Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1857-06-25

n agitated questions and proposals, to which n
s one replied. In the midst of this, the scene wa
J. suddenly larkened-the boy who held the tore
i leaped aside with cry of The water the water!
e and the next moment the rising waters dashet
u up to the chained foot.
a God! cried the captive, frantically starting up
t will no one help me' Send for doctor-call 70
c help! Sacred Heaven will you coolly stand b,
? and see a man drowned by inchesi
I Never tear, SIR, said Bill, soothingly, endeav
2 oring TO reseat him-'never fear, we'll manag'
: it yet. See, here comes the flannel and hot wa
v ter. Come, come, Sir: Father Thames is NJ
: harum-scarum youngster that does not know hi
own mind-he'll take his time, never you fear.
i 'Ay, but his time must come muttered thu
D skipper, shudderingly, yet half soothed.
t Already had they commenced the fermentation
the woman with the baby had sent it home, an,
was buisly superintending the operation; ant
the sufferer glanced uneasily from the foot to thu
gradually encrhoaching waters.
} No use in fermentation now, said the chemist
coolly, as the tide splashed on and covered the
foot with the cold waters of the river.
!; Never mind cried the woman, cheeringly
we shall do very well yet Try, Sir, try if il
: won't pass now
: He did make one desperate effort, with a 81
lence as desperate; no, not one effort only. but
a series of struggles, obstnately maintained. il
defiance, almost in forgetfulness of bodily tor
ture, in the horrible probability that every mo-
ment strengthened; he wrencbed and strained
till the body, not the spirit subdued he stagger
ed back into his scat. The girl Sal, whose Of
/ flee it had been to renew the hot water, her oc
cupation being now gone, rose from her stoop.
f ing position TO her knees, making some obser.
walton in a voice scarcely above whisper.
"What what does she say, Bob " he asked
eagerly, leaning forward in his seat.
"a bit of good sense, Sir !" replied Bob, with
gruff abruptness that was designed to over.
folf &c he thnn nrht
scarcely manly "better leave limb here than
a life"
You are right, you are right y cried the
skipper, his eyes lighting up wildly with a DIES.
perate hope: 'let a surgeon be sent for directly"
This gentleman can do it off-hand,' cried Bill,
rising smartly to mis- feet, and pointing TO the
chemist, who negatived the proposition with the
observation that his practice did not lie in that
direction, and Bill, with contemptuous notice
of the land-lubber, that could not spike gun
| as well as load it, went in search of a more eff
| fective practitioner.
Sal hastily proposed to go with him, observ-
| ing that, If he was a stranger he would not
know where to go, and Bill, in as few words,
accepting the offer, they started on their GRAND
The crowd of lockers on that had gradually in
creased to a multitude, had been driven back
several feet by the rising waters, which had al
ready covered the ANGLE of the sufferer. There
was hum and stir among them; but il was
subdued. Two or three boys, in the excitement
of the moment and that of a sense of numbers,
by which boys of larger growth are often
wrought upon, attempted TO get up 'Hooray,
but they were checked by stern Silence" Bob
alone stood beside the skipper, cheering him
with words of hearty encouragement, by which
| he endeavored also to oveIbear his own fears.
In the former service, his aid was little needed.
The desperate expedent on which he had deter
mined had excited in the shippers mind hopes
that were almost assurance; and though he now
looked anxiously into the gloom of the imper-
| fectly lighted road that stretched before him for
his coming liberator, and then glanced behind
him at the dark waters, now covered with a
| heavy white mist-the former look was of hope
| and the latter of defiance. There was an abEapt
| cheer from the crowd, checked almost III the
| moment of its utterance: announced the APP
proach of the surgeons-for there We're two OF
! them accompanied by the messengers. They
soon made their way to their proposed patient
! but to approach him were compelled to enter q
| boat drawn up on the shingles for the purpose
The scene was imperfectly lighted by two or
| three lanters, and only the outline OF the suffer
er's form was visible as he at their ap-
proach. There was call for lights, and in a
few minutes several torches brought an illumi-
nation more garing than that of day Bill in
sstng on the extremity of the case, had not de-
layed time by any further account OF IT to the
medical men, than few hurried words by the
way might convey, and they were urprepared
Tor the depth and horror of the danger now sud
denly displayed to them. Its hopelessness,also,
was Immediately displayed TO them. The wa
er had risen nearly to the knee, and notwth-
standing slight tinge of blood, the swelled
and lacerated foot was visible through it, fixed
in its iron trap.
Thank God you have come, gentlemen" said
the sufferer there is no time to lose. Time and
tide wait for no man, as you may see;' he laugh
ed Historically, and reseated himself. Now
gentlemen, he repeated, i am ready, AMI shall
be happy to give old Father Thames leg-bail.'
His mirth, forced and dscordant Jared pain
fully upon the very heart-strins of the surgeons
they looked at each other, and at length one O.
them observed, that, not being informed of tbs
state of the case, they had not brought their in
struments with them.
=, What cried the skipper ,shrilly,' unprepared
Then why don't You send for theml In tbs
, name of Almighty God, send, l say!' and h.
| stamped his free foot fercely in the splashine
waters
1t is to no purpose; we can do nothing for
you,' said one of the surgeons. There was
i strange contrast between the hopeless tenor o
, this declaration and the calm, hopeful tone tina
, was habitual to the speakers professional man
nel.
> What" repeated the skipper, family: 'yot
don't understand me, gentlemen he resumed
alters momentary pause. Il don't want you Il
extricate the foot, want you to cut off the lint
can you do that
Il am sorry to say that it is impossible sale
1 the other surgeon; I'VE cannot perform the op
Grafton under water
You cannot!' repeated the skipper. Il tel
you, you may-yOu must Is mans life NJ
better than lighted paper, that you can see il
, crushed ont SO coolly. DO you see those
But won't swear. l say, do you see those
waters, gentlemen Do you know that in an
other hour they would choke me as l stand p
It 81,
! gecn. But can you not remove the foot row
! the cold would shrink it. Try again.
'Ay' try, Sir-try again. said Bill: the las
time pays for all"
! Are you, too, coward enough to mock the
helpless p said the skipper, sternly; have NO
tried in vain 7 | sit here murdered man. hi
went on, folding his arms and if | mus. die, al
my soul lives, l will arraign those men at tn;
i bar of the Eternal Judge!
These words, uttered i'll a raised voice, reach
ed the ears of the crowd, and indignant at wha
q in their ignorant zeal, they considered all un
feeling and reckless disregard of human life, {
! passionate murmur rose among them, mingled
with angry EXPLANATIONS, that were soon wrot
up fierce excitement that threatened the live:
of the surgeons and amidst the cries of Teach
{ them better Give 'em taste of mud; Show
| them what drowning is'-the man called Dobbs
stepped forward, the voluntary organ of the
! multitude.
The surgeons quietly urged few words ii
ex PLANTATION, which Mr.. Dobbs would not hear
much less care to understand
No time to lose in talking ne interrupted
! send for your tools. There's the doctor here,
! pointing to the chemist he'll fetch EN-
A loud cry from the crowd seconded the rec
: ommendation, and the skipper, with revivine
hope, stood up and resumed his entreaties.
1t would be to no purpose said the surgeon
I whose manner has been particularized, address
! ing the sufferer, i am sorry to say We can be Q
no use to you.
The other surgeon, however, whether wrough