Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1864-11-18
pursucr nor pursued gaining upon each

we're (for Jack had begun involuntarily to
call it thus to hmselD Of course | cannot
pretend to say but Phiilips's mind was
aroused up to Il pitch of excitement that
sent the blood courslng hotIy through his
veins, and caused pro!usc perspiration
to start forth upon his bosom and brow
in spite Of the bitter cold. He however,
was utterly unconscious Of this, and felt
neither cold, nor heat, nor fatigue. His
whole soul was possessed with the one
fixed resolve Of overtaking the Phantom !;
he neither saw or heard anything else but
the fleeing form and the echoes that rolled
along the glib ice from the skate.strokesi;
nor did he relax his speed for all inssant,
whether in shade or in moonshine, nor
give other heed to his course than to max .
it as straight and swift as that Of an ar
row launched by stout archer from an
ashcn bow
The chase had now entered on its third
mile, and here the river became tortuous
and irregular, a sharp curve spreading
out into broad, bay-like cxpansc, and
as suddenly closing up again into deep,
dark gorge, onl y to carve out its banks
again, few yards further on, Into an
other brief space Of clear moonlight and
calm water
! Whenever these open spaces occurred,
the Phantom huggel the shore, which
was always in partial shadow, but Jack
held straight across the oper space, hop
ing thereby 20 gain upon the fugitive by
Substituting the straight line for the
curve. Tnr advantage, however, had
been but slight and transient, SO far and
the race bid lair to carry them both to
the sea, which was but twenty miles fur
ther down, when, as Phillips entered the
third of the openings above described. he
oeheld (for his eye was ever steadily fixed
in quest of the Phantom), with grim de-
.ight, the form scarce two-thirc!s of the
distance around its margin, and evideatly
gliding with diminished speed. The pace
had at last begun to tell upon it.
Jacks heart bounded fercey. for he
was possessed with kind Of rage against
this weird skater, who had thus far ioiied
his powers Of speed and endurance, AMI.
with 4 desperate effort, he shot, with the
speed Of light, s:rai ght out across the
moonIit space, feeling conf lcnt that he
should head the Phantom off in the mouth
Of the opposite gorge. His eyes were
still fixed upon the dar. form seen iudis-
tiuctIy sAimming along under the shadow
Of the further bank. lie was more than
half way across the opening, aud nearly
! abreast Of the G.urc, when there was u
sudIen crash hr felt the Ice give way
eneath him, aud In an instant h, WIS
plunged into the deadly cold water, with
shoe. that caused him to utter wild,
sharp shrek Of mingled terror aud rain
ere his head sun. beneath the bub1!ng
surface -
Fortunately the river was not very
| deep at tbs point, nor was the current at
all r.pit, and in another moment Jack
was struggling mantuIIy among the bro
ken ice to reach the firm edge Of the air
hole. But, eneumbered as he was by his
skates aud his heavy clothing, and nearly
para w d by the intense cold of the wa
ter, it is more than doubtful whether he
would have succeeded in rescuiag himself
from horrible death Help, however,
was at hand The Phantom had heard
the Shrek and seen Jack disappear, and,
swift, as a swallows flight, it sped to the
rescue On the very edge Of the air-hole
it halted, and, rapidly tearing off i long
cashmere scarf with which its throat and
shoulders were protected, planted Its
skates firmly athwartwise on the ice, and
! flung the end Of the scarf, with skilltul
aim, right into Jacks face, crying at the
same time, in a clear, sweet voice -
Hold hard, Jack, and never fear. Now
for it -
That voice gave Jack new life. \
sudden glow seemed 70 gather round his
heart and to start the warm blood atreSh
through all his stitiening frame. He
caught the scert in his teeth, then, grasp
lug 1t with his left hand, was enabled,
without great strain upon his rescucrs
strength, to climb upon the solid ice,
hoarsely calculating, =" God bless you,
Fanny - and INSTANTLY lost conscious
ness.
There was not moment to lose. As
sistance must be had at once, or Jack had
only been saved from one death to sue
cumb to another almost as speedy. There
stood small cottage on the nearer shore
of the stream, Inhabited by ierryman
who carried freight and passengers over
the river, for the nearest bridge was OPP
posite the city, three miles and more
above, aud there was none below for more
than ten. To this cottage Fanny Lcyton
brave and devoted girl, and no longer
provoking Phantom, few rather than
skatel. A few heavy blows with II large
stone soon awoke the inmates, ten hurried
words told the tale, and in twenty min
utes Jack Phillips was stripped and
wrapped in blankets, was laid Oh mat
tress before the blazing fire, while Enoch,
the terryman, concocted a powerful gin
toddy, his panacea against all deshly ills,
for his slowly reviving guest.
Fanny Lcyton, having sent young
Enoch by land TO her own house with the
news of the affair, heroically rebucSlel
on her skates. and started as swiftly as
ever up the river to bear the tidinss TO
Mrs. Phillips and Kate. In an hour
Jack was as well as ever, apparently, and
took second toddy with decided relish,
and less than two hours later Mrs. Phil
;ue, o,rrio,e with X atn and ALI sorts of