Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1870-07-28

4
aiting for me, urged me on, and ad-
vanced -blindly in the darkness, trusting
in my good luck to guide me Alright.
2 My luck failed me this time, for by the time
1 h. d got down to the woods upon the
other side, found that I had lost the
path, and had got into tangled mass OF
fallen trees and bushes, through which l
could hardly force my way. Still did
not feel lost, for knew that had only to
| work my way down the mountain to come
out somewhere in the valley near my
cabin, which could soon find, when once
on level ground. But it would take me
longer to pick my way along, and there
would be greater danger of stumbling and
getting fall, than though had managed
to keep the path. But there was no help
| for it now, as you might as well have
| looked for a needle in a hay-stack, as to
have searched for it.
! had got what thought was about
| half way down the mountain, when was
startled by a terrible sound that came
| from the mountains to-the northward,
and which drowned the rush of the tenn
| pest about me. 1t was rush and roar
j q mingled crash of earth and rocks, which
made even the ground beneath my feet
tremble. knew not then what it could
be, but found afterward that it was the
/ first great slide which came down near
| the Notch.
knew by the brooks which filed every
hollow which I had to cross, that the riv-
er must be swollen to many times its
usual size, and that each moment was ad-
ding new streams to it, to cause it to over
flow its banks; and this, with the terrible
| sound that had come from the mountains
above, filed me with alarm for the safety
| of my wife and child, and / hurried OFF,
catching more than one fall in my haste,
which tore my clothes and covered me
! with bruises.
At last knew that I must be pretty
| well down towards the valley, and eager
ly 1 gazed through the trees for the light
knew Mary would set in the window to
guide me to the cabin. knew not exact
ly where was, but must be somewhere
near my own clearing, thought, and the
light could be seen from any part of it,
on the side was approaching. I could
hear the rush of the river, and great
fear took possession of me that the
cabin had already been swept away, and
that my loved ones had been engulfed in
the merciless waters.
At last the foot of the mountain was
reached, and against the dull sky could
see the outlines of the great struggling
trees which had been scathed by the fire,
and which stood leafless about my clear
fng. Their dead branches creaked be-
meath the fury of the tempest, making
dismal, moaning sound, which seemed like
an omen of some terrible disaster inn
pending over the valley.
moved down among them, and in
moment found myself to my middle in
water, and I sprang back again, fearing
that the next step would carry me beyond
my depth. Great God was the valley
flooded with water, and had my cabin and
its loved inmates been swept away
Sick at heart, and oppressed with this
terrible fear asked myself the question,
as stood trying to pierce the darkness
which filed the valley before me, and to
comprehend the exact spot where stood
At last ] decided the latter question by 9
study of the dead trees before me, and
then moved slowly down the valley to
bring myself opposite to the spot where I
had left my cabin standing in the morn
ing.
Just then, to my great joy, light
beamed out through the darkness. For
moment it wavered, and then burned
brightly, and knew that as yet my cabin
had not been moved from the spot where
1 had placed it but the rays of the light
glimmered upon q sea of dark water
which lay between it and the spot where
stood, and any moment it might float
away.
I wondered why it was that the water
was 30 still, and not the rushing torrent I
should have thought it would have been
but this was soon made plain as reflected
upon the subject. A short distance
down the valley the hills came close
down to the banks of the stream, and
here, owing to the amount of drift-wood,
a jam had been formed which the force of
the water had not yet been able to break,
and SO had flowed it back, covering the
entire valley. How much longer the
drift-wood would bear the strain it was
impossible to tell, but it did not seem as
though it would for many minutes, as
could hear the rush and roar of the waters
"a . rryIo
stood.
Suddenly shrek, full of mortal terror,
rang over the water. My heart stood still
in my breast, for recognized the voice as
that of my wife, and / knew that some
fearful danger menaced her and the child.
Again it was repeated, and sent back an
answering cry. A moment more, and I
stood mute with horror and dismay. The
light q0Gs naoUig sL0tolg doto7l to the bottom of
the clearing, telling as plainly as words
could have done, that the cabin was
attoGt.
For few moments it seemed as though
I were chained to the spot where stood.
The light, as it floated downward, pos
sessed terrible fascination, and l could
not take my eyes from it if would. I
could seem to see its timbers falling
asunder, and the pale faces of my wife
and child sinking into the black, turbulent
waters The horror of that moment I
shall never forget SO long as live
Another horrible crash among the
mountains, to the northward-a sound as
if huge cliff had been hurled downward,
broke the terrible spell that bound me to
the spot, and reused me to an effort to try
and effect the escape of my loved ones.
Another cry of despair which reached me
from the cabin, I answered back, though
doubted if I was heard, the cabin was
SO near to the rushing current of the
river and then hurried along the edge
of the clearing, which was the boundary
of the lake, toward the spot where the
river broke through the hills, and where
the jam had been formed which flowed
the waters back.
Steadily the light glided down the
waters of the little lake, and from Its mo-
ton I judged that it had not as yet float
ed into the current of the river, and
breathed silent prayer in my heart that
it would not be so, for then all hope would
be gone. If the cabin would but hold to-
gether and keep out of the current of the
river, it would lodge among the trees at
the foot of the clearing, where I would be
ready to bear them from it to place of
safety.
The way round to the bank of the
river was difficult to get over in the dark