National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1873-08-15

hopeful. Six hours Why, in that
time help might come. Death was no
longer imminent.
But was entirel Y wrong. The strong
southwesterly gales had piled up the
waters about the mouth of the estuary,
80 that the ebb was checked, aud the
food increased, and the tide ran ont
only some three hours. ! must have
been longer lying on the sand, too, than
had calculated, for, as | watched the
waters hurying down on each side Of
me, | noticed that the current seemed
to slacken all of sudden then it
stopped, SO that fragment Of bleached
wood that was floating downward came
to n rest, then moved slowly once more
upwards. The tide had turned.
In very short time the expanse of
waters before me, that had just now
seemed broad river outlet, scored and
marked with sand-banks, assumed the
appearance of an agitated sea. Short
waves hurried along, their white crests
cleaning in the moonlight; they came
in serried lines, tier over tier; the
hoarse roar Of the advancing tide re-
verberated in the air, minglipg in my
brain with the strange rattle ms of bells
that never ceased to jangle therein.
How remorseless they seemed, those
waves hurrying up, like hounds who
view their prey And yet it was n
solemn scene; and what there was of
dignity and grandeur in the sight half
reconciled me to the thought that my
life would be swallowed up ere long in
these advancing battaions of serried
waves for now the bitterness of death
w W. P"o. 10 1eiio'o n"' raiieno"
'0iu Paoio,iiu '',;ieSs-'un' was ni'
~" i"i couio c,ilip up 'iese SHINY,
slippery posts and buttresses, that
seemed to mock me with their lying
proifers OF safety? A couple of cross
beams or ties which bound together the
lower ends OF the piers, Afforded at their
intersection sort OF angular resting
! piace, Wnere couiu, lor atline perhaps,
hnd reinge from the waves. This was
lar below hlgh'water mark, so that TO
reach II would only give me a short re-
We from my hnal agony but, Tor all
That de'ermln4 to attempt 1t. AS soon
as the water covered the little island on
which stood, would try to climb this
slippery beam, that rose from the sand,
III which 1t was partly buried, ut an an
| gle OF about forty-hve degrees.
With the tide rose the wind; with the
" nj came rain and log. The moon,
blurred and lndlstlnct, shone family for
awhile, ana then vanished altogether,
although her dllfused lght sun made
everything darkiy visible. Soon the
waves were dashihg at my ieet, the SAND
a pulp beneath them. Now was the
time TO @ niahe my iast eH9rt I1r niue
more me Du' Ioihu tlat li',i over
s. saetu rnt E wi sIi po"ers: ciawieu s, rev f,
taol, "f ara;n ! -, 'iniosi 'HH ~ ~ :.
was of M nse Gt.' .i,,,nss anu ns, n,,. ,nr,a
of G eager desire 70 he strong All that
conId 10 was 70 clasn NV arms round
tbe baam and stand nns;gbt owait;ng
the coming of the wotars
The water rose NOT errnduo1,v but in
nuIses smaller wayee cnmo and went
md Lott Nh c,'anoa of levaI. hrt orsrv
now and tben snmo baoniar farnor hi,
low wonld coma in with - devonrine
sween oover;nc ma u,;tb ;ts foan, on3
snrov raceding oga;n bnt az each re-
cessinn LEAVING a Greater dantb of swov-
inc Efe.like water Tbese attacks like
j,,ff.,ts from, tha ho,5 of sn,oa sL;iIad
bover laft ma weaLer and weaker ot
avorv bIow Ard - "a So treacbarous
foo tbs wafer r. woulG draw away for
Il time. leaving me free almost to nv
knees; and then, as if driven by some
sudden impulse, it would gather itself
up. and return in a great seething swathe
OF water that would swallow me up from
head to foot.
The end was fast coming now. had
ceased to feel ANYTHING. Only a logged
to stick to life to the last,
kept me clinging to nv beam.
But. what was that sound? A long {
and piercing scream. q roar, and rum
BILE, and rattle-it was an engine?
An engine coming along the complet- |
ed part of the bridge. shrieking and
screaming. and dashiag out great watts ,
of white steam into the stormy air. The
sound gave me fresh life and vigor. i
Human creatures were within reach, Mt /
all events. Ii L could make them hear |
me, might yet be s,ved {
The engine came slowly along, and / i
heard the voices of men shouting to one s
another. Why, thea, should they not I
hear me? | tried, too, to shout. but my i
voice stuck in my throat | couldn',
make a sound louderthan n whisper, nor
not with all the goodwill l had to shout I
like an archangel c
Tho ene;na came g, ne,r az lost that 1
.onId see the Glow of her fires tbronob t
the interstices of tbe flooring of the 7
,r;doo And now tbsra were mon stond- q
nc, With Iontarns o4 tho very evtrapoitv &
,f +ha br;5oo al etiII 7 on,ld nnt
make them hear
For an instant Tho Glad tboucbt had
!