The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858, 1857-11-12

the fallen tree, one heavy limb prcssin
across his breast, and another just belo,
, his knees, while his face was pale an,
distorted with agony. Quick as though
Ned caught up an axe and struck it in
to the limb that confined bis breast -
young man groaned deeply ,and his who'll
frame quivered with the shock. Before
Ned could strike again. Barker caugh
his arm, and cried, Stop for heaven'
sake, Ned the jar will kill him. w,
must contrive some other way the
cross-cut saw--run aud bring it here
We will saw the limbs off without s,
much jar We will be as careful as W.
can David he continued, bending over
the young man, and trying to cheer him
while Ned was gone after the saw tha
they had very fortunately brought with
them
David tried to speak, but his lips were
stiff with cold, aud shrunken with pain,
and the old man tried in vain to distin
guish his words. To do Moses Barker
justice, under all his selfwill and obsti-
macy, there lurkcd good deal Of the
spirit of humanity and at that moment
he would have sacrificed much of his
property to have been ablo. to extricate
the young man from his perilous situa.
ton unhurt A sudden thought struck
him and drawing off bis coat and nit
tens he knelt down, and rapidly, but
carefully began to remove the snow from
beneath David's back Lie literally dug
for life aud his hard hands were never
put to nobcr service. David soon cx-
pericnccd the benefit of his cxertions in
the diminished pressure Of the weight
across bis breast; and, aided by Ned,
who soon returned with the saw, Barker
succeeded iu removing the snow until
the branch only just grazed bis. breast.
Then they attempted to release hisI
limbs but there was much less depth
of snow beneath them, and they were SO
wedged in between the stones, that il
was impossible to do SO, without saving
off the limb that confined them. They
did this carefully as possible +; but, be-
fore it was clear, David tainted. They
spred their thick hom2spun coats on the
snow, laid his sensclcss form upon them
and left him to unload their Sled and
prepare.in some way to take him home,
or, at least to the nearest house, which
was at the distance of more than mile.
In few moments the wood was flung
of, dozen more light elastic poles laid
across the sled and covered with the
ttick spreading branches Of the juniper
and hemloek These preparations made
they returned, and laying their charge
upon this rudo litter, took their way to-
wards home.
David soon returned to cons ciousness
but, Notwithstanding the jerking motion
of the sled over the rough, i'll beaten path
was so very painful, he could not bear
tho idea OF being removed to sleigh |
when they reached the nearest house,
but begged them to take him home just
as be was, and then let him die in
peace. '
Barker at last persuaded him TO allow
them to place bed beneath him; and,
almost buried bin in the blankets that
the good women of the house wrapt
around him, they again started of. it
was not until they came within mile Of
his own aa9"mse. that Barker began to
hink of his peculiar p5ss!!'lon' How
should he break this unhappy news &c
-hc encmy-to u man with whom he had
not spoken for moro than year =
What need is there for you to speak to I
him now = whispered pride. You
nave done your duty, aud more, perhaps
han others would have done in your
place. Send Ned home with his child "a
,ou have saved his life, and that is {
,nough.' Bot the faint, low means that /
,ame from beneath those blankets had
more power over Barker in his present Q
mood than those whiSperlngs of false |
ride. He suddenly gave the whip TO- I
Ned, and FASTENED with rapid strides TO-
ward home.
will send lIetty over to break this q
le~ TO Annio Benton, be said, as he 9
cached bis own gate, women manage
uch things better than lscn, besides, u,