Litchfield enquirer., 1860-06-28

I'll bet shilling see through it;
The damsel, fairly understood.
| Feels just as any Christian should
| She'd rather suffer wrong than do it.
| SKATING FOR LIFE.
THE following fragment of a most thrilling
narrative is taken from the american Union
To understand the point, it is necessary to pre-
mise that Julius Olier, half-caste, had barbar
ously murdered the brother of Mr. Weatherel
Champneys, a rich Canadian, who resolved upor
deadly vengeance 1t is this gentleman him
self who narrates how he sought for the accom-
plishment of his aim.]
Night after night lay concealed on the
border of the river Scugog, awaiting the
murderer. I was armed with pistols and
wore skates. Skating was an amusement
which had excelled in when school-boy
and facility in the art was of the last import
ance to my scheme of retribution. At length
he came 1t was an exquisite night; the
white expanse around sparkled in the sheen
of a Canadian moon, which sailed calmly
through cloudless sky. could have shot
the villain as he skated by me within fifty
yards; but would not risk the chance; and
besides, my vengeance cried for u sterner fate
than death by the pistol No sooner was he
past my hiding place, than with shout Of ex-
ultation I started on his track. Olier swerv-
ed for moment to see who his pursuer was;
then, quick as lightning, tried to double up
the river again. But I had anticipated this;
and with a cooked pistol in either hand, ]
barred his passage. With curse, he turn
ed and sped swiftly down the ice
And now the race for life began. Mile
after mile we swept along in silence. An
awful, portentious silence it was, through
which nothing broke save the hollow boom
Of the swift steel cutting its way over the
imprisoned scugog. The moon lit me Dobly
to my vengeance. He could not escape me,
for found with savage glee that was a
match for even the most swift-footed Indian
Olier became aware of this, too, for now and
again he would skate close to the woods
looking in vain for an aperture. But no
there was but one outlet from this walled-in
river, and that was over the falls!
Faster and faster yet we skated toward
the cataract. 1t could not be far off. pic
tured to myself what Oilers thought might
be. Did he know whittier he was hasten.
ing? or had that awful light yet to flash on
his guilty mind? The half-breed made an
swer to my thought. saw him in the pale
simmer start convulsively, and throw his
arms in the air; but he dared not stop, and
on he darted again with yell Of despair,
which echoed wcird-like up the channel. An
other sound came to my ear, and l knew
what had caused that cry of agony to burst
from Olier; it was the dull thunder Of the
falls! We were nearing them fast. Still
the walls of snow shut in my victim, and
every moment lessened his frail hopes Of es
cape. One chance was left him-to distance
me, and hide some where in the snow from
my scrutiny. Vain hopel the wing Of the
bird could scarce have saved him!
Hoarser and louder grew the noise of the
waters. If thanked the Almighty in fran
tic prayer that the murderer was delivered
in my hands, humbly trust that it may be
forgiven me now. From the time l had
first started on Oilers track, we maintained
exactly the same distance between us-per.
haps hundred or hundred and fifty yards
l still grasped my loaded pistols, ready for
any stratogem on the part of the murderer.
And now the crash of the falls came loud
and ominous on the ear.
Another FIVE minutes would decide the
hunt. Suddenly, Olier turned and stood OF
bry. He was not armed; felt certain of
that all along, for otherwise he would have
measured strength with me before. Without
abating my pace, skated down upon him,
holding pistol in each hand. Still my pur-
pose was as fixed as ever only to shoot the
villain as last resource. When / was with.
in twenty yards of him, the coward faltered
and again turned swiftly down the river
With yelling laugh / pursued him, press
ing still more holly on his track.
Deafening was the roar of the cataract
high into the pale sky assembled the mist o.
the spray, through which the splintered lines
Of the moonlight darted in rainbow tinted
beauty. I could see directly the jagged line
Of the ice, where it was broken by the rapids
Immediately above the cataract; and beyond
/ could trace the dark volume OF the ocu-
| cog, as it emerged from its prison OF sho"
and ice. For an instant the half breed tufn-
ed his face toward me, as pressed with con.
contracted hate on his footsteps; never shall
+ FORGET the horrible despair that distorted
+ho y;llo;n,s features. 1t was mercy that
tLo snIIen roar of the falls drowned his ours
esNI knew that he was shrieking curses or
me-for they would have haunted me il
after years .
j With the courage that is begotteu of dark
est despair, he dashed on to the brink of the
rapids, and the next moment I was alone or
the icel gazed with stern joy On the darl
food, which had seized in its resistless hand.
the shedder Of blood, and was hurrying hin
over the falls. For moment I thought
could perceive the murderer struggling il
the eddies; but the illusion, if it were one
could live only for an instant. The cataract
was within pistol shot, and as I turned NJ
the dreary wilderness of ice and snow,
knew that the doom Of the guilty skater
had been fulfilled.
An old farmer, whose son had died lateiy,
was visited by neighbor, who began se
jcondole with him on his loss.