The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-04-02

nothing replied. 1 went outside the
door, and found it had stopped snow
ing; it was too cold to snow but the
wind still blew hurricane, and the
night was black. And despair seized
me.
But the dog ran into the hut, and ran
out again, plunging into the snow, and
barking, and returning to me and
catching my gown and trying to draw
me on, and running off again and
bounding back. ooh, it's just as
knew it was l' L screamed. They're
lost in the snow, and the dog has come
to tell me. What shall do what shall
l do !" And ran in, and Bose after
me, prancing around the room, and
barking so that he woke the baby, who
had to be nursed off to sleep again.
But while I was doing that was
trying, too, to calm myself, and to
think if there was any help. There
wasn't man in the neighborhood now
that could do anything, for both of the
Irvings had gone to Ossipee, and James
Harris had broken his leg, and would
have been of no more use than wet
rag, if he hadn't, and Mr.. Marsh was
down with fever, and Dean and Bishop
were with 10. There was nobody but
SOrrel and Bose and I. Could we do
anything? Gould Bose lead back the
way? He was nothing but common
farm dog, but he knew more than James
Harris did any day. L got the little
lantern and lighted it, and tied it to the
dogs collar, and he held so still [ knew
he understood me, and then he went
and waited beside the door, looking
round for me impatiently, with now
and then q whine.
But what was 1 to do with the baby :?
I couldn't leave him there to starve, if
I never came back. L broke out crying
again at the thought, as much of baby
as he. I must take him with me. I
lighted the other lantern, and went into
lean-to, and put the mans saddle on
Sorrel, and strapped it with all my
strength and he turned his large eyes
on me, as if he, too, knew what it was
all about, and held down his head for
me to bride him and I tied little
bundle of kindlings on the back of the
saddle, and put the hatchet into one of
the holster pockets.
And then L came back and rolled up
the legs of pair of JOS trowsers, and
got them on over my own cowhide
boots, and hurried into my warm jacket
and cloak and hood; and 1 wrapped
the baby in layer over layer of my rob-
roy, leaving the least little crack of a
breathing hole, with a vail over that,
and bound him to me, under my cloak,
with my long boa, for fear my arms
should get numb; and put the tinder-
box in my bosom, and slung over my
back the apple-toddy jug, that was al
most too hot to touch, and wrapped up
n hot hearth-stone in a newspaper with
JOS otler trowsers to hold under the
baby, and she found it warm against l
found anybody. And I went out and
brought Sorrel round, and, laden as
was, [ climbed upon the horse block,
and from that TO Sorrel's back-I don't
know how, I'm sure-by force of sheer
desperation, 1 suppose; and Bose went
yelping and jumping down the hill be.
fore me with the little lantern, but the
wind blew my lantern out in minute
What wind it was bitterer than that
wind upon the mountain-top, it was sc
black and fierce. [ couldn't have
breathed if it had been in my face, and
| hadn't thought 1t was going down a
little. Oh, [ suppose [ couldn't have
gone at all if hadn't felt it was worse
death to stay, and there was just one
chance in going. Twenty years Later
it made cold chills creep up my back to
think of that nights ride; but then /
was like an old she-bear fighting for hel
young. 1 clung to Sorrel with my
knees-it was all I could do, loaded
down SO, to keep on at all-but then the
wind was certainly falling; and gave
him the reins, knowing he would follow
Bose, and grasped the pommel will
one hand and the baby with the other
and, wild and half frantic as L was
pushed on. But, oh, it was too terri
BILE
L could not see an inch before me
but Bose had crossed the ford,
guessed-the ice had broken up once
and even in this storm could hardly
have frozen solid again, and I drew uI
my feet to save them dry. But there
was no sound of ice or water either
and Bosses lantern went swinging OF
ahead, and / kept looking for the ford
and wondering that we didn't come Il
if ; and [ turned to look behind me
for felt as if we must be going up the
opposite hill, and there, late as it was
was the light in Mrs. Bishops window
she anxious, / suppose, as 1 an(
and then it rushed over me that we ha(
crossed the river not by the ford-Sor
rel always did hate a ford-but we ha(
come across on that single stringer,
beam ten inches square ten feet abov,
the water Though it was over, i
made me turn FAINT and shut my eyes
and L had to take myself to task t,
conquer it. And when opened m,
eyes, there was Bose's lantern leav1nl
the main highway, and making,
imagined, for the Marshall's woods
yes, certainly it was the old rutteC
road, as well as one could tell for tn
blowing snow. Now it was plain tina
they had tried to come home by tn
shortcut.
1t was easier getting along in tn
! woods, for the drift was little, and tn
, wind, that had cut me through like
knife, was shut off and after / got VI
! beyond, with Bosses bark and Bose
lantern still before me, there wa
: scarcely any wind at all, only a pierc
ing cold. L could not see Sorrel's head
| I felt that we were going between face
of mighty rock, now picking our sloy
way over sheet of ice, now over tn
: bare rock, now wallowlngin drift, ant
whether there was precipice or poo
within foot of us / could not tell, TO
[ all the horrid way was new to me. AM
/ by-and-by the passage seemed to widen
L fancied it was not quite so inky
looked up, and saw star hanging OIL
t the edge of huge shadow, as if tn
{ mountain held it out and L took hear