Year: 1878

BOTTOMLESS BOG.


Thrilling Adventure Of Horseman In an
Illinois Swamp-The Deepest QuaRmire


in the World.


Some few evenings ago a st. Louis
Post reporter made the acquaintance, at
the Lindell hotel, of James La6on, who
related to him a curious incident. he
says that q few days since, having occa-
sion to make a visit to Cairo upon busi-
ness, he mounted good, strong horse,
and started upon a journey through the
bottom lands of Illinois. Nothing OF
CONSCIENCE happened until within about
forty-two miles of Cairo !; there, in a
swamp overgrown with jungles of black
berries and shrubbery common to such
spots, he espied flock of birds, few of
which he determined to carry into Cairo
as specimens of his skill in shooting.
The birds, however, we're shy, and, the
anxious sportsman persevering in the
ardor of the pursuit., he penetrated fur
ther into the swamp. Presently he came
| upon spot very much more open than
the rest, no shrupbery of any size grew
upon it, but a kind of coarse grass, in
terspersed with clumps Of bulrushes,
covered the entire surface. No sooner
had the horses feet touched the sod
than he sank Immediately above his fet-
looks. Floundering out of what the
rider supposed to be only mud hole,
the animal learsd forward with consid-
cradle force, and this time sank almost
to his knees. His rider touched the
beast with the whip to hurry him out OF
the bad place. The horse raised him
self by main force from the mire and
leaped forward again, apparently as
anxious as his rider to get out of the
bog. This time, however. he sank al
most to his girth, and the most power
full efforts on his part could not result in
extricating his feet from the mud. The
more he struggled the further he sank,
and in few minutes ceased altogether
to make any effort to release himself,
but remained perfectly quiet, trembling
in every joint. Mr.. Laffon now began
to feel considerable alarm he was
obliged to extend his both legs out par
allel with the body of the horse to keep
them from sinking in the bog. His
mind instantly reverted to all the tales
of quagmires and quicksands that he
had ever read, and he began to suspect
he had struck something OF the kind
himself. The situation was looking
gloomy he must do something so he
spoke to his horse again, to induce him
to make one more effort, but the poor
beast was beyond the power of helping
himself. Already part of his body
was in the black, jelly-like mass of mud,
which everywhere surrounded him.
And Mr.. Laffon discovered, to his hor-
ror, that he was slowly, but surely, get
ting nearer in level with the ground.
He felt certain now that unless help
came he must surely disappear with his
horse in this lonely bog and his fate for
ever remain mystery. Determined not
to give way to despair, he glanced once
more anxiously around, and this time
noticed no more than two or three yards
distant the branches of tolerably large
tree, which, with roots still partially in
the firm ground beyond, had fallen
across the bog. It's wide-sprcading
boughs had prevented it's sinking into
the mire, and he now felt that to reach
that tree was the only hope of salvation.
He could not reach it from the position,
and he dared not leap lest tho added
impetus should only send him deeper in.
to the bog, without enabling him to get
hold of the branches. An idea selzed
him. He took the bride from the horse
and a hitching strap which he carried
with him, bound them tightly together
with some twine he found in his pocket,
and, forming sort of moose, threw his
impromptu lasso toward q stout dead
branch which projected from the fallen
tree. His first trial failed, also the Sec
ond and third, but the fourth succeeded,
ond he had only to make the attempt to
draw himself to the tree. He was now
standing upon the back of his doomed
horse, which had sunk several inches
further, and with head raised was look
ing with terror-stricken eyes back to-
ward his master, every once in while
uttering pitiful cries. With last few
tender pats Mr.. Laffon said farewell to
his horse, and leaped from his back rs
far out as possible. He sank several
feet, but keeping firm hold of the line,
he began to draw himself out hand over
hand, and after hard struggling finally
succeeded in reaching the tree, into
which he quickly drew himself, and
crept carefully across its trunk to terra
firma, thankful for his miraculous es-
cape from horrible death. His first
thought now was to go for help and try
to rescue his horse. For this purpose
he started off on loot for the nearest
cabin. After walking several miles he
encountered couple of farmers, and
quickly procuring other aid, and pro-
viding themselves with ropes, they &C.
companied Mr.. Laffon back to the bog.
Several hours had elapsed before he
reached the treacherous spot again, and
not sign of his unfortunate horse re-
mained. The poor beast disappeared in
the black ooze, and only the lack of
scant verdure on that particular spot
marked the place where he had met
living death.