The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1860-03-20
SKATING FOR LIFE AND REVENGE.


The following thrilling sketch (or the
deaOuement OF oue) Is SO apr0pOs 10 the seas
on, as well as so admirably written, that wc
lay II hetore cur readers sure Of their ap-
proval. TO understand the point it is nee
essary to premise that OHor, half breed,
had preyiously murdered a brother ot tle
narrator and pursuer, for which act this re-
ientlcss vengeance Is taken.
Night after night, lay concealed at the
bluff awaiting the murderer; | was armed
with pistols aud wore skates skating
an amusement which had exceeded in
when a school boy, and facility in the art
was Of the last Importance to my scheme OF
retribution. At length lie came Il was
~, nv4r:e;.>, ..;eI.t 4j.a ,rh,s. e-.,.,ns,,
around sparkled in the sheer OF q Canadi-
an moon, which sailed through cipud.css
sky. | could have shot the villain as h.
skated by me within ffty yards, but | would
not risk the chance, aud besides my ven
gelncc cried for sterneF fate than death
by the pistol. No sooner was lie past ny
hiding place. than, with shou; Of czulta-
ton, [ started on his track, Clicr sweTved
a moment to see who his pursuer was, then,
quick as lightning, tried to double up the
river again. But | had anticipated this,
and with cooked pistol in either hand, l
barred his passage. With a curse lie turned
and sped swiftly down the ice.
And now the race for life began. Mile
after mile We swept along in silence. An
awful por entious silence it was, through
which nothing broke save the hollow boom
IF the swift steel cutting its way over the
imprisoned Scugog The moon lit me no.
bly, to my vengeance. lie could not escape
me, for / found with q savage glee that |
was match for the swift-tooted Indian.
Oer became aware of this, too, for now
and again he would skate close to the woods
looking in vain for an aperture. Bu; no
there was out one outlet from this walled
in river, and that was orer the falist
Faster and faster yet We skated toward:
the cataract. 1t could not be far off
pictured to myself what Oilers thought:
might be. Did he know whittier he wa.
Fastening, or had that awful light yet II
fash on Lis guilty mind The half-broec
made answer to my thought. | saw hin
in the pale simmer start convulsively, auC
threw his arms in the air but be dare,
not stop, and on he darted again with
2 yell of despair, which echoed weird-like a.
t the channel. Another sound came to ID,
ear, and | knew what had caused that or,
a Of agony to burst from Oiicr; It was To
{ duh thunder of the fails, We were near
=. ing them fast. Still the walls of snow shu
: in my victim. and every moment lessene
e bis frail hopes of escape. One chance wa
d left him-to distance NE and hide some
1 where in the snow from my scrutiny. Val
hope-the wing Of the bird could scare
il have saved him.
G Hoarser and louder grew the noise Of th
!? waters. If thanked the Almighty in fraI
a tic prayer that the murderer was delivere
II into my hand, humbly trust that il ma
: be for given me now. From the tin
(, | had started on Oilers track, we mai
e tained exactly the same distance botwec
Il us-perhaps hundred or hundred az
,r fifty yards | still gTaspei my loaded ri
r. tols, ready fer any stratagem on the part
lie the murderer.
in And now the crash Of the falls came lou
;e and ominous on the ear.
le Another FIVE minutes would decide Il
G. hunt Suddenly Olier turned and stood
o. bag He was not armed, | felt certain
e. this I'll along, for otherwise be would la
rs measured strength with me before vi,
81 out aba.ing my pace, ska;el down up.
re him, holding 2 pistol in each hand :
Mt my purpose was as fzed as ever only
,e, shoot the Villain as last resource VII
to | was within twenty yards Of him. the CO
he ard ialtered and again turned swiftly do1
-e- the river. With a yelling laugh | p
by sued him. pressing still more holly or
he track
int Deafeninc was the roar of the catar
high into the pale SKY assembled the mist