The Portland daily press., 1869-10-28

Thursday Morning, October 28, 1869.
I'm TME MOUNTAINS.
CORTLAND

In the fall of 1855, 1 was TRAVELLING eas,,vard
in a stage coach from Pittsburgh, over the
mountains. My fellow travellers were two
gentlemen and a lady. The oldest gentle
mems appearance interested me exceedingly.
In wears he seemed fifty; in air and manner
he was calm. dignified and polished, and the
contour of his features was singularly INTEL
lectual He conversed freely on different top
les, until the road became more abrupt and
precipitous but on my directing his atten-
ton to the great altitude OF precipice, OIL the
verge OF which our coach wheels were leisure
ly rolling, there came marked change in his
countenance: His eyes, lately filed with the
ight OF Intelligence, became wild, restless and
anXlous-the mouth twitched spasmodicaly,
and the forehead was beaded with a cold per
spiration. With a sharp, convulsiye shudder,
he turned his gaze from the giddy hight, and
cutching my arms tightly with both hands,
be clung to me like drowning man.
"Use this cologne" said the lady, hand
ing me a bottle with the instructive goodness
of her sex.
/ sprinkled a little on his face, and he be-
came more composed; but it was not until we
had entirely tTaversed the mountain, and de-
scended into the country beneath, that his
fine features relaxed from their perturbed
look and assumed the placid, quiet dignity
that had at first noticed.
81 owe an apology to the lady," said he,
with bland smile and gentle Inclination Of
the head to our fair companion, :" and some
explanation, and to my fellow traveller, also; ;
and perhaps / cannot better acquit myself of
the double debt than by recounting the cause
OF my recent agitation"
" 1t may pain your feelings" delcately urg-
ed the lady.
"On the contrary, it will relieve them,' was
the respectful answer
Having signified our several desires to hear
more, the traveller proceeded:
AT the age of eighteen 1 was light OF heart
and fear-he smiled-light of head. A fine
property on the banks of the Ohio acknowl-
edged me sole owner. / was fastening home
to enjoy it, and delighted to get fee from col
lege life. The month was October, the air
bracing, and the mode of conveyance, a stage
like this, only more cumbrous. The other
passengers were few-ony three in all-oDe
old, grey-headed planter of Louisiona, his
daughter, joyous, bewitchipg creature, about
seventeen, and his sou, about ten years OF age.
lhey had just returned from France. of
which country the young lady discussed in
terms so eloquent as to absorb my entire at
tention.
''The father was taciturn, but the daughter
was vivacious by nature, and we soon became
so mutually pleased with each other that 1t
was not until a sudden flash of lightning and
cited an exclamation from my charming COM
panion, that L knew how the night passed.
Presently, there came a low, rumbling sound,
and then several peals of thunder, accompan-
led by successive flashes OF lightning. The
rain descended in torrents, and an angry wind
began to howl and moan through the forest
trees.
81 looked from the window of our vehicle
The night was dark as ebony, but the light
ninu ShntyaH the hanoar Of OTr road wa
were on the edge OF a fearful precipice. l
could see at intervals, huge, jutting rocks far
away down its side, and the sight made me
soicitous for my fair companion. thought
of the mere hair-breadths that were between
us and eternity; single little rock in the
track of our coach-wheels, tiny billet Of
wood, stray root OF a tempest-torn tree, res
tive horses, or careless driver-any of these
might hurl us from our sublunary existence
with the speed OF thought.
"'Tis perfect tempest observed the lady
as withdrew my head from the window How
do love a sudden storm! There is some
thing grand about the winds when fairly loose
among the hills. never encountered night
like this, bat Byron's magnificent description
of a thunder storm in the Jura recurs to
my mind. But we are on the mountain yetp
"'Yes, we have begun the ascent
"'Is it not said to be dangerous?
as could assume.
"I only wish that it was daylight so that
we might enjoy the mountain scenery. But
what's thatp and she covered her eyes from
a sheet of lightning that illuminated the rug
ged mountain with brilliant intensity.
"EPeal alter peal of thunder instantly sue
ceeded; there was a heavy volume of rain
coming down at each other thunder bust,
and with the deeper moaning of an animal in
Il IIUnl hrna l.
found that the coach had come to dead halt.
"'Louise, my beautiful fellow traveller, be-
came as pale as ashes. She fixed her eyes on
mine with look of anxious dread, and, turn
ing to her father she burriedly remarked:
"'We are on the mountains
az reckon we are,' was the unconcerned
reply.
with instructive activity l put my head
through the window and called to the driver,
but the only answer was the moaning oil an
animal, borne past me by the swift winds of
the tempest. L seized the handle of the door
and strained in vain-it would not yield. At
that instant felt cold hand N mine, and
heard Louise family articulate in my ear the
following appalling words:
"The coach is moving backward"
"Never shall forget the fierce agony with
which l tugged at the coach door aud called
on the driver in tones that rivalled the fierce
burning in my brain that the coach was being
slowly moved Backward
"What followed was of such swift occur
renee that it seemed to me like a triehtful
| dream.
81 rushed against the door with all my force
but it withstood my utmost efforts. One side
OF our venicle was sensibly going down, down.
The moaning of the asoniZed animal became
deeper and l knew from his deperate plunees
that If Of hOrSpg Crash M
on crash of thunder rolled over the noun
tain, and vivid flashes OF lightning pla, ed
over our heads. by its light 1 could see
Tor a moment the old hunter stand erect,
with his hands on his son and daughter, his
eyes raised to heaven, and his lips moving as
if in prayer. i could see Louise turn her as9y
cheek toward me as if imploring assistance /;
and could see the bold glance OF the bov
flashing defiance at the war OF elements and
the awful danger that awaited HIM. Then
| came roll, a desperate plunge, a harsh. graf
lug jar, sharp, piercing scream of mortal
terror, and had but time to clasp Louise
firmly with one hand round her waist, and
seized the fasteniDgs attached to the root
with the other, when we were preciptated
over the precipice.
II can distinctly recollect preserving con-
| sciousness for a few seconds OF time, how rap
| idly my breath was being exhausted, but Of
that tremendous descent soon lost all fur
ther knowledge by a concus'ion so violent
that was instantly deprived of all sense and
| motion"
| The traveller paused. His features worked
for minute or two, as they did when we
were on the mountain; he passed his hands
across his forehead, as if in pain, and then re
sumed his thrilling narrative:
"On a low couch, in an humble room OF d
small country house, next opened my eyes
| in this world of light and shade, Joy and sor-
| row, mirth and maC ness Gentle hands
smoothed my pillow, gentle feet glided across
my chamber, and gentle voice for time
hushed all my questionings. / was kindly
tended by fair young girl of sixteen, who re,
fused for while to hold any discourse with
me. AT length, one morning, finding mysell
sufficiently recovered to sit up, insisted on
knowing the result of the accident.
| "'You were discovered she said, ssittine
on ledge of rocks amidst the branches of
shattered tree, clinging to the roof of YOU
broken coach with one hand, and the insensi
BILE form OF a lady in the other.'
| "And the ladyp l gasped, scanning the
girls face with an earnestness that made hel
draw back and blush.
| She was saved, sir, by the means tha'
saved you, friendly tree
"'And her father and brotherP l impa-
tiently demanded.
"'We found both crushed TO death at the
bottom of the precipice, and we buried them
in one grave by the clover patch, down in our