The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1874-04-30

gly-uttered word /" Coward /" from the
lips of Logan, they felt that there was .
craven spirit about the young man. A
coward we instinctively despise; and vet
how slow are We to elevate that high
moral courage which enables man to
brave unjust Judgment rather than to do
| what he thinks to be wrong above the
mere brute instinct which, in the moment
of excitement, forgets all physical conse.
quences.
As Edward Wilson walked away from
his companions he felt that he was re-
garded as coward. This was for him q
bitter trial, and the more SO because there
was one in that little group of startled
maldens for whose generous regard he
would have sacrificed all but honor.
It was, perhaps, half an hour after this
unpleasant occurrence that Logan, whose
heart still burned with an unfOrgiving
spirit, encountered Wilson under circum.
| stances that left him free to repeat his in
salting language Without disturbing the
rest of the party, who were amusing
themselves at some distance, and beyond
the range Of observation. He did not
succeed in obtaining q permanent en-
counter, as he had desired.
Edward Wilson had been for some
time sitting alone with his unhappy
thoughts when he was aroused by sudden
cries of alarm, the tone of which told his
heart too plainly that some immine mt dam
ger impended. Springing to his feet he
ran In the direction of the cries, and
quickly saw the cause Of excitement
Recent heavy rains had swollen the
mountain stream, the turbid waters Of
which were sweeping down with great We.
locity. Two young girls who had
been amusing themselves at some
distance above in a boat that was
attached to the shore by long
rope had, through some accident, got the
fastening loose and were now gliding
down, far out in the current, with fear.
fully-increasing speed, toward the breast
of mill-dam some hundreds of yards be-
low, from which the water was thunder
ing down height of over twenty feet.
Pale with terror, the poor young creatures
were stretching out their hands toward
their companions on the shore, and max
ing heartrending cries for succor.
Instant action was necessary, or all
would be lost. The position of the young
girls had been discovered while tiey were
yet some distance above, and there hap
pening to be another boat out on the mill
dam, and that nigh at hand, Logan and
two other young men had loosed it from the
shore. But the danger Of being carried
over the dam, should any one venture out
none of them dared TO encounter the haz-
I'd nSv>xr l. 49,,
hands, and now urging these men TO try
and save their companions, stood the
young maidens of the party on shore,
when Wilson dashed through them, and
sprinping into the boat cried out:
"Quick, Logan! Take an oar or all is
LOST"
But, instead of this, Logan stepped a
pace or two from the boat, while his face
was wasted. At a glance Wilson saw that
if the ladies were saved it must be by the
strength of his own arm. Bravely he
pushed from the shore, and, with giant
strength born of the moment and for the
occasion, from his high, unselfish pur-
pose, he dashed the boat out into the
current, and, bending to the oars, took
q direction at an angle with the other
boat, toward the point where the water
was sweeping over the dam. At every
stroke the Ii ht skiff sprang forward .
dozen feet, and scarcely minute elapsed
ere Wilson was beside the other boat.
Both we're now within twenty yards of
the fall, and the water was bearing them
down with velocity that strong rover
with every advantage on his side could
scarcely have commended against success
fully. To transfer the frightened girls
from one boat to the other in the few mo
ments of time left ere the down-sweeping-
current would bear their frail vessel to the
edge of the dam, and still to retain an ad-
vantage, was, for Wilson, impossible. To
let his own boat 60 and manage theirs he
saw to be equally impossible.
A cry of despair reached the young
mans ears as the oars dropped from his
grasp into the water. 1t was evident to
the spectators of the fearful scene that he
had lost his presence of mind, and that
now all was over. Not so, however. In
the next moment he sprang into the
water, which near the breast Of the dam
was no more than two feet deep. As he
did SO he grasped the other boat, and,
bracing himself firmly against the rush.
ing current, held it poised few yards
from the point where the foam-crested
waves leaped into the waters below. At
tho same instant his own boat shot like
an arrow over the dam. He had gained,
however, but small advantage. 1t
required his utmost strength to keep the
boat he had grasped from dragging him
down the fall.
The quickly formed purpose of Wilson
in thus springing into the water had been
to drag the boat against the current. If
he were to let the boat 60 he could easily
save himself. But not once did such
thought enter his own heart.
Lie down close to the bottom" he
said, in q quick, hoarse voice.
The terrOr-stricken girls obeyed the
injunction instantly.
And now, with q GOODNESS that was
wonderful under all circumstances, Viii.
son moved the boat several yards away
from the nearest shore until he reached q
point where he knew the water below the !
dam to be more expanded and free from
rocks. Then throwing his body sudden
ly against the boat, and running along
until he was within few feet of the dam,
he sprang upon it and passed over with |
it. A moment or two the light vessel, as
it shot into the air, stood poised and then
went plunglng down.
ne fearful plunge was maOe IN SaIety.
The boat struck the seething waters be-
low, and glanced out from the whirlpool,
bearing its living freight uninjured.
(Which was the coward?" The words
reached the ears of Logan as he gathered
with the rest of the company around Will
son and the pale, trembling girls he had
so heroically saved. Fair lips asked the
question. One maiden had spoken to
another, and in louder voice than she
had intended.
"Not Edward Wilson," said Logan, as
he stepped forward and grasped the hand
of him he had wronged and insulted. |
Not Edward Wilson, He is the noblest |
and the bravest!"
Wilson made an effort to reply. But he
was for some moments too much excited
and exhausted to speak. At last he said:
II only did what was right. May