Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1861-11-12

| US u reauy 10 crop.
jest as the buck passed me, tux aim
and let drive, but the old fellow didn't
seem to mind it bit, and the next minute
him and the dogs was on the ice, making
straight tracks for t'other side.
Go to thunder, you old brute" says
out loud, and so mad about missing hin
that could have struck my best friend.
fla ha +! ha !" laughed Sara Ann right
close behind me, whar she'd crept up with
out my seeing or hearing her, sis that the
way you shoot dear, Ralph ?"
"How come you here ?" saws ], purity
sharp, but feeling go mean did not know
which way to look for I'd always made
Sara Ann think | was some with rife.
| "Oh. | seen you from the house and heerd
the dogs, and just run down to see you dc
it," says she laughing.
Aud didn'iI doit,n says J. with q sr,ils
ef trifrzy ise- That 115ltsnt ! besro
the peculiar snatiing and gfoxiing of the
dogs that told me the deer was down
"Step out whar you can see, and then
laugh agin, Sara Ann" says l, feeling
about as proud now as little boy in soier
clothes.
"Nyther of US could see the buck from
whar We was. but on going out from a
elump of bushes, thar be lay, right afore
us, about midway of the stream, with the
dogs Juggling away at him.
You see, Sara Ann" continers ], ga big
buck like that thar don't al'ays dron TO
onet when he's morterly wounded ; but that
arn't no fault Of the hubter,-no,-nary
time"
"And so you did hit him, hey ?" SAYS
she. looking quite pleased, for she thought
a heap Of me.
"Come and see" Gays Though hoping
she wouldn't,-fOr | warn't altogether sure
but he'd fell from fatigue,-though
knowed it wouldn't do to seem afraid of
an examination with gal like Sara Ann.
"She didn't wait for me to ak her twice,
but sOt Oft straight, pretending she'd help
me fotch it up to the house. We'd got on
the ice, and about half way to the deer,
when l heerd one or two shaip reports be-
low me that1 didn't like.
''Sec here, Sara Ann" says /, "this here
ice is breaking up"
Then we'd better hurry" said she, and
she run fo'rard instead of back.
when we got to the buck, we found
him quite dead, and thar was my bullet
hole right over the heart, making me feel
awful proud.
''Thar's no denying you're marSsmau,"
says Sara Ann, looking up affectionate in
to my face ; end as it was getting duskish
and nobody about, | took the liberty Of
kissing her, jest to make all square
"Then, somehow, arter this, we kind o.
sOt down on the deer, and made out to ak
her If 1t wasn't most time for us to git mar
ried, and so on: and we was still sitting
and talking, and not thinking about it's get
ting dark, when all to onct thar came three
or four reports like guns so close to US as
to make US jump up, while the dogs run of
yelping.
Gracious Heaven! the ice is breaking
up all around US, cries Sara Ann, catch-
ing hold of me in alarm. Quick, Ralph
lot US run to the bank"
1--WE started, Inc for'aTd, and having
hold of Sara AIMS hand,-but | hadn't
tux FIVE steps when the treacherous ice gin
way under me, and jumped back and fell
on to the hard cake behind, Jest saving
myseIf from going under 7 SCRAMBLED 70
my feet, and seen by the little light yit
that thar warn't no hope that side, and
then we turned and made for fother. But
we hadn't got fur, when bang, bang, went
the ice agiu, with a splashiug of water,
and then the piece We was on begun to
rock, showing it was cut free from all the
rest.
"It's been a good many years, Colonel,
that I've lived seDce then, but ! tell YOU
hain't forgot, no morc'n if it was ycstsr-
day, the awful feelings that come over me
when ! found Sara Anr and me was all so
suddenly cut off from all human aid, and
had got to die so young. in that thar cold,
dark water,-for all chance IF getting to
shore alive | looked upon as too small to
be worth counting. The river was rising
from frPshet above, cur block had become
to turn and float down with the rest and of
course thar warn't 10 telling what minute
we'd 20 to pieces and be lost-for kuoweG
cou dn't never swim ashore with Sara
Armand to save my own life, and let
her &c, want In the natur' Of Ralph Rug.
giles.
Sara Ann" says l, taking hold Of her
hand, which l felt tremble, though she
hadn't screamed nor said word Sara
Ann" says l, do you know we're on one
bit of ice, and drifting down'ards the Lord
He only knows whar 2"
"Yes Ralph" says she, quite firm and
calm like. 81 knows it,"
"1ad l better holler to your folks, aud
let 'em know what's happened, and see if
they can 90 us any good ~
mo-" says she, "for fathers away, and
thar's nobody at home hut mother and the
children, and she couldn't do us any good
and might lose her life trying to. We'll
trust in Col and our own exertions," saws
she, "and if them don't save US, then good
bye to all. If you can save yourself tho,
Ralph, | want you to do it, and not mind
me-"
eff d." says l, ''them I'm black
hearted coward"
"Ar.er this thar warn't no more spoke
for some time; But tell you, Colonel, we
both thought good deal, we did. 1t got
dark awful fast and So dark it got, too,
that couldn't tell land from water, and
the splashing and gursling around US
sounded dismal enough. With the butt of
my gun | ventu-ed to tap the ice keerful.
to find out how big piece we was on; and
made it out about twenty foot one way
and fifteen another; and | thought if this
didn't break going over the shoals below,
| it might somehow drift to one bank or the
other. and we be saved yit
ats no use trying tn tell you what We
did feel, as we went rocking and floating
down thar in the dark, and won't attempt
it. In about half an hour we felt the ice
pitching and jerking for'ard amongst the
rocks, and put my arm around Sara Ann
to steady her, and die with Der if the ice
should break from under US. But it didn't
though, it broke of all around the edges,
and in little while We knowed we was
safe in smooth water ag'iu.
"Wall. Colonel we went on in this sort
of way about two of the longest hours that
ever lived, and then we began to hear the
roar Of these here falls.
''Oh, God % says Sara Ann, "have we
been saved from so many dangers to be
dashed to death now ?"
1--WE don't know what's in store for Us,
! poor DEAR" says T, not knowing what to
arI