The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1866-04-27

scription of thunder storm in the Ju-
ra Immediately reculs to my mind.
But are weon the mountains yet?"
''Yes, we have begun the ascent"
"Is it not said to be dangerous?"
''By no means, ;" / replied, in as easy
a tone as | could assume.
81 only wish it was daylight, that we
might enjoy the mountain scenery.
Jesu Marie what's that"
And she covered her eyes from the
glare of sheet of lightning that illu-
mined the rugged mountain with bril-
liant intensity. Peal after peal of crash
ing thunder instantly succeeded there
was very heavy volume of rain COM
ing down at each thunderburst, and
with the deep moaning of an animal,
as if in dreadful agony, breaking upon
my ears, I found that the coach had
come to a dead halt.
Louise, my beautiful fellow travel
er, becamep pale as ashes. She fixed her
eyes on mine with look of anxious
dread, and turning to her father hur-
riedly remarked 1--WE are on the
mountains ~
81 reckon So" was the mcOncerned
reply.
With an instant activity, | put my
head through the window and called to
the driver, but the only answer rwas the
swift wings Of the tempest. | seized
the handle Of the door and strained at
it in vain; it would not yield a jot.
At that instant / felt a cold hand on
mine, and heard Louise's voice family
articulating in my ear the appalling
words:
"The coach is moving backwards! !!
God in heaven :" Never shall | forget
the fierce agony with which / tugged
at the coach door, and called on the dri
yer III tones that rivaied the force Of
the blast, while the dreadful conviction
was burning in my brain that thecoach
was being moved slowly backward.
What followed was Of such swift oc-
currence, that it seemed to me that it
must be a frightfuI dream.
rushed against the door with all
my force, but it Knocked my utmost eff
forts. One side of our vehicle was
sensibly going down, down, down. The
moaningOf the agOniZed animal became
deeper, and | knew from the desperate
plunges against the traces, that it was
one Of our horses. Crash upon crash Of
heavy thunder rolled over the noun
tain, and vivid sheets of lightning
played around our devoted carriage, as
if in glee at our misery. BY this light
I could see a moment-Only fora mo-
ment-the old planter standing erect,
with his hands on his son and daugh-
ter, his eyes raised to heaven and his
lips moving like one inprayer. Icould
see Louise turn her ashy cheeks and su-
perb eyes towards me as if implOring
my protection and | could see the
bold glance of the young boy flashing
an indignantdetiance at the descending
carriage, and war of elements, and the
awful danger that awaited him. There
was roll of thunder, desperateplunge
as of an animal in the last throes of
dissolution, a harsh, grating jar, a sharp
piercing scream Of mortal terror, and
| had but time to clasp Louise firmly
with one hand around the waist and
seize the leather fastenings attached to
the coach roof with the other, when we
were preeipitated over the precipice.
can distinctly recollect preserving
consciousness for a few seconds Of time,
how rapidly my breath was being eX-
hausted; but of that tremendous de
scent, / soon lost all further individual
knowledge by a conclusion so violent
that | was almost instantly deprived of
sense and motion.
On an humble couch in an humble
room of small country house [ next
opened my eyes in the world of light
and shade, of JOY and sorrow, of mirth
and sadness; gentle hands smOOthed
my pillow, gentle feet glided across my
chamber and a gentle voice hushed for
atimealI my questiOnings. / was kind
ly, tended by a fair young girl about
sixteen, who refused for several days
to hold any converse with me. At
lenth one morning, finding myself suf
ficiently strong enough to sit up | in
sisted ON hearing the result of the ac-
cident.
"You were discovered" said she,
"sitting on ledge of rock, amidst the
branches of shattered tree, clinging
to part of your broken coach, with one
hand, and to the insensible form of
lady with the other"
"And the lady?" gasped, scanning
the girls face, with an earnestness
that caused her to draw back and
blush.
"She was saved, sir, by the same
means that savedyOu, thefriendly tree" !"
"And her father and brother?" i'm
patiently demanded.
"Were both found crushed to pieces
at the bottom of the precipice, great
way beyond the place where my father
and uncle Joe got you and the lady