Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-12-09
Aaoat on the Ice In the Mississippi.
BY MARTHA NJ. THOMAS.

Christmas morning dawncd cold but
clear. The children played in the house
all the morning. After the great dinner OF
turkey, yenison, and pie, John and Hattie,
and Charlie Sanders, a boy OF Johns age,
went ont upon the river, sliding at first
near the shore, but gradually getting fur.
thcr and further out. They were recalled
to the house by the word that Mr.. Sanders
was going to fire the cannon.
80 yes, said Charlie, Capt. Hart.
who commands the steamboat Hunter,
gave father such a large cannon, and he
said he should fire it to-day"
They FASTENED 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
about TO be applied, and put their fingers
in their ears, but the boys crowded closer.
After four shots, the women ran inside,
and Mr. Sanders said, ''We have only
one good charge Of powder left; we will
keep that unit! supper time and have a
sumner"
After warming, the children took Leo,
and went on the ice again. Fastening the
dog 60 q sled, the boys had much fun IN try
ing to make him draw Hattie. Every lit
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 snow all over them. Tired
OF this, they were about returning to the
house when Charlie called them to see
some fish frozen in the ice. They were
near the edge, looking at the little things,
when they were startled by the report OF
the cannon.
"O!' exclaimed Hattie, springing up,
"I was so"--
"What is that?' John interrupted, as q
loud, long, cracking sound, was heard
"The ice is broken run, rum Charlie,
followed by .hem, 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, wdened 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 of their
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 rs both parte, were within few feet
of either edge the detached portion came
into the influence Of the current, and
swept out leaving chasm it was imposs.
bic "a cross
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 10 a command shouted
by Mr. Sanders, withdrew to the middle
of the piece of ice. AS they did So Leo
who could easily have swan the space
gave long howl, and fol- wed them,
lying down at Hatties feet.
half frantic with terror, Mrs. Lape and
Mrs. Sanders, who had come out with
only shawl thrown over their heads, ran
along the ice by the shore as the cake
moved of, calling to the children, and re
CARELESS OF anything their husbands said,
Hattie, who trembled so she could not
stand, sat in the centre of the cake, Leo at
her feet and the two boys beside her.
Every few minutes as a piece of ice
would come against them and jar Them or
fragments would break from that they
were on, she would half spring to her
feet, and Loo would give that terrible
long drawn howl
The current of the river was swift
where ii was free, and they moved quite
rapidly.
There is no boat" said Mr.. Sanders
sand if we bad one it would be of little
use John y Go q laborer) put the horses
in the sleigh, with robes and blankets
and bottle of whisky, and follow us
driving down the river road"
"They will be stopped at Boston, said
another laborer " if they are not drowned
atore the river Is gorged there"
" My God" exclaimed Mr.. Lape, "that
is fifteen miles of, and that edge ice does
not look strong
=" 1t is rotten, you can bet on that,
was the answer, or the dog would not
howl So"
All this time they were running along
on Che sound ice, keeping as close to the
edge rs possible, calling cheering words to
the children.
SO they ran for couple of miles. The
boys would answer, but the wind was
against them, and only occasionally could
they be heard Now they began to near
an island in the river, and the current
following the channel, took them to the
CAT side Of II out Of sight. Inagonizing ST.
lence their friends sped on through tn,
snow that here was piled in drifts. A,
the voices Oft boys were again heard
telling that they had passed the island
Mrs. Sanders stumbled and fell in the deer
snow she was trying 20 get through.
With some difficulty she was extricated
and carried up the steep bank, and de-
posi'-G ia The sleigh with Mrs Lape. Mr.
Sanders bidding the man drive home, and
hasten back.
o, A. II I