Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1873-02-06
ents, sprang up behind me, and away

= ehts, sprang up Denlnd me' anu a"aj
we dashed !i nc, i>a. 40 .
Itwas indeed, a wild, fearfuinight
the moon shone brightly, but every
minute or two its light was obscurec
by -blaek,.pall-like olouds,-that-werl
teepipg, with mad velocity across
thesky, and then it was $50 ozark
Gould not see nay horse's hesa befor'
me.
I 'GIHthe brief intervals Of ghastly
white Light, I could pee that, ,We wsr' ssrS'
that seafoeH spsckof drg Land wd
TO be seer, "a True, they were as yet
very Shallow scarcely above Carlo
knees but I knew how rapidly they
&ohld deepen; and TlhsgsdJ Jthsf good
horse in the direction of the town.
Gertrude's arm ezcircled my waist
and she elung tightly to me viii
fear. Often I turned my head Il
speak to Her a few words Of encour%
agement and hope, but I was TOO anx'
ious to secure her safety and my OWL
to say much. s.-a4 ~ So.
She was warmly wrapped up IL
shawls, and, wraps, and as she was ar
excellent horsewoman, I had no fear
| Of her falling. of, though the, vino q
was blowing lard enough to wifi
her from her seat. '''
Before we had got more than q
mile from the farm. the rain, recon.
i menced with redoubled fury, and in
a few w;momentswe were swet through.
THE Wind, toosgrew from gala to
hurricane, andSamid the continuous
kroar of &hsthunder and fash Of the
lpale lighting through the cir, we now
and then heard a mighty crash, and
some aged monarch of the plain fell
prone upon the earth.
,oSpddenly a fash Of Lightning, dart.
ed righ ht$inf front sof Sgalq eyes, and
with snort Of fear, be reared nearly
! lppright.7a o.
Hold fast, Gertrude" I cried,
endeavoring to throw my right arm
around. her to keep her from slipping
toff. 147je -. si'7e5.tl
II was too late-she had fallen. Il
heard splash in the water, a cry,
and the darkness hid her from nv
sight. just, however, as L was about
to give way to despair, another flash
revealed her to be standing amid
the food, and not a dozen yards dis-
tance.
/ spurred toward her, and pres.
entity she was again on Carlos broad
back. ~:
The excitement Of this event, and
the turning of my horse. round and
round, had made me forget the prop
er direction TO the town, so that we
now rode on not knowing whittier we
were heading.
: Meanwhile, the food grew deeper
each moment, and presently l discov.
cred that Carlo was swimming. lhad
not felt fear until now; but | must
say. that whichever way l guided my
charger he could NOT toacn foreground.
1 knew that, ~Teighted as he was, he
could not keep aHoat for long, and
each moment he seemed to sink deep
er and deeper in the water.
At this critical juncture of affairs
the moon shone out again, and light
ed upthe scene sthough.it had been
broad daylight. Far as ths.eye could
reach, mot u ,speck: Of dry land was
now Tisi6 le; but to my great, Joy, |
npsrce Ned. ,closesby, a. .bluegnm tree
whose :bodghs were SO disposed as to
be easily scaled: ~ ii,
"Do You; ;thilkayou can climb; that
tree, Gertrude ?a 4, asked. ut j.
our only chance Of preserving our
lives now"
SHE answered feebly in the aHirma-
1--WE, and with some little difficulty 1
sWam Carlo aIongside. Under the
tree hea regainedG his footing, and !
was glad of this, as he was enabled
to stand steady for my poor little
companion to climb into the branches
from his back. ~
When she had accomplished this
feat. I took off his bride, 80 that he
should not catch his feet in it, if he
had to swim for his life, and then
Gertrude and I got some twenty-feet
higher up in the blue-gum, and paus.
ed to rest. Shawls and wraps had
long ago fallen off her and been lost,
and now poor Gertrude was exposed
to all the inolemepcy Of the weather,
lin the low-necked, short-sleeved dress
she had worn during tine evening.
How her plump, white, and beau
tifully moulded arms were scratched
by the rough tree bark in climbing,
and as the rain poured down through
the unprotectlng vertical foliage, the
I.drops glittered on her polished shoul-
ders, and trickled down her plump,
snowy bosom. a-.t,.,, nj -.
"Why, Gertrude, you look veri-
table Undipe,"' I ,SaidS, and having
no cape OF .ovefcoat to protect her, ]
doffad nv uniform and made her put
it on. i 90"
We then sat side by side, and put.
ting nay arm areund her neck, I told
her all about my interview with her
father that evening. I c.
."And did papa say that when you
were as rich. as himself be would let
me marry you, Willie 2" she asked.
!" Yes Gertrude, ahe.gave me his
word Of honor TO, that effect l re-
,sponded. s...a,1 ~ u. ~
=" Thenyhe won't break it," she re.
piled. Poor papa this night, has
made him a beggar. All: his money
was invested in improvements ON. his
land, and an increase Of stock: Tits
all lost now SO you; may claim me
sooner than you thought forg Willie.
This view Of the case had. never
struck me before, and nearly jump.
ed off the gum tree in, I fear,,'a q most
selfish ecstacy Of delight, ~ I wat
bound to control myself, however