Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-04-02
SAVED FROM DROWNING.
BY sOLON CARTWRIGHT.

BY soLON CARTWRIGHT.
In my boyish days | once witnessed
quite an extraordinary exhibition of true
courage and rare presence of mind on the
part OF boy of thirteen years. | have
never seen it equaled and doubt wheth-
er it has ever been excelled by one so
young.
1t was on a Saturday morning in the
early part of winter School didn't
keep" on Saturdays-it was our play day.
The mill-pond was frozen over strong
enough to bear about the borders, but in
the middle the ice was thin and weak. A
dozen or more of US went down to the
pond to skate. The day was fine and
bright, but cold and bracing; the air bit
shrewdly, it was a nipping and an eager
air, and we coursed around the pond in
lively, exciting chase, until the blood was
well warmed up and our faces glowed
with excitement and pleasure. Some of
the more daring youths, when under high
speed and coming down with the wind,
allowed themselves to glide swiftly as an
arrow over some of the weak places in the
ice, where had they rested only for mo-
ment they would have broken in; but un-
der the velocity with which they simply
shot across, the ice merely bent and rolled
beneath them like wave, but did not
break. This was dangerous play indeed,
and fortunately for their safety the boys
did not persist in doing it.
As the morning wore along there were
occasional accessions to our number,
which aroused new ardor as they occurred
from time to time, and trials Of speed and
feats of skill kept up the enthusiasm to
the highest point; so that with forward
skating, backward skating, cutting the
ring, attempts at spread eagle and outside
edge, chase the fox, follow my leader, tag,
and other diversions, we were in con
slant whirl all around the circuit of the
pond, and up and down it from one end
to the other, save only in those places
where the ice seemed to be weak. At
length the tracks made by our skates
upon the solid ice became so distinctly
marked that it had very much the appear
ance OF a race-course around the pond AT
this time we were joined by some younger
lads living less remote than most of us,
and who from witnessing our hilarity
from the shore became infected there
with and came upon the pond and partici.
pated in the sports by running about in
| the tag and chase upon their feet, for they
were without skates.
After awhile the skating slowed up. and
| presently, in obedience to that inexplica-
| BILE law of attraction which operates SO
| irresistibly when there are any juveniles
| around, we began to assemble in body,
| and then while at rest congratulations
were exchanged between Us on the fore
Moons sport, criticisms were offered on
each others skates, coincidence rendered
| to those who couldn't skate or who had
| no skates tc learn upon; the boy with one
skate still Keeping up with irrepressible
| perseverance his own aesthetic left-foot
contribution to the performances of the
day received vociferous applause; there
was tweaking of tippets, sudden disap
pearances OF mlttenS and handkerchiefs,
and tossing of each others caps; possibly
there may have been an inquiry made for
matches, and L dare say that the building
OF ire was propounded and acted upon,
and suppose the fetching in of divers
crooked sucks to add to the flames NAV
have suggested game of shinney; at all
events shinney was proposed, and back
we went upon the ice again, and with our
sticks were soon driving before us the
ball improvised for the occasion out of a
small cubic block of wood The younger
lads joined US in this game also, running
after the ball in quite as merry glee as
any of the rest.
One OF these lads, whom I will call
Frank lockwood, was altogether too ven
turesome, and he was frequently eau
toned by the older boys when he ap-
preached too near the thin ice and even
upon It, as he was seen to do, in pursuit
OF the ball. But the sport was exciting,
and he became altogether needless, and
by and-b running in reckless chase after
the ball too far upon the thin ice, it broke
with his weight, and with a wild scream
he fell through. Every cheek blanched
IN an Instant; an expression of terror
broke from the lips of the boys: COIL
Frank lockwood is in ~ Apparent as
the danger was to all of US there had been
no real anticipation OF it; there were no
safeguards against it, and no provisions
to meet it in case of accident. Here we
were, score of boys, none more than
thirteen or fourteen years old; all the
| morning lifted up by our sports to the
very pinnacle of enjoyment and delight,
now, in point of time, moments space,
suddenly brought face to face with death
What shall we do? Oh! if we only had
a rope or board, or something to do
with; fear came over every one, for
it was moment of awful anxiety and
| suspense We looked helplessly into each
| NeAAS1 ANNSS' ~ AhcAi1 " do llCdI, duu UC-
| fore help could be summoned he would
| certainly drown or freeze to death. 1t
was enough to terrify every one of us; it
hushed every voice, it paralyzed every
tongue but Franks, who was clinging to
the edge of the unbroken thin ice. "Ohl
| save me- he shrieked, "save met save
me!'' and his cry went to the heart of a
noble boy in that company Pausing only
for a single moment to think he pro
ceeded quicker than thoughtto act With
surprising sagacity and promptness he
got down fiat upon the ice, thus dis
| tflDutlng his weight upon the surface,
and pulling himself forward upon the thin
ice up to the perishing boy grasped him
firmly by the wrists.
One of you get down fat on the ice
and crawl up and take hold of my ankles,
and the rest of of you form two lines, join
hands, and take hold of his ankles"
ms was done in much less time than 1t
requires to relate it, and in another instant,
With triumphant shout which rings IN
my ears to-day, the boys pulled all to-
gether, far out upon the solid ice, and
Frank Rock wood was saved.-Heorth and
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