Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-07-10
Description Of an Adventure.
by CHARLES DICKENS

IL had rained all night, aud was raining
then as il only docs in those parts. Through
the whole glen, which is ten miles long, tor
rents were boiling and foaming, and sending
up 10 every direction spray like the smoke Of
great fires, They were rushing down every
nil and mouutain-side, and tearing like devils
across the path, aud down into the depths Of
the rocks Some Of the hills looked as if they
we're full Of silver, and had cracked in
hundred places others as il they were
frightened, and had broken out into deadly
sweat. Such rain. in short, had not been
known for many years. The post-boy was not
at all at his ease, and the horses las we'll they
might be) were very much frightened by the
perpesual raging and roaring. The tumble
where Tom sat was by this time so full Of
water, that at Kings House he was obliged
70 borrow a gimlet, aud bore holes in the
bottom to let 1t run out. We crossed tho
Black Mount, aud came to place where
rapid river runs over bed Of broken rock
Now this river, Sir, had bridge last winter,
out the bridge broke down when the ,haw
came, and has never since been mended SO
travellers cross upon a little platform, made Of
rough deal planks, stretching from rock to
rock, and carriages and horses ford the water at
q certain point. As the platform, is the reverse
ofsteady, 1--WE had proved this the day before,)
Is very slippery, and affords anything but
pleasant footing, having ouy trembling lit
lie rail on one side, aud on the other nothing
between it aud the ioamiog stream, Kate de-
cided to remain in the carriage and trust her.
self TO the wheels rather than to her feet.
Fletcher and had got out, and it was going
away, when | advised her, as | had done
several times before, to come with us for saw
that the water was very high, the current
oeng greatly swollen by the rain, and that
the post-boy had been cycling it 10 very dis
concerted manner for the last half hour. This
decided her to come out aud Fletcher, she,
Tom aud began TO cross, while the carriage
sent about quarter Of mile down the bauk,
IA search of shallow place. The platform
shook so much that we could only come across
two alta time, and then il felt as il it we're
nung on springs. As to the wind and rain |!
Well, put into one gust all the wind
and rain you ever saw and heard, and you'll
nave some faint notion of it When we got
safely to the opposite bank, there came riding
up wild Highlander, in great plaid, whom
se recognized as the landlord of the inn, and
who, without taking the least notice Of US,
went dashing on--with the plaid he was
wrapped in streaming in the wind--screecbin
IL Gaelic to the post-boy on the opposite bank
. aud making the most frantic gestures yol
! ever saw, iu which be was joined by som,
other wild man on foot, who had come acros
oy a short cut, knee-deep 10 mire and water
AS we began to see what this meant we (thai
is, Fletcher and I) scrambled on after them
while the boy, horses aud carriage were
plunging in the water; which left only the
norses head aud the boys body visible. By
the time we got up to them the man on horse
back and the man on foot were perfectly mad
With pantomne for as 10 any OF their shouts
being heard by the boy, the water made such
great noise that they might as well have
been dumb. 1t made me quite sick to think
how | should have felt if Kate had been
inside. The carriage went round and round
ike great stone, the boy as pale as death !;
the horses were struggling, and plashing. and
snorting like sea-animals, and we were all
roaring to the driver to throw himself off,
aud let them and the coach go to the devil,
when suddenly it came all right (having got
into shallow water,) and, all tumbling, aud
dripping and jogging from side to side,
climbed up to the dry land l assure you
we looked rather queer, as we wiped our
faces, and stared ut each other in a little
cluster round about it, 1t seemed that the
man on horseback had been looking at US
through telescope as we came to the rack,
aud knowing that the place was very danger
Gus and seeing that we meant to bring the
carriage, had come on at great gallon to
show the driver the only place where he could
cross. BY the time he came up, the man had
taken the water at a wrong place, and, in a
word, was as nearly drowned with carriage,
horses, luggage aud ally as ever man was.
Was this a good adventure 2"'