What creature did I just see in my swale?

I have a rain garden in my front yard and it has filled in with dogwood shrubs and other grassy stuff. Today, as I walked by it I saw the telltale movement of something alive... upon looking closer, I saw, very briefly, the back end of something (though not very well).

It was about the size of my man hand, mammalian. I think I saw a little tail (an inch long?) and a wet hair/fur/?? rump area. It was not graceful in movement, kind of lumbery. I didn't really wat to poke around in the shallow wet bushy covered gravel so I left it alone. I'm wondering what it might have been.

Maybe it was a soaked baby-ish rabbit?

Maybe it was some sort of fatty vole?

What it WAS DEFINITELY NOT: a mouse, a rat, a raccoon, a possum, a cat, a dog, a bird, a squirrel.

Hand sized. Short tail. Hmm. Ideas?