Year: 1869

Otherwise relnarkaDle Tor nothing but It's
general air of bleakness and sterility.
The place was very quiet, and the lodgings
were cheap and tolcrably comfortable.
These essentials being secured, we had to
put up with the scenery, which was not
very attractive. A long low line of beach,
surmounted by high ridge, leading on
the one hand to the loot of some bold jut-
ting cliffs, and on the other losing itself
in an estuary; behind this black and
dreary looking bog, stretching three or
four miles inland, and intersected in every
direction by wide, artificial bitches, and
deep, natural assures connecting the inky
pools. A small river flowing into the
estuary divides the bog, its course being
marked by mounds of peat, cut from the
firmer ground which forms its banks.
Branching out at right angles to the river
are other lines of peat stacks, following
the course of the larger drains, which
herald the attempt to cultivate the drcary
waste


This was the view beheld, as, standing
one evening on the top of the stony ridge,
| faced eastward. The sinking sun threw
my shadow far over the bog, distinctly
seen as it fell over the gilded rushes and
crimsoning pools l had been strolling
out with my gun, in the hope of adding
some specimens to my cabinet, and was
thinking of returning homewards, when
a long-legged heron slowly sailed high
overhead, in the direction of the river.
watched the bird till it alighted near one
of the peatstacks, and carefully noting the
spot, proceeded to a careful stalk, hoping
to secure an acquisition. 1 contrived TO
get within seventy yards of the heron,
and as there was no cover of any kind
nearer, lay down behind the last mound
| had reached, and with finger on the trig-
ger, watched patiently in the hope that
my quarry would feed towards me. was
not disappointed: it gradually approached
some yards nearer my hiding place, and
then either caught sight or scent of me,
for it suddenly rose, but in so doing came
within range. Bang! went both barrels.
Uttering hOarse crOak, the heron flew
heavily away keeping close to the ground,
and evidently hard hit. l sprung up and
followed, jumping the bitches, and avoid
ing the soft ground as best ! could. Dur
ing one particularly long jump, / lost
sight of the heron for moment; | caught
sight of it again just in time to see it fall
to the ground as softly as a snowflake, and
lie still with its wings spread to their full
stretch. Between the bird ard me, how
ever, there was crevasse wider than any
| had yet leaped, and dozen yards on the
other side lay the object of my pursuit.
The black Shiny sides of the ditch over
hung the water, which lay deep and still
some six or seven feet below, and few
yards to the right connected with large
pool, having equally high and muddy
banks. To the left was labyrinth of sim
liar bitches. Some distance in front, q
broader and straighter crack in the fiat eX-
panse showed where the river lay. The
bank on which stood was foot or two
higher than the opposite bank. describe
the situation thus minutely in order to
make the reader understand what after
wards happened.


Not liking to lose the prize so nearly in
my grasp, / resolved to risk the Jump.
Laying down the gun, and taking my coat
off, l made the effort, and cleared the
ditch, only, however, by few inches.
secured the heron, and smoothing its beau
tiful plumage, but little injured by the shot,
threw it across to the bank from which
had just come. Then, on looking around,
| found myself in a sort of cul de sac. The
bit of firm ground on which | stood was
an island, and the only way of escape was
the one by which had arrived. Having
to "take-Olr' from lower level, it was
much harder to get back than it had been
to come but as there was no alternative,
it had to be tried. | did not leap quite far
enough, and pitched with hands and knees
together against the edge. There was no
vegetation to catch hold of, and after hang
ing on the balance for few moments,
vainly clutching at the mud, fell back
wards with heavy splash into the water


Fortunately, am a good swimmer, and
at first, while treading water, the ludicrOus-
ness of the affair alone struck me but
when l began to see that it might be diff
cult to get up those Shiny, overhanging
banks, must confess felt rather fright
ened. 1t was impossible to get out at the
spot where had fallen in / swan far
ther up the ditch, and trying to bottom it,
felt my feet touch the soft tenacious mud,
that gave no support, but was ten times
more dangerous than the water. The
water became shallower as / struggled on,
but the muddy bottom refused to give me
standing place, and the banks afforded
no hold for my hands. 1t at last became
so shallow that had to turn on my back
to avoid kicking the mud as l swan, and
when in this position, | could push my
arms into it with almost as much ease as
| could push them through the water
but to draw them out again was far from
easy.


With horrid fear of being unable to ex-
tricatc myself from the mud, and of slow
suffOcatiOn, l made a sudden dash back
into the deep water, and tried the other
bitches, only to be repulscd in the same
manner. l swan round and round the
pool, seeking for an outlet, and beginning
to feel my boots and clothes very heavy
Even now l involuntarily smiled at the
comparison which suddenly occurred tC
me between myself in this plight and a
mouse swimming round a bucket of water
but the thought that /, too, like it, might
be swimming for my life soon drove al
ludicrous thoughts out of my head.


Matters now began to look very serious
when l saw root or branch of some long
buried tree projecting out of the bank.
caught hold of it, but it was not strong
enough to enable me to lift myself out o.
the water. All that could do was to sup
port myself with my hands just sufficient
ly to keep my head above the surface.
took this opportunity of kicking off my
boots.


Up to this time could scarcely realiz,
my position; but now the conviction be
gan TO dawn upon me that l might never
again see the mother and sisters l had lef
in the cottage mile and half away.
looked up to the sky, in which the twiligh
was fast giving place to the moonlight, ant
across which the clouds were merrill,
driving before the evening breeze; anc
then | looked at the black and Shiny WALL
which hemmed me in, and felt as though
J were about to scream with terror. From
my childhood, have always had horro
of confinement of any kind. / have fel
strangely uncomfortable when have beer
persuaded into exploring a cave, or wher
| have been shown through prison. Thi
feeling felt now more strongly than tn,
fear of drowning. To die hcmmed in by
those gloomy walls would be terrible.


To add to the weirdness, a hollow boom
ing sound, almost amounting to roar, raj
through the quivering bog, intensified t
me, no doubt, by my imprisonment in th,
heart of the moss. This, though l hat
| never heard it before, | knew to be TN,