Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1860-06-02


moment or two he has reached the shore.
Having needed Grays warning, the other boys
are safe too, and now crowd around.
Harry is not much the worSr," said Gray,
kindly, aS the spent and bcnunhcd lad leans
on him and begin, 10 recover. A near
rhaurr; but a drop Of brandy. with Il run
home and warm bath, will set him all right.
Walter, feel in my coat pocket, you'll lind my
brandy flask it holds but drop, but it'll do
good. 50 >ayiug, when the flask WAS found,
Gray makes Harry take what it holds, and
then hurrI'S him Oft home.
" But you'll come. Gray" says Stephen,
who i, the next eldest tn Harry papa will
never forgive u>, it ynu don't come. after hav-
ing saved Us our Gcar Harry. We always
liked YOU. Gray, AMI were talking Of YOU this
very morning. Come on; you're dripping
like a do ."
"rhark vou; ! wait 10 be at - station
by eight o'clock Tonight. and ut Leeds to.
morrow so can't. have dry uudcr-gar.
mcnts in my kuap~ack here. which I can
change in that iodd,r.shcd youdcr. Goodbye,
want 10 cross the moor before it Is too late. v
Ihc moor, Gray, Why, youth have a
hard fight with the snow. Our shepherds re.
port it AS very deep. Bat why are you tied
for few hour. -
~ have left TuLh~ ! taught too fast for
him. but if | reach Leeds by tomorrow may
get u tutorShip, for there was an advertisement
rcIalin. 10 0nc IN the last paper. So run
home, stephen; III write to YOU thence"
GRAY docs not STAY for any reply; but sciz-
Ing his coat and kuapSack, hurrics 10 the dis
tant shed; here he changes his shoes aud
other garments, AMI Then, TO get warm, sets
of on run, aS soon as he has dressed and
swung hi, knapSack on. TIP the snowy road,
by the mnorland crag, on to the moor itself
wide, wild waste of whitcncd dcS0lation.
Yet some traffic through the day marks the
road sufficiently for it to bc easy to find, while
light lasts and the snow holds off; so he keeps
on at rapid pace; for the whole distance now
to traverse is but some six miles, and he i, not
wtttruut hope ttTTt it wifi be CISiity CI1ITtCd
But presently the snow-driltS get deeper, aud
battle him more and more at every step. The
clouds charged with snow bring day Suddenly
To close, and at last it begins to snow heavily,
AS though the clouds had burst. Still he keeps
his way, not without hope. But when the road
becomes more and more indiStinct when the
snow comes down heavier and heavier still,
when the rising wind whirS itround aud round,
when the cold becomes so intense as to benumb
him, even while he is moving, he regrets his
folly il having sighted the kindly invitation
To Mr.. Ficldng'S house. But Gray is proud
man he has had the birth and education Of n
gentleman, and he cannot 90 iawning any
where, uninvitrd, like bcggar
At last, hopeless of regaining the track,
Thoroughly spent, growing drowsy, he sits down
On Il crag; the storm whrling around him and
freezing lis blood. Then he closes his eyes,
lost in that dreamy cnthanasia which prCccdcs
death from cold. From this he is aroused by
something warm and wet touching his hand
something lying heavily on his knee. Reuc-
tanty-almost with difliculty-he asserts with
sufficient will and voiition to open his eyes !;
and then he sees n shepherds dog rests its
paws upon his knees and licks his hands. At
the same moment loud halloo is heard. With
still more difficulty than he has opened his
eyes, he makes faint reply, for he is con-
ScionS the rescue is at hand. 1t is scarcely
uttered before n shepherd casts back the blind
ing snow and stands beside him.
IF you please, sir, you must come with us.
AS soon as he heard of the matter, Mr.. Field
ing sent me and another off, with horse and
these dogs on the moor after you for no one,
he knew, could live out such night"
But Gray can only speak. So the shepherds
assist; now coming up with the horse, they
place him on it, give him some whisky they
have with them, and one mounting behind, so
as to hold the benumbed gentleman, the other
leads the way back TO the GrayStoncS. But the
way is hard to find, the snow so blinds and
battles them, so lies in monstrous drifts, and
the cold so bcnumhng; yet through this desc
late waste they get at last, and by eight o'clock
reach the Hall.
There, in the wide porch, a whole group of
Sympatliziug friends welcome the poor gentle
man. lie cannot talk much, but he replies
To the pressure of their warm and kind words.
There, take my arm andlcan on me, SAYS
the same gentleman for whom Gray opened
the gate of the little, lonely battle-ground this
very morn; You have twice served me to-day,
once in manner irrcpayablc; so ctmc serve
in turn Thus say ing, Gray is led up stairs
to chamber, where warm bath and dry
clothes await him. Cherished and refreshed,
he lies down on u sofa, and has soup and wine
and other rcStorativcS. These taken he sinks
into sleep. When he awakcS il is ten o'clock
or more; yet he finds Mr. Fielding seated be-
side him
"God cvcrhlcSS and love YOU, sir :" he saws
taking Gray'S hand for to you owe the
life of my priceless hoy ! can never repay
Won, for they have told me al--vour bravery,
your goodncSS-every thing. But YOU must
not leave us, Mr. Gray, for long Time 1t
waS who advertised in the last Leeds news.
paper; for my boys want master, and YOU
were the one | thought Of and should have
liked; but did not know that YOU were lcav-
ing that mean, pompouS, shallow hypocritc,
TuhhS Make your mind happy, sir you have
II home here, tomorrow we will talk of money
affairs But he Surp even whpn vnur ofIi 80
ends, you shall find me n sincere friend. Now,
do you think You are strong enough to come
down and see the Christmas tree, and Sir
Roger dc Covcrlcy danced? Mrs. Fielding
and all my people want to thark YOU. too"
Oh, yes, he is strong enough for shall he
not see pretty Marianna, the idol OF his dreams?
So they go down arm.in-arm together, and
Mrs Fielding and all the guests are earnest
and warm in saying grateful and kindly words;
and there is Marianna, n little trcmulous and
timid and still more 50, when Gray gives her
oif the Christmas tree small needle book, on
which is finely wrought--"Lovc me, and Ill
love thee"
Gray sits down beside one of the glowing
fires, while they dance Sir Roger dc Coverlcy.
Rut by-and-by she leaves the dance and sits
down beside him.
81 was so sorry for you, Mr.. Gray" she
SAYS thinking of you on the bleak moor"
"Were you? that is good news, Mariana.
Before ascendcd the moor had had long
walk. had been past a certain cottage, and
cut off a spray of its ruddy pyracanthus it is
now up stairs in my wallet. But am going
to stay here as tutor. 1t is pcice of richer
fortune than thought Of, particularly if the
little one, whose face | first saw beside those