Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1856-03-21
4" Robbers, you mean Z"

Id'O yOu ONOA NolHS e"SA S10 'AANA'
aAh, wish I could, sir. I came for
that purpose"
What, to hunt up brigands?" !"
eyes; 1 trust you, for [ know you
would be fool to betray me. ] am sent
put by government to arrest the villains
if possible. / have detachment of sol
diers at Carmillon. I have only been
about here three days and hardly got
started yet. Are you on business ?"
Partly" l answered.
l began to like my companion, and be-
fore we left the table we cracked bottle
of wine. I told him my business and In
formed him that 1 had some reason to
dread meeting robbers. Our conversa-
ton was careless, and before we arose
from the table, I had confessed that I
travelled with quite sum of money.
After supper the officer said l must
cuse him, as he had orders to send his
troops: so / was again left alone. lighted
a cigar, and started to take stroll down
the stream. I had gone some hundred
rods or so, when was startled by hear
ing the sharp cry of some one in distress.
! stopped, and the shout came up loud
and shrill. l hurried down the stream
from whence the agonized sounds came,
and upon reaching a bluff where the tor
rent poured down into deep chasm, and
took an abrupt turn, saw boy almost
down to the boiling, Kissing food, clinging
to the sharp point of a jutting rock. For
few moments [ was too Mortified to
move. The poor fellow was some twenty
feet below me, hanging with his feet SO
near the water the dashing spray soaked
them. He caught my eye and his cries
were piercing. / saw that he could not
help himself in the least, for the point
upon which he hung was so far out that
he could not swing his feet in so as tc
touch the rock below him, and it was al.
most impossible for him to raise himself 6
hair.
"Help! help!" he cried in such ago.
nizing tones that felt nv heart leap pain
fully.
For moment / almost determined tc
leap into the food, but that would have
been mere suicide, without helping him
But my thoughts became calm in few
moments, and then / went to consider i
there was not some means by which
could reach him. l walked further down
and soon found that the rock upon whicl
he held was a jut from a narrow shel
which extended about parallel with th,
water to a distance of some forty fee
down the stream. If could reach tha
shelf could save him. hurried dow
and found that could reach the shelf b
narrow gorge, in which grew lot O
shrubbery, provided that shrubbery wa
deeply rooted enough to hold me. 1 tool
hold of some of the bushes which grey
near the top, and found them firm. Wit
a quick prayer I threw off my coat an
boots, and then let myself down. foun
the shelf not more than two feet wide
and you may believe it was dubiou
track; but | hurried on and reached th
jutting rock in safety. In a moment NOR
l was fat on my breast, and then reache
over after the boy. caught him by tn
collar of his jacket and told him to hel
himself all he could. He made his la
effort. l threw all my strength into th'
one lift, and drew him from his perilot
situation. The poor fellow was perfect
sensible. I asked him if he could wa
and he said yes and 50 arose and baC
him follow me. We reached the lit
gorge in safety, and made our way up Il
bank, and when we were once more {
, the faithful ground, the boy sank dow
;. upon his knees, and clasped his hand
He was not over twelve or fourteen yea
D of age, and dressed in a sort of huntil
7 garb of chamois skin. He had an int
ligent look, and his language was pu
e German.
|, "Come," said I, after he had bless
e me dozen times, "get up and 1 will he
G you to the inn, for you must be weak a
n faint"
# "No, no" he answered quickly.
IS must go the other way, and Imust hur
too. l ought not to have stopped to 10
1t over into the stream and you see WI
n came of doing it. I looked at the wal
h SO long that I became dizzy. I fell up
c the rock that juts out there, and as l v
ID going off 1 caught it with my hands.
ID should not have been here alive now
v you had not come.
ad told the boy I was as thankful as
H. was. He thanked me and blessed
a again, then said he hoped he could
oy pay me sometime, and then turned aw