Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1868-05-15
A Thrilling Story.

Vermont, some forty years ago. The
facts are almos. literally related, as fol-
lows:
My brother Heman liked the bus-
mess of carrying the mail better than |
did; so went to work in new clear
ing bad commenced, about mile and
a half from home. and not quite SO far
from the house Of brother-in- law. /
used TO stay as often at one pace as at
tie other. 1t was bad arrangement,
rs in case of accident, neither family
would be alarmed, or so TO lock FOR me,
If I should not come bone. l felt the
force of this in tie Course Of the winter,
rs you VIII see directly.
There bad fallen one Of our old fash
toned, northern New York SHOWS, crus
ted over hard enough to bear a man. |
VAS gettcug or famously with my clear
ing, CITING ready to build house in the
.nring. was ambitious, and worked
esrly and ia;e. going without; my dinner
some days, wh~n the bread and meat
] lad lrough; in my pocket was frozen
so hard that could net masticate it,
without takirg too much Of my time.
One day / was inteasciy cold, with a
prospect ofs storm that might hinder
my work the n II day, and so worked
IN as long rs could zee, aud after twi-
hight felIed n ire which in its descent
lodged against another. | could not
hear The i'lea of leaving the Job half
finished; mounted the first PROSTATE
tCdy 10 cut AWAY 4 limb TO lot il down.
The hole of the tree forkcd, about
forty feet ~, into two equal psrls. with
large projecting Limits from both. Il
VAS ole Of ;liese had 10 cut away 10
bring i TO tie ground. In my haste
perhaps | was not so careful rs should
have been; a. eny rate, the first blows
eased tie l)lgment, 50 that the tree be-
gan 10 settle, AID I was just going to
jump of, when he fork spit, and as it
did 50, one foot dropped into the space
so that | could mt extricate It for the
moment but | felt no alarm, for knew
that could cut awGy the tree il min
ute, or pcrhap: draw my foot out of the
boot. rs the pressure was not severe. AT
tie first blow &c Ito axe, the tree took
another start rolled over aud the split
closed with MI the force of its giant
streangth, crushing my foot until the
very bones were fattenei, and then
hung suspended, just able TO touch t Q
tips ofmy filgres in the snow, with
nothing 10 rest upon fora moment-the
mir at zero, and growing colder-no
prospects of any one coming that way
that nigLt--the nearest house a mile a
way-no friends to feel alarmed ut my
absence, for ono would suppose me safe
with the other.
Sly axe in its fall rested upon the
ow crust, about Ten feet off. If could
only get that, | might yet save myself.
| did not think how | was to cut myself
loose from the body of that great tree,
suspended rs | was head down, and suf
fering with the rushing current of dis
ordered blood; but | thought in that
keen blade my only hope of life was
fixed. Just forward of me grew slim
bush. which ] thought, if could obtain,
would form into hook by twisting the
limbs together, and draw the axe within
M reach.
Although the bush was out of my
reach, at last succeeded in getting hold
Of il by cans of . loop by tying my
suspenders together. | drew it toward
me AMI cut il off with my pocket knife
one Of that sort SO long known rs "Bar-
low Knives" having a single blade about
two and q half inc es long and three
eigths Of inch wide, with equal width
al IFS le7gth, SC; in handle of peculiar
form, half its length iron, and half horn
or bone. / succeeded Admiralty in
fashionipg my hook, and almost felt the
hanJIie Oft axe within my grasp, so
cartain was Of success. From the tree
Tin. imprisoned me. the ground descen
ded rapidly fr a dozen rods or more, &c
a liiltlc creek. Nv axe lay upon the
brew Of he hill. The first movement |
male toward twisting the loop OF NY
stick around tie handle, So as ID draw il
with n lnv reach. !ooseue- it from It's icy
r.s:, and away ii wet down the hill,
crushing through The little fros: brittle
bushes, dowl upon the ice OF the creek,
down TO little i,.lI few rods below,
au.i over that into tie unfrozan pool,
with 4 surging sound, as il it fell into the
water. that e.n.d 10 send lis icy ch.....
through :veCy vein AM artery il my
wh,lo body.
still had my knife. True, Il was
rough surgical instrument, but hope and
he love Of life gave ms strength. TO climb
up BY my fastened leg and cut away the
boot and stocking. and then with that
knife uujointed my ancleand fell to the
grounding left leg f,otless. bleeding
stump The Intensity of The cold saved
me from Bleeding 10 death. tore IF
part uf my coat, anu with my handker
CHIEF and suspenders managed to bind
nv leg with a handful of snow, and
started to crawl home. | succeeded in
reaching within sight Of the house, and
then my strength utterly failed me.
tiled my voice N vain, but l could
make no one hear. | exerted myself
once more, and cfawled toward The read
that | knew IIenian mast come. II
WAS painful task, for, besides my ex
haustion, | was porishing with cold
Just then | heard the sound of NY broth