Ten Minutes in a Quicksand.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 95, 21 April 1894, Page 3 (Supplement)

Ten Minutes in a Quicksand.

By B. A. Mathews.

As! ten years of age the human being caonob depend on himself to obey orders, or gab himself out of a scrape; at) leasb Fred Mackleroy could nob. Bub an animal, a pouy say, at three years of age has all his wibs about him; at least Fred Mackleroy 'a pony had. A favourite canter with Fred was the five-mile road leading to Beaver Bams Lake; the road was wide, hard, smooth and well shaded, and the lake was a fairy sheet of water full of green islands. There was one restriction on this ride; Fred was never to take the short cut, the bridle path through the woods. But one day, out of very perversity and idleness, he reined Star inbo the path and rode in under the birches and pines, and in two minutes iwas lost to sight.

As he rode on he spoke aloud often, conibemptuously, ' I can see no reason why I should nob ride bhis bridle path.'

After riding a mile perhaps, all the time in hearing of the steam thresher in his father's wheat field, he dismounted and threw himself down under a cool pine fora resb. Bidding Star to stand there, after a few moments he strolled away down into a sunny glade—a piece of low ground with bright green sod, through the middle of which ran a sluggish stream with lilies growing in it. He ran forward to gather the flowers, and in a moment found himself kicking aboub ia a bog, and in a minube more felt) himself sinking, and ab the same instant! remembered he had been told there was a quagmire in those woods. The spot was a bib of marsh and quicksand concealed by the rich growth of grass. Many animals had been mired there, and ib was said that more than one hunter had lost his life in the bog. Fred stopped shorb and shouted! Stopped short ? Yes, he did, for his legs were now firmly grasped by the sucking quicksands. There was a horrible feeling, all over his body of being drawn down* ward. Hie eyes stood oub of their sockets. His veins were fit to burst. He threw himself over on his back as far as he could and tried to raise one of his legs. His instinct was to fight for his legs, to hold them by main force against going any further. But who ever fought a quicksand wibh any success?

He wept and struggled and shouted but all in vain. There wa& nobbing to do bub die, though so near home he could hear the steam thresher and now and then the voices of the men. Oh !it was maddening. Suddenly he heard Star's familiar neigh. There stood bhe dear little fellow at the edge of the morass, looking ab his master and whinnying pitifully. ' Oh, Star ! Star !' Fred called, «can't you geb somebody to come ?' Wibh a enorb and a neigh bhe little pony came toward him, picking his way and finding footholds where the boy had miaeed them.

When he had come near enough, Fred tried to catch his bridle, bub he was too weak to reach up so far.

Then bhe wise creature took matters under his own direction. He whirled around so that his long tail swept right over the boy's head. Wibh a cry of joy bhe poor fellow caughb hold of his strong support, and then with a sudden quick and powerful jerk Star drew him out.. The boy had jusb strength lefb bo cling tight until he was dragged to safe ground. Then he let go and fainted.

In the course of the forenoon the pony's persistent neighings were heard by someone in the wheab field, and ITred was found and baken home.

However the boy may feel aboub the quagmire, there is no rein or bit strong enough bo turn the pony aside into that bridle path.