The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1860-04-05
A Thrilling Story

ally related as follows:
| My brother Heman liked the business of
carrying the mail better than l did, and so
went to work in a new clearing. | had
commenced about mile and half from home
notqlite so far from the house of a brother
in-law. I used to stay as often at one place
as the other. Tt was bad arrangement, as
in case of accident, neither family would be
alarmed or 60 to look for me ifI should not
come home. felt the force of this in the
course ofth winter which you viii see di-
rectly. -...
! There had been one of the old fashioned
northern New York SHOWS, crusted over
hard enough to bear man. | was getting
on famously with my clearing, in the spring.
| was ambitious and worked early and late !;
going without my dinner some days, when
the piece of bread and meat had brought in
my pocket frozen so hard that could not
masticate it without taking up too much of
my time. One day it was intensely cold,
with prospect of storm that might hinder
my work the next day, and so l continued
work as lon gas could see, and after twilight
| felled tree. which in decent lodged against
another. | could not bear the idea of
leaving'the job halffnished and mounted the
almost PROSTATE body to cut away limb to
let it down.
The bole of the tree forked, about 40 feet
mp, into equal parts, with large projecting
limbs from both. In my haste perhaps
was not so careful as should have been !;
at anyrate, the first blow eased the lodge
ment so that the tree began to settle and
was just going to jump off, when the fork
split, and as it did so one foot dropped into
t he space, so that I could not extricate it for
the moment but felt no alarm for ! knew
| that could cut away the tree in minute
or perhaps draw myfoot out ofthe boot as the
! pressure was not severe. At the first blow
of the axe, the tree took aunother start.
rolled over, and the split closed with all the
! force Of its giant strength, crushing my foot
the very bones were fiattened, and there
hung suspended just able to touch the tips
my fingers in the snow, with nothing to rest
upon for moment-the air at zero and
growing colder-no prospect ofany one COM
ing that way that night-the nearest house
a mile sway--no friends to feel alarmed at
my absence, for one would suppose me safe
with the other.
MY axe IN its rall rested upon the snow
crust, about ten feet off. If could only pet
that I might yet save myself. | did not
think how was to cut myself loose from
the body of that great tree, suspended as
was, head down, and suffering with the
rushing current of disordered blood, but |
thought in that keen blade my only hope o.
life was fixed. Just forward OF me grew a
slim bush, which thought if could obtain,
could form into a hook by twisting the
limbs together, and draw the axe within my
reach.
Although the bush was out Of nv reach |
at last succeeded in getting no d oft by means
of loop made by tying my suspenders to
gether. | drew it towards me and cut it of
with my pocket-knife--on of that sort 81
long known as Barlow knives" having bu
one blade about .wo-and a-half inches Ions
and three ,eishths of an inch wide, with equa
width all its length. set in a handle of pecul
lar form, half its length iron and half bone
| succeeded admirably in fashioning my hool
and almost felt the handle OF the axe withir
my grasp, so certain was of success. From
the tree that imprisoned me the ground de.
cended rapidly for dozen rods or more tc
a little creek. My axe lay upon the brow o
the hill. The first movement made to
wards twisting the loop of my stick around
the handle, so as to draw it within my reacl
loosened it from its icy rest and away
went down the hill, crushing through the lit
tie frost brittle bushes down upon the ice o
the creek, down to little fall few rods be
low, and over that into the unfrozen pool
with surging sound, it fell into the water
that seemed to send its icy chill through eve
ry vien and artery in my whole body.
still had my knife. True, it was
rough surgical instrument, but hope and tn
love Of life gave me strength to climb up m,
fastened leg and cut away the boot and stock
ing, and then with that knife unjointed m
ankle and fell to the ground--my left leg
footless and bleeding stump! Then inten
sity of the cold saved me from bleeding t,
death | tore off part ofmy coat, and wit
my,handkerchief and suspenders managed t
bind up my leg with a handful of snow, an
startedlto crawl home. succeeded in reacf
ing within sight of the house, and the
strength utterly failed me.
! tried my voice in vain, for could max
no one hear. l exerted myself once NOR
and crawled toward the road that kney
Heman must come. 1t was painful task
!, for besides my exhaustion, | was perishin
with cold. Just then heard the sound
my brothers stage horn, and the jingle {
the bells coming down the hill. I straine
: my voice to the utmost pitch, but he did nj
could not hear; but there was another
> mans faithful friend-who did hear. OF
Hunter, the noble old dog had insisted upo
accompanying him this trip, and brother sal
"Let him go; who can tell what good una
come ofit?" Good did come oft, for his e,
was quicker than Heman's and he arouse
up at the first cry, and as the second CT
reached his he leaped out and in minu