Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1860-04-21
miscellaneous
From "Onco a week"
EIGHT ON THE ICE.

Shortly after my arrival in Canada, a severe
accident, received oua shooting expedition, caused
me to be placed for a time under the hospitable
roof Of the stipendiary magistrate Of Tircouga,
one of the prospective cities Of the far west, and
during the severe illness that followed, | could
not have received more kindness had | been in
my own home. When l left the woods, the tints
of a%usulhn were flushing them with crimson and
orange, as if their leaves had suddenly burst into
blossom; but as l looked ON them again, their
glories had all vanished beneath the stern sway of
the northern winter, with its train OF biting frosta
and deep SHOWS, while the broad winding THROUGH
river, which | had last seen so blue and wavy, vas
now hushed and settled by the universal ice fet.
ter.
To me, but recently arrived from England, it
seemed strange how, amid so wild a solitude, this
advent of a six or seven muu,hs' winter could be
welcomed as saw 1t, by those around me. l did
not yet know that winter was the only season
when the bonds of their isolation were loosened,
nor that the snow was the ma gician smoothing the
difficulties Of social intercourse in b district whore
neighbors dwelt miles apart, and tho roads be-
tween them were lanes Gu, through the primeval
forest, and Astounding in holes and ruts, and
Btumps Of trees.
As soon as l was sufficiently recovered, l was
the companion of Mr.. Norton and HE daughters,
IN all these exchanges of courtesy; and if l cared
little for the visiting, l greatly enjoyed the drives
in the swiftly gliding sleigh over the cleaning
snow; while, instead of leaves, the trees above our
heads were hung with ieicles sparkling and fash
ing in the sunshine like the ruby and emerald
fruit and foliage of eastern story, and the long
rhythmical chimes Of our sleighbells, echoing
through the arches Of the trees were the only
sounds, save our own laughter that broke the
silence of those ancient woods.
We went to merrymakirgs, too-real backwoods
'frolios'--beld in rude barns, whose decorations
we're essentially rustic, but where the warmth Of
the hospitality compensated for every def .iency /;
the friend Of q guest was kindly welcomed, the
passing traveller was pressed to stay, and the
wandering merchant, with his stores of fnery and
news, was received with delight, especially by the
fair sex. Then the homecoming was almost as
merry, the long strings Of sleighs, with their bells
sounding cheerily through the midnight woods,
and the joyous leave-taking of the occupants as
each went his separate way.
On one occasion we had been to one of these
festivities, some six or seven miles beyond the
Tircouga, and were returning home in two light
5one.horse sleighs, the first containing Mr.. Norton
and his elder daughter, The second her sister and
myself. The night was calm and beautiful in its
dim snow-light, aud the red glow of the northern
streamers above our heads flashed AMI leaped and
quivered in a thousand brilliant corruscations
while strangely and sweetly through the gray Ole
woods sounded the clear girlish voices of the sis
r- II r. a IL 49, 1900. =
alternate stanzas one of the quaint old ballads o
the middle ages.
At length we reached the banks Of the Tircou
90, which lay between us and our home a miro
of ice, and we at once commenced it's passage. A
we swept quickly on, it seemed to me that som
other sound mingled with the firm footballs of tn,
horses and the chime of their bellS-a low, threat
ening murmur like the echo OF u distant tempest
But Mr.. Norton drove gaily on, as if be eithe
heard it not, or thought nothing Of it, and l dis
missed is from my mind, until, as we drew nea
the centre of the river, strange, dark spots, lk
cloud-shadows, began to feck its cleaning sur
face.
The next instant one appeared right on Mr.
Norton's path, and too close for him to avoid
With long leap the horse bounded over it, an
us tue hlelSu was OIdWu QulChly ulbCl, NhOiS wa
q splash, that told it had struck against water.
could see Mr.. horton spring hurriedly up.
Back, back for your liyesp he cried to vi
the ice is breaking upP
/ turned to follow his directions, but It was to
late-two or three such spots lay between US an
the bank. / looked around; they were rapidly al
pearing on every side; and then l remembered
have heard that the ice of the Tircous "a, like TIL
Of several other Canadian rivers, was treacherou
in consequence of hot springs in the bed of Il
river, which at times burst forth; and that, parli
ularly in the early part of the winter, the mornir
would see the river covered with ice, of which, b
fore evening, not a trace would remain.
Perceiviug how matters stood, Mr.. Norton baC
us follow him, and quickly, for not a moment W
to be lost; and then dashed off at a rapid pace f
the opposite bank, leaping the CHAINS, and spec
ing lightly over the frozen portions, as if he no
ell by ~swifsness to diminish the danger; and wi
the same breathless speed we FASTENED in b
rear.
Meanwhile, larger and more numerous gre
those dark-5lue spaces, and longer and more Fl
quen. our horses leaps. Atlength there came
p chasm mine could not venture. | looked eager
around for some more favorable spot; but as n
5f eye glanced onward, ii fell on constantly wide
ing water, until it bad gone the circuitj and, wi
a sensation Of surprise and horror, | perceiv
2 that we stood on an ice island, from which t
surrounding ice was rapidly retreating. l look
after Mr.. Nortonj but, unsuspicious Of what h
happened, be was still making his way with
rowy speed across the ice, so | felt we were left
our own efforts for escape, and my utter mex
rience rendered the chances few indeed, unless
should again draw near enough to the main ice
leap the space besweenj and none can tell h
a9xiously | watched each movement of our raft
it began to yield to the influence of the currc
But each falhom that we were swept down I
river, seemed to bear us an equal distance fro
;ts lev horders. and we soon found ourselves fo