Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-10-29

Louder, fiercer grew the roar, mocking
the puuy efforts of the storm-king by its
unearthiy sound nearer. nearer, while
around and among US came the frightened
denzens of the wood-rabbits, deer. wolves
panthers even, seeking. in this their hour
OF greatest need, mans higher wisdom to
protect them. l we'll remember how one
large-eyed, beautiful fawn crept to my
side, whimpering and trembling in terror
as the certain death drew near. l remem-
Der placing my hand upon the creatures
head and wondering if the millennium
would make auimals thus tame, when there
came mighty, crushing roar, sounding
like an ocean hurled against a rock bound
coast, which lasted for several moments,
growing less and less until with sudden
surprise, | ouud that all was still again !;
the storm had passed, the dread wauers
turned aside, and We were saved
sprang to my feet with glad shout,
which Charlie and the others answered
with cries of joy, and, drawing near, We
knelt together aud thanked heaven for our
wondrous preservation, while the beasts
fed again to their solitudes, the wind
rustled ghtly through the trees, the stars
peeped brightly out, and all nature rested
after the fearful destruction Of the hour
that had gone by.
We rebuilt cur fire, and sat long and
wondering about it, trying to decide in
what way we had been saved, but without
success and already a new day was born
ere we cast ourselves down for the slumber
we so much needed.
Be the night never so wild, morning
must come after and SO it was with US
Break fast over, the provisions for dinner
in the pack basket, the remainder hidden
beneath the rocks, and We were on again.
The distance still remaining to the
pond, or at least where it had been, was
about a mile. Not more than a quarter
of this had been traversed, when suddenly,
from the top of little ridge, a strange
and fearful scene broke upon our view.
The solid earth before US was gone, and in
it's stead there yawned a horrid black
gulf, yards across, half filed now with
boulders, masses of smaller stone, and
| trunks of trees, while beyond, we looked up
the narrow, deadly path the raging waters
had cut in their descent to this, their
grave, And so had God saved US. The
torrent. proving too heavy for the thin
| crust over this unknown cavern, had brok-
en- through. seeking there and finding some
subterrauean passage for ITSELF sweeping
downward in its fierce descent aud sucking
into that terrible maelstrom all of nature
that opposed its way.
We con inued our journey, noting with
wonder and awe traces of the last light 8
storm; visited the Pit" now holding
less than half the waters that it had the
| day before, saw where the wild wind and
waves had broken through the rocky wall
that surrounded it, caught few beautiful
trout, and descended to our camp on the
shelf again ere the evening shadows
fell.
| 1t is many seasons now since | first saw
Kelpie's Pit, and it may be that the pond
is no more; but should | ever visit the
Adirondacks again, that shelf on the noun
tain-side would be one of the objects OF
most interest to me 10 the whole region
around and, | doubt not, if Will oil
Charley chance to see this tale, the memo.
ry of that night will come again as it has
not in years, for such experiences are not
IN every life aud burn themselves upon
the very brain of him who passes thron gt
| lthem-Chrastian Uni0n