The gazette and Democrat. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1860, 1860-04-05

Meanwhile. larger aud more numerous
grew those dark blue spaces and larger
aud more frequent our horses leaps. A.
length there came chasm mine could not
venture, looked eagerly around for some
more favorable spot, but as my eye glanc
ed onward, it fell on constantly widening
waller, until it had gone the circuit and.
with sensation Of surprise aud horror, |
.pciceryed that We stood On AZ ice slapd,
from which the surrounding ice wa- rap.
idly rctreatiug. l 70, ked alter Mr. Nor.
ton; bur, unsuspicious Of what had hap.
pened, he was sull making his way with.
arrowy speed across lh, ice, so irIt W.
were left to our cwn Efforts for escape. and
my utter inexpcri-ncc rendered the chan.
ces few indeed, unless W. should again
draw uear enoughto the main ice to leap
the space between; and none can tell how
anxiously / watched zach NOV, ment Of
our raft as it began to yield to he inf
ence of The current. But each faihom
that we were swept down the river, seem
cd 10 bear US an equal dis'ancs from lis
icy boidors, and We soon found ourselves
floating on a comparatively open space Of
water, and surrounded by numerous ice
islands.
{ could almost have echoed poor An
MES cry of agony when the ecttaiuy Of
onr position bust upon her, SO lesrfui
was it. Alone at midnight, on flag.
mcut on ice. floating down a spid river,
chose course | Knew not, while on each
side stretched tracts ufcrumbiipg nee, and
| beyond them r,,se banks of Inaccessible.
stecpnessl What could exceed The desc
lation Of such poSit on, and what hvpe
could it leave us OF hf.? While, to com
plete our misery, we lad not even the
power TO struggle against our fac, bul
must passyely await lis coming. -.s
How deeply liied my young com
panion, as she sat there weeping such
pbiter tearsl Ii was hard for her 10 pafI
with lie, after sixteen years Of such bright
and Joyous experience as Lefs had ben
hard 10 lay 1t down thus suddenly and
fully, absent from all size loved, and
YET harder tie Unreasonable fear for her
father ami sisters safety which our own
danger had awakened. l tried to utter
words Of consolation as | wrapped the poor
girl in the buffalo robes from the chill
night air that our inaction rendered doub
ily cold. She looked sad contrast 10 tllt
bright creature Of the last few honrs
whose joyous ballad strains were yetling
cling in my ears. But wien the frs
shock was over, poor Annie struggled
bIavely with her grief and during the re
maiRder of that long, dreary night ofperi
she sat calmly by my side, the most pa
ticnt and resigned companion man eyel
had in danger.
Meanwhile, the river was bearing u:
swiftly past rocky headlands, and dal |
pine forests waving above lofty cliffs, OF
T. yet wider and sterrer regions. where i
seemed even the red man would scarcel,
pitch his wigwams. Sometimes the rive
swept us smoothly along on its broad bo
som, at others it contracted into marrow
limits, and hurried on with a quicker cur
rent; aud as our frail raft was swayed a
bout by the lroken water, we OF time
thought either that it would part, or W,
be swevL away trru i!s slippery surface
while every now and then our poor hors,
beat the ice wildly with his hoof. and, a
he recognized its unsoundness, his long
sbrill cries Of distress and terror ran.
far and wide over the river, and quiyere
through the dismal woods Deyond.
. Day at length broke upon US, still float
ing down that lonely river. between il
frowning .anks, and on our raft, who's
limits were small indeed. Death SCENE
close upon us in ono of his most lepulSiv
forms. and We no longer pretended blind
ness to his coming, but spoke together a
they should whose last hour was al hand
Suddenly the river took an abrupt berC
and, aided by the waters OF another rive
: which here fell into it. spread almost
), the dimensions Of 0 lake; but sill il VIZ
: = bordered by those monolonous, wall. lik
banks, shutting out every hope. A
; length We sighted something like chasl
q dividing the cliff down to The wafer
edge. sprsng to my feet in momen
Here was at least a chance of life-ll
r first that Turing all those wretchcd hou
e had presented itself-and ! resolved {
II once to prof. by it, 10 -aI a-I o.
C Without a moments delay the hor'
1t was cut loose from the shafts, and Ann
r was tied securely TO his back. then, wi
e few words Of encouragement and hoI
: to tie poor young girl, took the halt
IT in my hand, and sending the horse in
II the water leapcd in myself. and the
e commenced swimming 10 the shore, -
), But the struggle was a long and ardl
Is ous one, for we were more than a mi
4 from the land, and both the horse aud
n were cramped and stifoned with cold.-
n Many a Time l thought the effort was
,e VAN, and that neither the horse or | wo
IS ever reach the shore, thai to my wear
h ness seemed TO recede as we advanced
Moreover, the current pressed strong
y sgainst US, striving to sweep US down b
= yond our goal. against the steep, rocG
o barrier that lined the water Fortunate
the hot springs had raised the temper
it ture of the wafer, ior poor Annie'S girls
~ form was almost hidden in it, as tbs wav'
i gurgled and surged around hel. som
y times even sweeping over her head, 1
d the young girls courage rose with the o
of easion and she bore pumgrmngly tn
J.. new phaseof suffering. ..asi le,
in But they strive hard whose prize is lii
TT aud after more than an hour oil hope Al
" doubt, and fear, W. reached tho land '