The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1860-08-02
A. THRILLING STORY.

nc loioWinS story wfS rtSheu HoiI
that interesting book, . Parisv's Thou.
sand and One Stories.n 1t is iouu fed
upon an occurrence which actually TOOK
place in Vermont, some, forty years
ago., The facts are almost literally re-
lated, as follows 6 i.''a's .N'-i'e, g ,--
Ny brother ncman liked the bu.i.
ness Of carrying the mail better than
did; and SO went to work IN n rew
clearing / had commenced, about mile
and half from home, and not quite so
far from the house of brother.in law !.
used 10 stay4as often at zone place as
at the other. 1t was bad arrange-
mont, as in case of accident. neither
family would be alarmed, or 90 10 look
for me, If should not como, home. /
felt the force Of this in the course of tic
winter, as YOU will, See directly.
There had fallen one Of our old fash.
ioned, Northern New York SHOWS, crust
ed over hard enough 10 bear q ,nam. .iTI
Was getting on f,,nousis2 will my clear,
ing, getting ready TO build a house in
the Spring. L whs ambitious, and
worked early and late, going without
my dinner some. DAYS, when the bread
and meat / had brought in my pocket
VAS frozen so hard that / could not,
lnasticate.it,s without, taking mp 4doo
much of my time. One diy it was in.
tensely cold, with, the prospect of q.
storm Hat might hinder my work the
next day, so i worked on as long ms
could see, and after twilight / felled a
tree, which in its descent lodged against
another. / could not bear the idea Of
leaving The job half finished; I mount.
ed the almost PROSTATE body 10 cut
away limb to let il down. --
The hole Of the tree fosked, about
forty feet up, into two equal paris, with
large projecting limbs from both. Ii,
was one ol these had TO cut away TO
bring II 10 the ground. Ip my haste,
perhaps, | was not SO careful as | should
have been at any rate, the first blows
eased the lodgpcnt, SO that the tree be.
gan 10 settle. and l WAS Just going to
jump of, when the fork split. and as i,
did so, one foot dropped into the space,
so that | could not cxtricaie it for The
moment, but felt no alarm, for l knew
that could cut away the tree in min.
ute, or perhaps draw my foot out of my
boot. rs the pressure was not severe.
Al he first Nbiow of the axe the tree
took another start, rolled over, and The
split closed with all l'the force of lis giant
strength, crushing my foot until the
very bones were fattenetl and there 7,
hung suspended, just able to toacirt the
tips of my fingers in the snow, wid,
nothing 10 rest pon for ,a'noment-j
the air-at zero, >ari.i growing 'colder--no,
prospects of any, one coming, that way
that night---ihe nearest house ~ mile
.away--no friends to feed alarmed q, nv,
absence, for one would suppose me safe
with The UtheF. .g.ft. ~ ...r .w.. -.. /.
My axe in its fall rested upon the
snow crust, about ten feet off. fl
could only get that, i might yet save
MYSELF Hdid not think how. /, was ,tu
cutinyself loose from the body of that
great tree, suspended as I was, head
down, and suffering with the rushing
current Of disordered blood |; but
Thought in that keen blade my only
hope of life was fixed, Just forward OF
me, grew. slim buslI, whicl, thought
IT could obtain, could form n hook
by twisting the limbs, together, and
draw the axe within nay reach. .-.,
h Although the bush was out Of nv
reach, at last succeeded in getting
hold of it by means of loop, by tying
my suspenders together. j drew il to-.
wards Inc and cut it off with my pock,
ct knife--one of that sort SO long
knoy as "Barlow knives" having n
blade about two and half inches long
and three .cights Of an inch wide; with
equal width ali It's length, set in q han.
die of peculiar form, half its length
iron and horn or bone. I succeeded
admirably in fasbioning my hook, and
almost felt the handle Of The axe within
my grasp, SO certain was / of success,
From the Tree that imprisoned me the
ground descended rapidly for a dozen
rods or more to little creek. Ny axe
lay upon the brow of tho hill. The
first movement | made towards twist.
ing the loop Of my stick around ;he
handle, so as to drag it within my reach,
loosened 1t from lis icy rest, and away
it went down the hill, crushing through
the little frost brittle bushes, down upon
the ice Of the creek, down to fall a
few rods below, and over that into the
unfrozen pool, with a surging sound, as
it fell into the water, that seemed TO
send an icy chill through every vein
and artery in my whole body. {
still had my knife. True, it was
rough surgical instrument, but hope o. :,
the love Of life gave me streps II 'uu ~
climb up by my fastened lec s y, :.
away the boot and stocb' q anu @ eu'
with that knife / ~ -ms' anu W. W.
foc.,. - 20 'ho ground-my Left leg q
.,esS' .seding stunsp--the intensity
OF " cold saved me from bleeding to
:, ueath. l tore off part OF my coat
and with my handkerchief aud suspen'
ders managed to bind my leg with :