Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1862-11-11

\
could see, stretched vast expanse of blue.
refreshing to the eye wearied by the uni.
versal wbiteness and troubled bv recent
gale, 1t heaved and rolled in heavy sxells.
whose very action was cheering amid the
oeadiy stiffness. Meanwhile we bowled
mefriiy on over the wavy ice, which fash
60 ana sparkied In a thousand binding and
gorgeous rays beneath our horses feet
while on our left the laud rose into lofty
promontories, crowned with battlements OF
snow, or swept back into deep bays b.rd-
cred with pine forests, or with vast ex-
panses OF dreary swamp, where the loon
made her nest among the moss, and the
water.snake lurked beneath the rushes.
AT length deep reverberation announc.
ed the tumble-a succession of foaminv
cascades, By which the waters of a lofty
river found their way into the lake, and
whose picturesque beauty was enhanced
y the long lines Of glittering icicles which
iringed The oserhanging rock,, and the
giacier-like cone Of ice the spray had rais-
s. e os'g e, 4, E. TBS !,,. sssd e rsse.
close. and just as the sun sank behind the
pine crest Of distant headland, we came
to wide estuary, whose further point it
formed. Beyond was the farm, and we
urged the horses to swifter pace, for with
the suns departure came a great access of
10 ID.
The estuary, some eight miles wide.
stretched deep into the land and. to save
time, We drove straight across the vast
sheet of ice which bridged it. Night fell
as we proceeded, but though the moon had
not yet risen. the misty reflection Of the
snow lighted us on our way, and ahead
was the promontory, showing darkly a.
gainst the star-lit sky.
We had about reached the centre of the
bay, when sudden report, like the dis
charge of artillery, filled the air, and roll
ling back over the ice, was repeated by the
thousand echoes of the wilds. 1t was the
unmistakable sound of cracking ice; and,
without word, put the horses to their
| speed. The next moment yet louder and
| sharper cancussion broke on the silence.
quickly folinwed by third, which sound
ed as II 1t rent the ice asunder.
AT once, the truth flashed upon Us. As
often happens, the heavy swell of the great
inland sea was breaking up the solid ice
and, so far from land, among the shattered
fragments, we were in position of the ut
most peril, in which our only resource was
flight. ard again urged our bounding
steeds. Meantime, my companions peered
eagerly into the dimness, seeking to dis
cover where the danger lay but the sill
very haze bsfiied them. and we could only
! speed on blindly. AT length cur horses
stopped, and looking before them, we per.
ceived dark belt of heaving water. The
! crack was across our path, and the chasm
| was too broad for our horses to leap all
! left US, therefore, was to turn landward
and hurry on, if harly we might outstrip
the danger. But with each step the gap
| behind US widened, until it almost resemb-
led river; then it turned again lake
ward. and, to our CONSERVATION we discoy
cred that the ice had parted on either side
OF US, cutting us off frGm land and leaving
US floating on large island of ice, which
the swift current of the river was already
driving rapidly cut upon the lake.
What sudden dis:nay came over us as
we gazcd at the increasing chasm no effort
OF ours could bridge The bridegroom
wac eager to swim the space aud bear It'd
ings TO the farm but IL would Gully have
been useless saeri Zee Of life, for long ere
he had agone half the distance, he would
have died in his frozen clothes. There was
but one chance left-that we might vet hit
on some projecting point Of the lake shore.
But as our raft foated steadily further and
further out from land, that last hone van
| lshed aud before long, we who had lately
been 80 joyous, stood sadly watching the
! white outline Of the hills fade into the
night, as they whose last sight of land il
was, aud with the sorrowful knowledge
that the only doubt remaining on our doom
was, whether We should perish miserably
! upon our frozen resting place, or be swept
| off into the icec Id waters of the lake.
1t was terrible prospect and the re-
membrance that we had in a manner
brought the evil upon oar own heads, in
creased its bitterness tenfold Had we but
! sTprlsed any one of our route when we
diserged from the usual track, we should
undoubtedly have been sought for in can
noes, and most probably rescued while, as
1t was. the blind path by which we turned
Cd to the saOre, would put them all at fault
1he backgrounds self-reproaehes were
keeness OF any, for he felt himself tire des-
troyer of the bride so lately committed to
his care; while the poor girl wept in utter
abandonment Of spirit, not only for the
blighting of her bright hopes and for the
| young life she must 60 shortly render up,
but for the sudden parting from the loved
ones she should never see again.
| Meanwhile, the moon rose in the deep
! blue sky, makirg night beautiful, food
I lug Jul lCc-Iuib btNcTy tIBnE, QulV-
| ering in broken rays on the broad lake
which now rolled in waves around US, and
shining like glory on the distant hills,
| giving us one more glance at earth.
But the cold was intense. The wind,
straight from the frozen north, swept over
the lake in ftful gusts, and seemed to
pierce US like icy arrows; and though,
wrapped in the heavy sleigh furs, we
crOuched within its narrow limits, we could
scarce endure the rigor of the night; and
worse than all, our fair companion had to
share these hardships with no protection
save the most sheltered corner of the sleigh
and the warmest wrapper; yet she never
murmured. bet, With the gentle beroism of
her seq. laid her head silently and now
tearlessly on her husbands shoulder and
L thought she prayed. Day at last broke
/ on this night of misery and desolation.-
The Imperceptible current of the lake had
swept us out Of sight Of land, and the huge
mass OF ice lay steady as an island among
the surrounding waves. We told ourselves
| we had no hope of rescue, yet long and
aDxiously We watched the cireling horizon
for some sign of coming aid, and it was
| with deeper dependency we discovered
that, as far as the eye could reach, there
was nothing but lake and sky, save on one
spot some five miles distant, where hoated
| fragment of our raft, which cracked from
the commencement, bad parted during the
night, bearing away with both our horses
And as :he day wore on, another hardship
was added, which redoubled all the rest
that Of hunger. Since the receeding
| morning we had eaten nothing and our
long exposure TO the cold began to make
the want felt severely; while. though
many birds few over the lake, not one came
within reach of our rifles to soften this new
calamity.