The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1869-12-24

N MARTHA n. r1oxAA

AAsak - II Iss n H Mississippi
n MARTHA u. fHoNAA
Christmas morning dawned cold but
clear. The children played In the house
al the morning. After the great dinner of |
turkey, venison, and pie, John and Hattie,
md Charlie Sanders. . boy Of Johns age,
went out upon the river, sliding 1t first
near the shore, but gradually getting fur
ther and further out They were recalled
to the house BY the word that Mr.. Sanders
was going to IRE the cannon
40 yes." said Charlie, "Capt. Hart,
who commands the steamboat Hunter,
gave father such large cannon, and he
said he should IRE il to-day"
They hastsned to the front Of the house,
where the whole family had assembled
around the cannon, which Mr.. Lape was
loading. The girls shudderingly removed
to . distance when they saw the match |
In their ears, but the boys crowded closer |
After four shots the women ran inside, |
and Mr.. Sanders said, 1--WE have only |
enc good charge Of powder left; we will |
keep that until supper time, and have
sumner"
After warming, the children took Leo,
and went on the ice again. Fastening the
dog to sled, the boys had much fun h try
ing to make him draw Hattie. Every nit
tie while he would back ON them, and
they would fall in . heap, when Leo
would be the first to extricate himself,
and shake the now all over them. Tired
of this, they were about returning to the
!, house, wnen Charlie called them to see
some nah frozen in the ice. They were
near the edge, locking ct the little things,
when they were startled by the report of
the cannon.
"or exclaimed Hattie, springing up,
was sc"-
"what is thati" John interrupted, As a
loud, long cracking sound, was heard.
"The ice Il brokeni run, runi" Charlie,
followed by them, started for the shore.
The edge of ice they stood upon had
broken from the main portion; the crack,
which looked no wider than thread when
Charlie pointed, widened as they ran:
they could feel that there was motion be-
meath them. Startled by the same noise,
their friends on shore, for the first time,
perceived them, and became aware oftheir
danger.
Shouting to them to hasten, they at the
same time ran down the bluff to their aid.
The seam became wider and wider, and
Just as both parties were within few feet
Of either edge, the detached portion came
into the influence of the current, and
swept out, leaving cham it was impossi-
BE to croAL
The sudden impetus staggered Hattie,
and she pitched forward on her face-a few
inches more, and she would have been in
the icy river. The boys drew her back,
and in obedience to Q command shouted
by Ur. Sanders, withdrew to the middle
of the piece of ice. As they did 30, Leo
who could easily have swan the space
Fave Q long howl, and followed them,
lying Gown at Hattie's feet
Half frantic with terror, Mrs. Lape and
Mrs. Sanders, who had come out with
onlya shawl thrown over their heads, ran
along the ice by the shore as the cake
moved of, calling to the children, and re-
garqless of anything their husbands said.
Hattie, who trembled 80 she could not
stand, sat in the centre of the cake, Leo at
her 6eet, and the two boys beside her.
Every few minutes, as q piece of ice
woph cOne against them and jar them, or
fragments would break from that they
were on, she would half spring to her
feet, and Leo would give that terrible,
The current Of the river was swift
where 1t was free, and they moved quite
There is no boat said Mr.. Sanders,
"an1 II We had one it would be of little
use John" ITO hborer) "put the horses
in the Neigh, with robes and blankets,
and bottle Of whisky, and follow US,
driYnE down the river road"
They Nin be stopped Ut Boston" said
another laborer, il they are not drowned
afere: the river is gorged there"
my Godi" exclaimed Mr.. Lape, "that
is fifteen miles of, and that edge ice does
not look strong"
b rotten, you can bet on that"
was the answer "or the dog would not
An thistime they were running along
on the sound ice, keeping IS close to the
edge Is possible, calling cheering words to
the cAildren.
So hey ran fer couple of miles. The
boy8 would answer, but the wind was
againH them, and only occasionally could
hey heard Now they began to near
an land in the river, and the current,
following the channel, took them to the
far side of il, out of sight Inagonizing 81
lence their friends sped on through the
snow that here was piled in drifts. As
the voices Of the boys were again heard,
telling that they had passed the island,
Mrs Saaders stumbled and fell in the deep
snow she was trying to get through.
With some di@culty she was extricated,
and carried up the steep bank, and de-
ported in the sleigh with Mrs. Lape, Mr..
Sanders bidding the man drive home, and
hasten back.
WHIT shall 1 do, Charles, What shall
! doS she exclaimed, desparingly, wiring
ing her hands
"Pay 1" he answered, a. he ran down
the bank to join Mr.. LApe and the school
master, who were still keeping up with
the children.
Meantime the night had come on, but it
was . bright moonlight. The ice on
which the children heated was near the
further ahore; their little forms could not
be distinguished in the distance, only a
dark pot appeared on the surface. The
men kept up . constant calling, but Leo's
howl was their only answer. Now came
the fear they would be frozen to death /:
Boston was still eight miles distant, and
the night was getting colder and colder.
Still they kept up that fearful chase along
the edge OF the ice, where misstep would
plunge them into the freezing river, which
was almost certain death.
A mile further they reached cabin on
tlS IiyGI OoAAs AA0oOleOa W - OiN PuOs.
He was reused from his bed by Mr.. San
der's orderA
"There is gorge mile or 30 below
right round the bsnd-they will be stop
ped there. Thsiesis piled at that point
clear across The FLYER. Hthat bit they are
on only keeps Ill right we will have
them. wish that dog would stop howl
ing, though"
HE knows the ice is rotten, reckon"
said the man who had made the same as
sertion before.
"Td like 10 know what Is to make
1t rotten in such weather as this! 1t
would have lsted until the February
thaw, If you had not fired that
cannon. The danger is that it will be
capsized, or the children thrown off, when
it reaches the jam at the gorge, for it
comes there with rush. Help me to get
this dugout on my shoulders; it might as
well 70 along"
Under the guidance Of the pilot, and
still hailing the children, they kept on.
The river now widened, until it was near
" Q mile across. Mr.. Lape and Mr.
Sanders were silent, except to ask neces-
sarv ouesfiora. only n coW-bel1 which had