny hands about
his throat and was filling his nos
trils with black mud. Slowly his
head sank out OF sight. A mud
taxed hand appeared and CROPPED
blindly. Then 1t too disappeared
The mud slowly flowed together
and became again a part OF that
smooth eXpanse as a full moon rose
over the butte tops. The cool night
wind came in almost imperceptible
puffs. The turbid. sluggish stream
flowed on AS before. unmindful and
oblivious OF this tragedy in which
man and beast had been Co-actors.