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

Inc haDaWna river taxes Its rise In the
Allegheny mountains Of Virginia, flows
through several counties, and empties its
water into the Ohio at point called Poiut
Pleasant. 1t is navigable as far up as the
Great Falls, some eighty miles above its
mouth, and is mainly remarkable for the
extensive salt works which here and there
dot its banks. The Falls, the head of nav
igation, is Wild, picturesque locality, full
Of interest to the lover of the romantie.-
The high, steep hills,-tbe frowning bluffs.
the deep, dark glens. the rocky valley,
with the broad river rolling and thunder
ing down ledge Of more than twenty feet
in descent all combine to render it
scene Of wild beauty grandeur and sublim
ity.
1t is now several years since stood unon
a large fiat rock, which stretched far out
into the stream above the fash and roar of
the waters. and for time gave myself IN
to such strange and weird like fancies as
the hour and scene were calculated TO in
spire. Ii was night-cIea-, soft and baImy,
with the pale light of waning moon
tipping trees and rocks with silver, and
leaving dark, mysterious shadows below
and around, for an active imagination,
reused, fed, and soothed by the steady, s, l.
emn .hunders of the fall,-to form and
shape into objects of beauty, wonder or ter
ror.
had forgotten my present companion,
An old man, with silver hair, who had &C
companied me from a neighboring hotel in
the capacity Of euide,-tll touch on my
arm, and remark, called me to myself !;
and then turning 10 him, exclaimed:
Tell me the legend Of the place"
Il don't understand ycu," he replied.
"Can a scene like this,-so wild, beau
tiful. grand and mys'erious.-so abnunding
in all that is romantic aud poetical.-
without its corresponding legend?" said /,
with species of enthusiasm that made
the old man stare. Think you this huge
rock tas been here for ages. with these
waters writhing, whnlng. foaming and
laundering past, and vet no despairing
lover, no rale-faced beauty, or dark-eved
Indian maid, has been ushered into eternity
through the dark portals Of the revolving
pools below?"
"Wall, Colonel" returned the old man in
a respectful tone. but with matter of fact
air and emphasis that was anything but
poetical, "all can say is, never heerd Of
none. Thar was a chap dr0wnded some
whar below here, but he was out fishing.
and want connected with no gal scrape as
knows on and then there was beat up
sot above here, and three feIlers had tight
scratching for the shore, and"
THAT will do, my friend" interrupted.
shat will do. thought there might be
some romantic legend of the place, hut
see there is nut"
Nothing. guess, of the kind you speak
on, Colonel; but if getting nigh death
along with the gal of your fancy, and bav-
| ing a right smart chance Of skeer, would
be anything TO interest you about this here
stream, wouldn't mind telling you little
matter that happened to me and my old
woman before you was born. We came
nigh going to eternity right down below
where you're standing, sure enough, but
then we didn't, and both is living now,
and mayhap that'll Spite the story for you. Z"
Suppose you tell it, and then can
judge" said | and Withdrawing from the
immediate fall to spot where could here
the old man with ease, and yet retain
full impression of the wild and romantic
scene, seated myself and listened to the
adventure, which have recorded IN the
language of the narrator.
when l was young man." he began,
land counting Miss Sara Ann Bixby,-
that's nv present ole womaD,-I used to
be as fond of hunting as bar is Of honey.
Deer was my special incline, and many's
the fat buck that my old rifle has stopped
on his longest leap, to say nothing of does
and lawns without number. Sara AM
then lived iu log cabin few miles above
here, and lived in another about two miles
further down. and whatsoever | started up
to see her in daylight, aPays tux my
dogs and gun, and ginerally fotched her
so thing nice that I'd shot on the way.
wall, one day in tho spring Of the gear,
when the streams was all frozen up STILL
though like to be free soon, because Of q
right smart thaw we'd had,-I started out
for bit of a hunt, intending to wind up
at Bixby's, and finish the evening with
Sara Ann. The dogs soon got of On the
track of a buck. and led me a most unmar
ciful chase, till got clean tired out, and
swore wouldn't go no further, and then
/ made as nigh Decline as could for
Bixby's, with no intention OF saying a
word about my days sport.
81 got in sight of the house about sun
down, and was just turning narrer pass
that opened on the river, when all at onct
heerd the deep baying Of the dogs, sound
ing from over behind the hill, and believed
the game was coming right into my hands
at last, for that thar pass was one of the
runs of the animal, and l looked to see it
come bounding by to cross the river on the
ice.
Il got myself all ready for shot, and
didn't have long to wait. Every minute
fetched the sounds of the dogs higher and
higher, and just peeping round the edge of
a rock. / soon got sight Of a fine buck,
with hip antlers making long, slow leaps.