Squatter sovereign., 1855-05-08

glare OF sheet of lightning that illumina-
ted the rugged mountain with brilliant
intensity.
"Peal after peal of crashing thunder in
stantly succeeded; there was very volume
of rain coming down at each thunder
burst, and, with the deep moaning of an
animal breaking upon our ears, found the
coach had come to dead halt.
''Louise, my beautiful fellow traveller,
became as pale as ashes. She fixed her
serching eyes on mine with a look of anx-
ious dread, and turning to her father. hur-
riedly remarked,
| eve are on the mountains
81 reckon we are" was the unconcerned
reply.
| With the instructive activity I put my
head through the window and called to the
driver; but the only answer was the moan
ing of an animal borne past me by the
swift wings of the tempest. / seized the
handle Of the door, and strained in vain;
it would not yield a jot. At that instant
felt a cold hand on mine, and heard Lou
ise's voice family articulating in my ear
the following appalling words:
"Ihe coach rs moUimg backwards!''
"Never shall forget the fierce agony
with which tugged at the coach door,
and called on the driver, in tones that RI
vailed the force of the blast, whilst the
dreadful conviction was burning on my
brain that the coach was being brought
backwards!
"What followed was of such swift oc-
currence that it seems like a frightful
dream.
81 rushed against the door with all my
force, but it withstood my utmos: efforts
One side of our vehicle was sensibly going
down, down, down. The moaning of the
agonized animal became deeper, and l
knew from his desperate plunges against
the traces that it was one of our horses.
"Crash upon crash of coarse thunder
rolled over the mountain, and vivid light
ming played round our devoted carriage, as
if in glee at our misery. BY its light /
could see for moment the old planter,
standing erect, with his hands on his son
and daughter, his eyes raised to heaven,
and his lips moving like those of one in
prayer. l could see Louise turn her ashy
cheeks towards me as if imploring protec-
ton, and could see the bold glance of the
young hoy flashing indignant defiance at
| the descending carriage; the war of ele-
ments, and the awful danger that awaited
| him.
"There was roll-a desperate plunge,
as of an animal in the last throes of disso-
lution-a harsh. grating iar-a sharp pier
cling of mortal terror, and had but time to
grasp Louise firmly with one hand round
the waist, and seize the leather fastnings
attached to the coach roof with the other,
when we were precipated over the preci-
| pice.
81 can distinctly recollect preserving con-
sciousness for few seconds of time, how
rapidly my breath was being exhausted,
but of that tremendous descent soon lost
| all further knowledge by a conclusion so
violent that I was instantly deprived of
sense and notion
The traveller paused. His features work
ed for minute or two as they did when
we were on the mountain; he pressed his
| hands across his forehead, as if in pam.
and then resumed his interesting narra-
| tive:
ssOn a low couch in humble room of a
| small country house, next opened my
and sorrow. mirth and madness. Gentle
hands soothed my pillow. gentle feet gil
ded across my chamber, and a gentle
voice hushed for time all my question
ing.
Twas carefully attended by fair young
girl about fifteen. who refused for a length
of time to hold any discourse with me. At
length one morning finding myself sufR-
ciently recovered to sit up, / insisted on
learning the result of the incident.
".You were discovered said she. SIT
ting on ledge ofrocks, amidst the branch
es of a shattered tree, clinging to the roof
OF your broken coach with one hand, and
to the insensible form of lady with the
other"
"sAnd the lady, gasped, scanning the
girls face with an earnestness that caused
| her to draw back and blush.
..She was saved, sir, by the means that
saved you-the friendly tree"
/ And her father and brothers' / impa-
Itiently demanded.
we found them both crushed to pie