Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-02-09
NUMBER 81.

ana rosy checks clcary delned against tne
purple twilight sky-standing on the very
edge of the huge, drenched rock, some ten
feet from the shore, but in the sweeping
current of the river
This rock. called by the settlers "pul-
pit" was a good situation for casting fish
ing lines, and Mark Warren had bridged
the narrow chasm between it and the shore
with a couple of hcwn logs.
Allured by some flaming clusters of fire.
weed growing on the side of the Pulpit,
Charley had crossed over, and now stood
there regardless of danger, laughingly hold
ing out the floral treasures to his mother.
Marthy flew over the frail bridge, and the
next minute held her child in her arms
Joyful because she had found him uniniured
and mentally resolving that the logs should
be removed to prevent further accident She
turned to retrace her steps, but the sight
that met her eyes froze her with horror to
the spot.
Confronting her on the bridge, not six
feet distant stood an enormous wolf, gaunt
and bony with hunger, his eyes blazing like
live Goals through mirk and gloom, his hot,
fctid breath scorching the very air she
breathed.
A low growl of intense satisfaction stir
red the air, answered by the growl of fifty
more of his kind, belonging to the pack in
another moment they would be upon her
Without an instant's thought of the con-
sequences, Martha obeyed her first impulse,
and struck the log with her foot, exerting
all her mad strength in the blow. The frail
fabric tottercd, the soft earth gave way,
there was a breath of awful suspense, and
then the bridge went down with dull
plunge into the waters beneath The sharp
claws Of the wolf had all eady fixed on
the scant vegetation of the rock, and he
held there moment, struggling with a fe-
rocious strength to gain n foothOld the
next he slid down into the chasm, uttering
a wild howl of disappointed rage.
Martha sank on her knees and offered up
fervent prayer of Thanksgiving for her es-
cape but simultaneously with the heart
felt amen there came q dread recollec-
ton The bridge formed the only connec-
ting link between the Pulpit and the main
land, and that was severed True, she
was not more than twenty feet distant from
the shore of the river, but she might as
well have been thousands of miles out in
the ocean The water was deep, and itran
with almost inconceivabe rapidty, forty or
fifty feet below her. over rocks so sharp
and Jagged that it made her shiver to look
over the brink
Her only hope was i'll her husband. -
Should he return at the expected time, they
might still be alive but if .by accident he
should be detained beyond that time She
closed her eyes, and besought God for pro-
lection and help.
Cold and hungry, and drenched by the
home She could bear anything better than
that She took off her own garments to
fold around him, and held him to her breast
and sang him the sweet cradle songs which
had so often soothed him.
But the fierce howls of the wolves, and
the sullen thunders of the river, filled his
little heart with terror, and all the long
dark night through, he clung to her neck
sleeplessly crying to go home to papa.
Day dawned at last, the pale sun swim
ming through sickly SKY, the pallid fore
cast of storm. Weak and faint from hun
ger, and suffering intensely from cold-for
summer is 40 bearer of tropical smiles in
that inhospitable clime-Martha paced back
and forth the narrow limits of the rock
Noon came-the faint sun declined-it was
night again. A cold fog sank down ovel
the mountain, followed by a drizzling rain,
which before morning changed to perfect
deInge. The river rose fearfully, foaming
milk-white down the gorge, filling the air
with laundering roar, like the peal of an
imprisoned earthquake.
The day that followed was no better
only gray rain. and ashen white mist-not
a ray of sunshine.
\ new fear rose i'll the heart of Martha
Warren. The turbulence Of the stream
must have swept away the bridge over
which her husband would cross on his re-
turn, and he would be detained-for days,
may be for weeks
She gave up all for lost. Strongly and
fearfully was she tempted to fold her child
in her arms and plunge into the cauldron
beneath, and thus end all her fear and doubt
1t would be better, she thought, than to
suffer that slow, painful death of starva-
ton. But something held her back-God's
curse was on those who do self-murder.
Towards night lost robin, beaten about
by the Storm stopped to rest moment on
the rock Martha seized upon him and rent
HlIl III l"dHl Will dliuOSl savage Slec, lOI
her child to devour raw-she, who three
days before would have wept at the sight
of a wounded sparrow
Another night and day--like the other,
only more intensely agonizing. Martha
Warren was sullenly Indifferent now suff:
ering had passed every nobler feeling
Charlie had moaned for supper--too weak
and spent to sit up, he was lying on the
rock his head in her lar, his great eyes fixed
on her face
She tore open vein in her arm with hen
scissors, and made him drink the blood
Anything, she said to herself, to calm the
wild, wistful yearning of his eyes.
The boy raised-he sat up, and peereC
through the darkness.
Mamma" he said, "papais coming!
felt him touch me?"
She wept at the mockery, and drew the
child frantically to her bosom.
The night was fair--lit up by new
moon.
Overcome by deadly exhaustion, agains
which she could make no resistance, Mar
| tha fell into an uneasy slumber, which, to
ward midnight, was broken by a startling
cry. She sprang to her feet and gaze(
around her.
No her eyes did not deceive her--thert
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