The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1857-03-25

e,
TOR she's sweet lo"kin' crrt,er! Heaven
pity her, and take care OF her for she'll
need somebody's care before the nights
through y
"She's in good hands, though" said a
third member of the coterie, withdrawing
his pipe from his mouth as he spoke, "for
Wills as noble a lad as ever brea,hed the
air Of Hampshire! lie knows every inch
OF the Winnie, as we'll AS | know the road
to mil and his horse is powerful deal
more intelligent than many human folks,
anyhow !" -
"Argersen will do well enough II there
ant a s9ual bur it strikes me the sky
looks rather hazy, and depend upon 1t,
this luIl amt for nothn'n said a fourth,
peerng anxiousl v out into the darkness
and t there should be squall--a regu
lar "~hIte eye" then-then"-a the
speakers Involuntary sliudder finished the
sentence. The men drew closer together.
as u FOR mutual protection. and there was
| silence of few moments. broken at last
by the old man who had first spoken.
"On!y last winter, poor Henry Bleecher
WAS frozen to death on the shore OF R,t-
tlesnake Island; and ;hen Just week af
terwards, poor Cap'n Deer-been on the
Lake all his ifetime--go, bepillercd in
the squalls, and died out there all alone
in the dark and cold, aud his folks to
home se''ln' up to daylight expectin' him!
Oh, 1t Was swful-ireadful To think &C,
hut no,hin' TO what il would be il a wo.
msu"--a tear wet the hardy face Of the
old mountaineer. and lie turned To dry il
on his coarse handkerchief.
At this momen, the brisk gingle of
sleigh bells was heard at the door. aud he
fore the eager listeners could spring Tor
wsri I" open upon the hew conner Will
Argens"n entered, wrapped up in huira
10 robe.
81 am ready to attend you to Wolfhurn
ifyou still think of going" he said ad
dressing the lady. She arose quickly at
the sound Of his voice. and accepting u q
large blanket which the ticket mas.rr
kindly offered her as further projection
against the inclement weather, she follow
ed her conductor out into the dark. pierc
ing night, and WAS liftcf into the sleigh
which awaited them. hrgenson wrapped
tn. haffalo closely around her, and attach
ing the large glass lantern. which he had
carried in his hand. to the front part Of
the cutter he sprang in. The horse WAS
large powerfully built animal, Of dark
iron gray and his fiery ewes, AS well a. hr.
long. slender neck, showed him spirited
as strong
The eager crowd of idlers lef, their
warm quarters bv the inside stove, and
gathered around the sleigh and its occu.
pants, some eXpostulating on the madness
Of the twain in setting OUT on such night
Others wishing them God speed, and
amid the murmured Accommodations, they
drove of.
Half mile on terra trina. and the
horses feet rang sharp and clear on the
solid ice Of the Winnipissiocee. The sum.
mits Of the tall, blue mountains which
rose on either SIDE OF our travellers, were
shrouded in an impenetrshe mist and the
| light wind which blew was insufficient to
break up the clouds of time that filed the
air.
Little or no conversation passed be-
tween these two peopIe,so recently thrown
together. Argenson WAS occupied with
thoughts Of the periIous undertaking be-
fore them the lady, with sad images nf
her diving mother--dvng without the kiss
Of her onlv child TO smooth her passage
through the dark void between time and
eternity
With anxious eve, the voung mountai-
neer scanned the thiIkcuing ar, and the
terrible thought ,Uouid lir acros his brain
--"iJ the squalls should rise ~
Nearly four miles Of the journey was
passed over in safety. They had reached
the dreariest part Of the road, and the
darkness became almost palpahIe. Noun.
tsins black as Erebus completely walled
in the shining track Of ice, and by the
pitching Of tae cutter, and the careful
progress Of The horse. they knew that
drifts Of snow aud biIges OF ice obstruc
ted the way. The breaths Of our travel.
lers CONCEALED almost before they left
their bodies, and the dark sides Of the
The cold became intense, psrmeating
the thick bufaloe skins as il they had
been mere cobwebs, and the delicate
frame OF the young girl was chilled
through. Bravely she suppressed the
desthly shiver that invotuntsrilv stole
over her. but Argensen felt the effort. and
drawing his arm around her, he said, in
n low, earnest tone
LADY, we are strangers, but it is no
time to stand for ceremony. when one 10
freezing SIT as close To me as possible,
aud lay your ace here upon my breast
the wind is rising to gale, and the
squalls will he upon us ere Iong!"
With one powerful hand he guided
the horse with the ether one he held
close to his side the little trembling form
of his companion and the Noble gray,
~ il feeling that everything, depended
on their reaching the end Of their journey
before the breaking of the squall over
their heads, tore hrHvelv on.
Iu vain ! in vain iu vain The mad