Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-04-08
He'll be froze stiff" exclaimed an old man

Trough
"She's in good hands, though, said the
third me nber OF the coterie, Withdrawing
his pipe from his mouth as he spoke, "ior
Willis as noble lad as ever breathed the
air of Hampshire. He knows every inch
of the Winnie, as well as | know the road
to mill-and his horse is powerful deal
more intelligent than many human folks
anyhow"
s.Arpensen will do well enough if there
amt a squall, but it strikes me the sky looks
rather hazy and depend upon it this lull aln'
for notbipgv' said fourth, peering anxious,
ly out into the darkness, ''and if there should
be a squall-a regular white eye-then
then. and the speakers involuntary shud'
der ended the sentence. The men drew
,closer together, as il for mutual protection,
land there was a silence for few minutes
broken at last by the man who had hrst
spoken.
"OnIy last winter, poor Henry Bleecher
was frozen to death on the shore OF Katie
snake Island; and then just week alter
wards. poor Cap'n Deer-been on the Lake
all his lifetime-got bewildered in squall
and died out there all alone in the dark and
cold, and his folks settin' up till day light
ex,ectin' him! o, it was awful, dreadful to
think of. but nothing to what it would be II
a woman-a young, tender, beautiful wo-
man!"--a tear wet the hardy face OF the
old moun,aineer, and he turned TO dry 1t on
his coarse handkerchief.
At this moment the brisk jingle of sleigh
bells was heard at the door, and before the
eager listeners could spring forward to open
it upon the new conner, Will Argensen en-
tered, wrapped in buffalo robe.
81 am ready to attend you to WoIfboror if
YOU still think of going" said he addressing
the lady. She arose quickly at the sound
of his voice, and accepting the large blanket
which the ticket master kindly offered her
as further protection against the lncie-
ment weather, she followed the conductor
out into the dark, piercing night, and was
lifted into the sleigh which awaited them.
Areensen wrapped the robe closely around
her, and attaching the glass lantern, which
| he carried in his hand, to the front part OF
he cutter, he sprang in. The horse was
| large, DOW erful built animal, of dark iron
grey color, and his fiery eyes, as well as MS
long slender neck showed him spirited as
well as strong.
The eager crowd of idlers left their warm
quarters by the inside stove, and gathered
around the sleigh and its occupants,-some
expostula,ing out on such 1ight--others
wishing them God speed. and snidthe muir
INJURED acclamations, they drove %.
Half mile on terra firma, and the feet
of the horse rang sharp and clear on the
solid ice of the Winniplse"gee. The sum-
nit of The tall, blue mountains, which rose
on the ne ;her side OF our travellers were
hid in impeneirable mist, and the light wind
which blew was insufficient to break up the
clouds OF time hat filled the air.
Little or no conversation passed between
the two, so recently thrown togeth@r.-
Argensen was occupied with thoughts of
the periIous Undertaking before him; the
lady with sad images OF her dying mother
diving without a kiss of her only child to
smooth her passage through the dark void
between time and eternity. With an anx-
ious eye the young mountaineer scanned the
thickening air, and the terrible thought
would fit across his brain-''what if the
squall should rise"
Nearly four miles of the journey was
passed over in safety. They had reached
the dreariest part Of the road, and darkness
became almost palpa6le. Mountains as
black as Erebus completely walled in the
shining track of ice, and oy the pitching d
the cutter, and the careful progress of the
horse, they knew that drifts OF snow and
bilges of ice obstructed the way. The wint
steadily increased, and cut the face like
sharp icicle. The breath Of our travellers
J CONCEALED almost bef re it left their bodies
and the dark sides of the horse were cover
ed W ith feathery frost.
The cold become intense, penetrating the
thick buffalo skins as if they had been mere
cobu ebs, and the delicate frame Of the
, Young girl was chilled through. Bravely
, she suppressed the deadly shivers that in
voluntarily stole over her. but Argensen fel
5 the effort, and dra wing his arm around her
y
4. are strangers, but ii is no time for ceremony
5 when one is freezing! Sit as close to mt
t as possible, and lay your head here upon M
: breast; the wind is rising to gale, and th'
squalls will be upon US ere longn'
With one powerful hand he guided th'
d horse; with the other one he held to his sid
the little trembling form of his companion
o and the noble grey, as if feeling tba
d everything depended upon their reaching
d he end of their journey before the break
l ing of the squal over their heads, Dor
j. bravely on.
% In vainl in vainI in rainI The mad win
n bore along the ebon clouds with the swift
i ness of lightning, and scarcely more tina
h five miles of the way were passed ere
ID burst upon them in all IFS fury. The dread
e ed "white eye" enveloped them. Hail an
y minute partzans of frozen snow, in thicl
continuous sheets, blinded the eyes of tn
ID brave Argensen, and shut out the dim ovel
IN arching sky The horse drew up under tn
lg lee of wooded Ilsland, and could be il
duced TO 90 no further. Argensen claspe
in both arms around his paralyzed companion
le and awaited the progress of the Storm
E. Heavily, and more heavily she leaned upc
CT his shoulder, End at length the fatal trul
d. rushed upon him with appalling force-tt
- sleep that invariably precedes death
in freezing was upon her! He sprang up Wild
c. "For the love of heaven, awake. Rou:
If yourself! To sleep is death"
ol A faint moan was the only response. +
ze tore off the buffalo robes which envelop'
her, and vigorously chaied her cold ham
ue and breathed upon her icy lips. Fer whi
i" he feared he held only death in his arm
pit but at last by the dim light of the lanter
is he saw flush steal over her face, and h
l eyelids slowly unclosed.
.ie "Is it my mother holding mel" she sal