The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1869-05-27

ISuicS, Addle! Turn here-I Will
foIIowl
We darted aside upon the maniac =
But the advantage was his, and without
waiting to reach the point where he had
turned, he came crashing through the
bushes to intercept US. 1t was a terrible
moment. At what point would he cross
our path How we flew upon our surely
tried skates! Little round hammocks,
patches of deep moss, ''white ice and
ugly sticks-everything, seemed in our
way. And the mailman laundering
through the cracking brush
Once Adelaide ran straight over an is
land Of brlers, aud bog, and snow, because
in her terror she had missed the little
channel. But the maniac was too late.
He rushed into the path at "a point just
behind us, and soon all three stood upon
the wide pond.
The peril was now greatly lessened,
yet to escape from our position without
aid would be impossible, Our sole hope
was in remaining upon tbe ice, where, if
Adelaide's nerves could sustain her under
tie dreadful trial, felt that we would be
able to avoid Inc madman's grasp. From
his wild ejacuiaiiOns, it became evident
;hat his Object was the possession of Ad-
dies head, from which he intended to
manufacture ''skate- boat" The gleam
of dangerous looking knife put his pro
position in a fearfnIly practical light.
Eie was Isaiah Marvin. Cold as was
the night. his feet were clothed only with
stockings-a most unfortunate circum-
stance for Addie and me, as they prevent
cd his slipping. He may have lost his
shoes in the rough pastures which his
poor crazy steps had crossed.
Again he pursued US. The nciglbOrs
were too distant to have heard, had we
cried out, and therefore in silence, and
handsin- hand, we darted hither and
thither His agility was remarkable, yet
our evolutions were abundantiy more rapid
than his pursuit. 1t was not pleasant,
this dodging away from corners, this at
tempt to keep the middle of the area, this
| getting in and out Of CHECK Oae false
move. and then-Addie's head for a skate
/ boat
At last he paused, looked all about
liim, and muttered incoherently in his
fearful gibberish. Then Ieaping aside,
| he seized dry branch which lay at the
! foot of q tree beside The pond. 1t was
! long ard heavy. With this he resumed
! the chase, launching the missile at US,
! or sweeping il around US, as we wheeled
/ TO avoid hisn.
Now, in very despair at our situation,
I began to shout as often as l could get
breath, yet l was not disappointed that
! no one came from the far>of road or the
farmers dwellings.
Away to the south end we swept in
our now increasing panic, The madman at
our heels with his huge stick. There we
wheeled. Our pursuer was a good dis
tance behind, bat as we glided around 10
! double upon him. he hurled his club
Ike a ''boomerang." Striking the ice, it
! spun towards our feet, and though we
! leapod up TO avoid If, the catastrophe
came 4 ringing Of steel made my heart
sick. Adelaide tottercd, and clung to me
with both hands, while far out upon the
! ice, the runner Of her left s&ale slid jing-
ling away!
The madman yelled ike a wild beast
How cunning be was, how quick he was
TO perceive his advantage But there was
still hope. Keeping Adde'S hand in
mine. while she balanced herself upon one
little foot, l drew her swiftly beyond the
reach of those dreadful arms, skating as l
had never skated al then.
! Around and around we went, and now
! that Adde'S safety depended wholly upon
myself, felt that should never grow
weary. Yet how lonr would she be able
to glide upon one foot +? And would not
! that dreadful forest branch be again
thrown with fearful accuracy? 1t ryas
| thrown-it came again and again, and l
felt that in some way the end Of this scene
must be near.
In spite of my resolution, grew in
want of breath. l was becoming mad
! dened. At the north end Of the pond
nearly skated into the deep, open spring.
The maniac was closely following. Per-
ceiying the CLEAN Of water, l bore heavily
on the heel to avoid it, when again the
/ huge branch gIlded along the ice. and both
! feet were struck from under me-AGdie at
the same instant falling by my side. The
madmanB club, continuing its course,
spIashed into the pool.
The maniac himself, coming at full
speed, rushed directly over US. He caught
at Adde'S cap in his wild career, snatch
ing it from her head Thrown from his
balance by our PROSTATE forms. and unable
to check his course, he plunged headlong
into the spring.
The ice beneath Adelaide and myself
was yielding, and it required all our activ-
ity to escape from our position. Then in
stantly throwing off our skates, we ran
homeward.
An hour later, when the neighbors visit
ed the pond, the madman was found still
alive in the deep water. supporting himself
by clinging to the ice and to the dry branch
which he lad placed upon it. The shock
had dispeIIed his frenzy, and in a state Of