The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1845-02-22


lie little enclosure before the cabin, bu
his moroing the gate having been &C
ndentally left open, he had stolen ou
when his molhef's back was turned,
cached The edge Of the bank, and wa'
n The act of looking over when his par
'nrs eye caught sight of him. The
'hriek which she uttered precipiIsted
he catastrophe she feared for the child
Frightened a, the cry, lost his baIaoce
aud fell head long into the stream, which
here went loamng and roaring along
nnnmera5le rocks, constituting The
most dangerous rapids known in thai
section Of the country. Scream no"
Followed scream in rapid succession, IA
he agonized parenr rushed TO the bank
'lShe arrived there simultaneously witt
he party whom we left reclIoIng 10 ,h'
Shade, and who were scattered sbuu
hlm wilhin a few Steps Of he scene O
'cciden. Fortunate was 1t that they
we're so nssr. else the mother would
nave plunged 10 after her child, ano
both been lost. Several of the men i'm
nedialely approached the brInk and
were on the point Of springing in afIel
he child, when The sight of the shafr
'ocks crowding The channe the rush
tnd whiTl Of The waters, and The waNt OF
any know'edgelw where 10 look for lhe bo'
deferred them, and they gave vp tn,
enterprise.
Not so with The youth we have INTRO
luced. His FIRST work was to throw of
his coat, his next 10 sprok to The ed (
Of the bank. Here he stood, for sec
ond running hi, eye rapidly over tn,
scene below, ,and taking in with gl.nc'
he different currents and the most dsn.
gerous OF the rocks, in or Ter to shap
his course by them when in the stream
lie had scarcely formed his conclusions,
when his gaze rested on white objec
~ The wafer that be knew at once to b.
the boys dress; and while his compsn
oos, sghast at his lemeriy, were pre-
vented as much by cuOteDnaton as bS
he awe with which he had already in
'pired them from interfering, he pluug
ID headIong into the wild and roaring
'spids.
Thank God! he will save my child,
1rssped Ihe woman; 'see--lhere he is
Nh! my boy, my darling boy,how couI. |
| leave youo
Every one rushed 10 the briok Of tn
Jrecipce, and was now following viii !
sger eyes the ptrlIous progress of tn
youth, as the currenl bore hin onwar
IKE a feather in the embrace OF q hurri
cane. Now II seemed as if he would b
dashed ag'insl a jut'ing rock over winch
he water q W in foam-and now
Nhr|pooI would dag him in, fron
whose grasp escape seemed impossible
At times The current bore him under.
md he would be lost to sight, then ju,'
IS the spectators gave him up lie wOuIcl
reappear though far enough from wher,
he vanished sill bufelting amid the
vortex. Oh! how that mothers strain-l
Ing eyes followed him 10 his ppriIous
career--how her heart sank when ne |
went under-and with what a gush of
Joy she saw him emerge again from the
waters, aud fng the waves aside with
MS athletic arms Struggle on in pursui
Of The boy. But it seemed as if his gen
"rous efforts were to be Of 90 avail, for
though the current was bearing of
he boy before his eyes scarcely len fee
iistdnI, he could not, despite hi.
gigantic efforts, overlake the drowningI
child.
On lhey flew, the youth snd The ch Id.
and it was miraculous how each escaped
being dashed to pieces against the rocks
Iwlce the boy went Out oI sight, and ?
suppressed shrek escaped the mother
iips-ent twice he re appeared, and then
with hands wruug wildly lngelher and
bresIhless with anxiety, she followed hIs
progress as his unresstIng form was hurried
onward with lhe current
The youth now appeared TO redonbls hls
e1er'lons, for they were approaching the
most dangerous part OF the river, where the
faHids, contracting between narrowed shores
shot almost perpendicuIarIy down decliv
lly OF fifteen feet Tbs rush Of the waters
at this spo, was tremendous and no one
Ven'ured TO approach its vicinity, even in
canoe, lest they should be sucked in.
What then would be the you,h's fate unless
he speedily overlook the child! lie seem.
ed fully sensible Of the increasing peril, and
urged his way through The !oamlng current
with desperate strength Three severa!
times he was on the point Of grasping the
lchid when the waters whirltd The prize
from him. The third effort was made JUS
as they were about entering within lhe in