The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1856-08-08

mere brute instinct which, in the momc'
of excitement, forgets all physical cons
quences. -. ~,
As Edward walked away from his con
panions, he felt that he was regarded as
! coward. This was for him bitter triai
1 and the more 50, because there was one
0 that little group Of startled maidens i'
o whose generous regard he would have sa'
] ri6ced all but honor.
0 1t was perhaps half an hour after this III
: pleasant occurrence that Logan, who's
, heart still burned with an unforgiving spirit
: encountered Wilson under circumstance
that left him disturbing the rest Of the part
who were amusing themselves at some dis
tance, and beyond the range Of observation
He did not succeed in obtaining a persona
encounter, as he had desired.
Edward Wilson had been for some tim
sitting alone with his unhappy thoughts
when he was aroused by sudden cries o
alarm, tho tone of which told his heart to-
plainly that some imminent danger impcnd
ed. Springing to his fsct he ran in the di
rection of the cries, and quickly saw th'
cause Of excitement. Recent heavy rain'
had swollen the mountain stream, the tur'
bid waters of which were sweeping dowr
with great velocity. Two young girls, who
had been amusing themselves at some dis
tance above, in boat that was attached tc
the shore by long rope, had, through some
accident got the fastening loose, and were
now gliding down, far out in the current
with fearfully increasing speed, toward
the breast of a milldam, some hundred ol
yards below, from which tho water was
laundering down height of over twenty
feet.
Pale with terror, tho poor young creatures
were stretching out their hands toward.
their companions on the shore and uttering
heart-rending cries for succor.
Instant action was necessary, or all would
be lost. The position of the young girls
had been discovered while they were yet
some distance above, and there happening
to be another boat on tho .mill dam, and
that nigh at hand, Logan and two other
young men had loosed it from the shore.
But the danger of being carried over the
dam should any ono venture out in this boat,
seemed so inevitable that none of them dared
to encounter the hazard. Now screaming
and wringing their hands, and urging these
men to try and save their companions, stood
theyoung maidcns of the party, on the
shore, when Wilson dashed through them,
and springing into the boat, cried out:
"Quick, Logan, take an oar, or oil is
lost"
But instead Of this, Logan stepped back
pace or two from the boat, while his face
grew pale with fear. Not an instant moro
was wasted. At glance Wilson saw that
If the girls were saved it must bo by the
strength of his own arm. Bravely he push
ed from the shore, and with giant strength,
born Of the moment and for the occasion,
from his high, unsclfsh purpose, he dashed
the boat out into the current, and bending
to the oars, took direction ut an angle
with the other boat towards the point where
the water was sweeping over the dam. At
every stroke the light skiif sprang forward a
dozen feet, and scarcely halfa minute elapsed
ere he was beside the other boat. Both
were now within twenty yards Of tho fall,
and tho water was bearing them down with
a velocity that a strong rover, with every
advantage on his side, could scarcely have
contended against successfully. To transfer
the frightened girls from ono boat to the
other, in the few moments Of time left ere
the down sweeping current would bear the
frail vessel to the edge Of the dam, and still
to retain an advantage, was, for Wilson,
impossible. To let his own boat 60 and
manage theirs, he saw to be equally impos-
siblc.
A cry Of despair reached the young man
as the oars dropped from his hands into the
water. 1t was evident to the spectators Of
the fearful scene that he had lost his pres.
ence of mind, and that now all was over
Not 80, however. In the next moment he
had sprung into the water, which, near the
breast of the dam, was not three feet deep
As no did SO he grasped the other boat, and
bracing himself firmly against the rushing
current, held it poised few yards from th'
point where the foam crested waters leapct
into the whirlpool below. At the same in,
slant his own boat shot like an arrow ovel
the dam. He had gained, however, but ,
small advantage. 1t required his utmos
strength to keep the boat he had graspe'
from dragging him down the fall.
4 The quickly formed purpose Of Wilson
in thus springing into to tho water, ha'
been to drag the boat against the current b
the shore. But this he perceived to DO i'm
possible the moment he felt tho strength o
, the current. Ifhc were to let the boat g
he could easily save himself. But not onc'
did such thought enter his heart.
"Lie down close to the bottom" he sal
in quick, hoarSe voice. The terror-stricl
en- girls obeyed the injunction instantly.
= And now with coolness that was wor
, derful under the circumstances, Wilso
i moved the boat several yards away from tt
nearest shore, until he rcacheda point whe,
he knew the water below the dam to !
B more expanded and free from rocks. The
throwing his body against the boat, an
running along till he was only few feet ,
the fall, he sprang into it and passed ov,
with II. A moment or two the light yesse
Us It shot out into the air, stood poised, IN
then went plunging down.