New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-03-02


of death did their fatal work The bright sharp air
rang with the Of the double Joe and the echoes
faithful to their trust, replied and replied again. till
may gle y Wood sx Ri u
and many wounded. Majors blood was mp. What !
cared he about the chill d the water? He dashed in,
and tore away most resolately to the crppIes While
Max was recharging his gun, and encouraging bis |
the feet of his master less than eight ducks and
while he uttered the expression, Well done, Major
good dog W he again dashed into the stream to
two more which, though hit, had escaped to some
distance; and these he also safely landed on the bank
This was what Max termed ga good haul !" and he
laid the whole lot 10 carefully in his bag that he
seemed little disposed to rufe feather Of their
The sun had gone down like red-hot shot, and
the deepening blue sky was without a cloud. The
air was extremely npping, and severe night was in
evitable These and other indications, induced Max,
thus weighted, to shape his course homewards. But
he was not one of those who TO secure sound foot
ing, was disposed to go round about. Max had
stained the leather :; and when he was in the High
lands he always took the shortest cut in spite of all
obstacles. The rocky hill side the dark looking turn
reeds rushes, and stunted brches-the feederstream
of loche and lake. and SO FORTH never stopped him;
and he was not now going 70 be stopped by sheetof
ice, however large, though it might hide many
dangerous boghole Instead therefore, Of returning
along the bank by which he had approached, be
struck across the ice, which he felt assured would
bear him safely over, and which was nearly mile in
width.
When he had reached about half way over, he
heard the "whirr Of o number of ducks overhead
and whilst turning suddenly round TO mark their
designation, his feet slipped from under him he fell
heavily, broke through the ice, and found himself
above the middle in water with soft rotten bottom.
He first relieved himself Of the weight Of his heavy
bag and pushed it the ice before him with his gun.
Major was sorely distressed and Selling it with his
teeth pulled it still farther out of the way. Althoug
fully aware of the DOGGY quality Of the ground, he
thought little of the difficulty of exricating himself
from position which would have frightened many a
cover.shooter; and his courage and endurance were
indomtable, and he set to work accordingly. He
tried to raise his right knee, and place it upon the
ice but his foot required good pull to get it out of
the mud. When he had done so, the ice was not of
sufficient strength to bear his weight and the
quent pressure arising from the other foot being
tight in the bog as ii it had been in a vice.
| He tried again and again, with the same result !;
and he found that the furtherhe proceeded the water
becoming deeper. Major tried to assist him, but
| failed and he whned most piteously. Max waited q
short time to take breath and he was not to be
easily frightened at any danger OR difficulty although
fact stared him in the face literallythat he was
nearly halfa mile from the shore. At this moment
I fight of ducks passed his head !; but he needed
them not, and Major merely growled at them. He
redoubed all his energies and applied every physical
effort yet he failed as before repeatedly. Worse
than all he found that he beginning to freeze,
and the cold becoming more intense. A raven, with
his ominous croak, lowered the spot for short
time, and then sailed EDWARDS and a carton crow,
ready to give ALARM appered past at bis leisure.
Major looked at these intruders, and barked most
furously. Max had now broken on the ice for more
than fifty yards and he felt, for the first time that
his was becoming hopeless probably that he
should be frozen to death in reary district, where,
far away from the habitations ofmen one, however
much disposed, could render him the least assistance
A horrid numbness was seizing his feet and legs with
the clutch of Demon and he felt that the circulation
was on the point of stopping. He again renewed his
desperate efforts with no better success, and became
lnlt ha,r
strike the hour but he could not tell what it was
six seven, though the sound fairly rung through the
clear frosty air. yet he was conscious Of his own ex-
haustion. .'- ''' -7 ~ 7'.F NV ''S'
Suddenlya bright thought struck him-the only
hope of saving him from fearully impending fate.
He laid his gun fiat upon the ice before him. and
with great difficulty raised his right foot and placed
it on the stock next he managed to get his knee
own weight equally along the whole length Of his
Manton, as the thought passed through his mind
surely that will do it," 1t bore him though it
cracked he contrved to steadily slide sledge him
self some yards from the broken ice. In doing so,
Major tried to assist him by pulling at his jacket but
| he desired him to keep farther off. Max, though
much exhausted, was enabled to get upon his legs
again, but with considerable difficulty and bis faith
ful companion was so delighted that he risked about,
seized the game.bag, and actually dragged it after
his master. '''
The ice, as he proceeded was found to be stronger
and as the firm ground was soon reached, he turned
round for moment to glance at the fearful spot
where his strength had been exhausted, and where
less courageous and enduring than himself would
in less than two hours, have inevitably lost his life.
A brisk wind sprung up, and the cold became SO
intense that, to use his own expression it nearly
cut him in two" He found his lower limbs frozen and
all sensation had nearly departed. But he sung his
bag his shoulder, and being fully aware that to
pause would be fatal, he FASTENED homewards as fast
as he could possibly crawl, though the Hall his des.
tination, was some miles off and the road thither
tortuous, twisting, and uneven. He summoned, to
his aid his old resolution, which had hitherto carried
him safe through all difficulties, and pushed forward
But he reeled like drunkard, or staggered like
cripple. - The ducks, and the Major, and old Joe
are sae,' said he to himself, and I'll never yield
-never!" He passed Crookhill Nook and the Rid
dings, and bent his course on the margin of the Old
Outgang Copse. He assembled the rising ground of
Beacon Hill, and there paused for moment Strange
sounds smote his ear-voices and footsteps as
though several persons bent an GRAND of life
and death. Max staggered, and, vociferatng" Ill
never yield--never! y fell down insensible.
| When consciousness returned, he found himself
placed before the large fire OF the Hall kitchen sur
rounded by his fellow servants. Some dry brandy
was given to him. Though snatched as it were from
the grave, he still retained his usual pluck and reso
luton, and turning his head on de, asked, Are
the ducks safe? Is Majo sate?" The answer, " They
are all sate' appeared to satisfy him but his head
dropped upon his shoulder. Those in attendance,
evincing the deepest anxiety mingled with pity and
DESTROYS of doing their best poured more dry brandy
frantic. On examining his lower extremities, it was
found that they frozen nearly stiff and that the
of his legs gone. They had some difficulty
in getting off his neither garments, particularly at the
knees. They were obliged to cut his CATERS with
scissors, and his laced boots with sharp knife and
when they were stripped off, the stockings and the
skin of his legs came off together in several places
and the feet appeared dead. Warm water was an
piled and what with the heat externally, and tie
brandy internally, he roared like madman
Every one became dreadfully alarmed and knew
not what to do. Fortunately, at the moment an old
woman who happened to arrive at the Hall, seeing
what was the matter, exclaimed" You'll kill the
man Remove him farther from the fire, and rub
his feet and legs with nothing else will do p
This advice was Immediately taken Two buckets
were filled with snow and leg placed in each bucket
The friction with the hand and snow gradually re-
stored the circulation but during the process, Max
complained OF the horrid smarting sensation, as
though thousand needles prickisg the raw
flesh. Yet he bore it manfuy; and after other re-
storatives had been applied he was put comfortably
to bed and in the course of short time perietlcy
covered. His robust and vigorous constitution and
nyincble spirit carried him through trial which
would have been the death OF any man less courage
Gus than himself Max rarely referred to the circum-
stance hut nothing could possibly induce him to part
with his gun to which he mainly owed the preserva-
tlon of his life. U.F
Wild fowl shooting, however, is becoming more rare
year by year. The beautiful lakes which aGlorn the
parks OF nobility and gentry are yet the home OF
many a wild bird, and in severe winters when othel
| fail tba Of 1,,r