Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-03-21

speak, and then stood with halfopened ~ gaz-
ing almost wildly upon me-
For Gods sake fly | cried, the ship is on
fire in every part-we can barely escape by the5
companion way--in another instant she will blow
up-why hesitate For heavens sake come
20 sir, God bless you for your kindness---there
is then hope exclaimed the old man---'but lisa
bel has tainted he continued--'go fly, [ will
die with her. he added in a voice of agony,
vany essayng to raise in his enfeebled arms, the
seemingly lifeless form of his daughter. look
ed into her face The transition from calm des-
pair to hope had been to great, and she had in
deed tainted 1t was no time to hesitate Has
tly raising the beautiful stranger in my arms,
called upon the old man to follow, dashed into
the front cabin, hurried up the companion way,
and to my utter horror, found the flames had Just
crossed the enterance. For but a second
paused. Death was behind, destruction per-
haps before. Laying my hand upon the old
mans shoulder l urged him ahead, hurriedly
threw the shawl of the fair girl around her face
and form, made bold, desperate push for life,
and in another instant, amid the cheers Of my
men, had gained the quarter deck. The boat
shot to the side, dozen arms were extended to
receive my burden, l carefully gave it in charge
to the nearest, almost slung the old man after,
and sprlnging with bound into the stern sheets
waved my arm and shouted
Shove of-board--give way--and if ever you
pulled before, pull now, for your lives my men.
was obeyed. With one soul they bent their
brawny arms to the task, and while the ash al
most snapped beneath them, made the boat whirl
from the quarter, and then sent her with the We
locity of sea-gull over the deep. Not word
was spoken. The old man sat beside me in the
bewiderment of gratitude, establishment, and
only half dissipated fayetteville the form of his
still nanimate child was extended unaided, for
the moment by his side. TWAS indeed no time
for delay. Every man knew we were pulling for
life or death. The other boat was nearly mile
ahead, skimming swiftly along from the devoted
ship Far off on the moonlight horizon lay our
schooner, with all her exquisite tracery reflected
in the wave beneath, and seeming with her thin
taper, raking masts, like some aerial vessel float
ing half way between sea and sky. Down to the
right was the burning ship, presenting a vast
body of lurid fire, that roared along her sides,
streamed out her ports, eddied spirally up the
masts, and eaped in huge masses straight out in
to the sky. Now and then as her guns became
heated they went off with roar like thunder.
Meantime, the dense smoke gathering in thick
cloud above, hung like pail over the consum-
ing ship. For some instants the flames APP
peared to die in part away; but all at once
stream of intense fire, that almost blinded the
eyes, leaped perpendicularly upward from the
decks the horizon for miles around, was illum-
mated with light more vivid than that of the
brightest MONDAY part of the foremost lifted
!, bodily out, shot like an arrow almost a cable
length on high a conclusion ensued that made
the boat SILVER like reed and rock a moment
frightfuly about, and then stunning roar fol-
lowed, shaking the armament to its centre, and
sounding as if thousand broadsides had been
discharged at once. For moment as the
burning fragments sailed aloft, falling on every
hand about, while the boat rolled wildly to and
fro upon the agitated swell, we held our breath
in momentary expectation of death, and | invol-
: unfairly calculated,
d, The Lord have mercy on us all
t 'Amen,' said the rescued father at my side
. But we were again almost miraculously pre-
S served. The offing we had gained, though not
sufficient to ensure safety, proved great enough
9 to relieve us from inevitable destruction. Had
e any of the fallen tmbers, however, struck us, we
!? should have all gone down together. As it was
!! it was one of the narrowest escapes l ever made
g and when gave the command to the crew to
IS give way again-for at that moment they had as
r one man paused-a gush of thankfulness and
Il devotion went up from my heart to the great Au-
|, thor of my being who has thus preserved a Sec
1t ond time my life
" The deafening uproar recalled the senses Of
it the fair being at my side But | will not de.
r, scribe her gratitude, and that of her parent to
l. myself, whom they persisted in considering the
preserver of their lives. Suffice it to say we
II were soon on board the captain delicatey re-
Y signed his own cabin to the strangers, and then
I, had leisure to leapn some particulars concerning
s. their history. They were easily told. Mr. Thorn
e ton, the father of Isabel, was wealthy West In
If dianman, and was just returning from Great
n Britain, with his daughter, who had been there
d for several years obtaining her education Before
t; the Letter of Marque sailed, she had been itteC
IS up for Mr. Thornton, in style bordering on east
m ern luxury, with furniture intended principally
~ for his mansion in Jamiaca. But at this mo-
= ment message arrived soliciting my presence
n with Mr. Thornton As entered the cabin he
N frankly extended his hand, and presented me t.
S his now blushing daughter-for what woman, BE-
as she whom she may, can stand unembarrassed il
O. the presence of one to whom she fancies sh,
in owes her life ? have had many moments o
of pleasure, but never felt as ! then felt, when Is
l abel Thornton, extending her delicate hand tt
re me- with her sweetest smile uttered her thanks
But how said to change the subject, dit
ar it happen my dear Miss Thorntontha you wer
ed in the cabin, when the rest escaped?
tn 1n the general alarm we were forgotten, 70
lg we had been hurried to the hole during this con