Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1874-11-12

wee, where greater crowd had now gath
cred than in the busiest days of lis
busy season.
In the middle of the stream nesting bow
first against the huge buttressed fort of an
ice-gorge above the eddy, lay the stout
little ferry-boat Cherryble. Her wheels
were stopped by the clogging ice, though
dense volumes of smoke bulged out of her
chimneys, and little curls of steam shot
upward from her escape pipes. Indistinct
figures no larger than rats in trap, were
seurrying eXcitedly over her decks, and a
group of them was busy in the pilot house
vanly tugging at n wheel that would not
turn.
Between her and the shore, the dark
| rush of the crrrent before 1t reaches the
rapids was visible where the ice had not
secured a firm-foothold aud down thi $
swift pathway, tall. fairy palaces crowned
with snow. took their stately way in a
long procession of complacent grandeur
until they struck the poisterous rapids and
were hurled headlong into the uproarious
eddes.
John Marsden knew all the rocks and
chutes of the rapids by heart, and he com
pretended the danger of the Cherryble on
| the instant
Meredith said he, grasping his friends
| arm, this Is fearful
| 1t is fearful. What can be done:'
They must have a line run out 10 lem.
/ replied Marsden sharply; and they must
have somebody on board who knows the
/ chutes.'
! Tom Meredith looked up quietly into his
iriend's face. startled by the pithy earnest
| ness of his tone.
1t would be terribly dangerous to at.
tempt it,, said he. huskily.
That gorge against which they rest, >
continued John, with his clear blue eye
/ stiil bent on the distant Cherrybe is
strong enough TO hold them sr a week
{ probably. but they will want bread. There
may be forty passengers there. They must
have communication with the shore at
once
But how to do it. john:
The crowd that had exhausted itself with
shouting vain hopes 10 the wrecked pass
engers had rested hopelessly. aud many OF
the men composing II had already gather
ell about John Marsden, who was admit
| ed 10 be an oracle on river mstters. They,
/ too, cOncurred with Tom Meredith that
I the Cherryble ought To have communica-
I ton with the shore at once, but how to Sc
/ cure il was with them. as with him. an uu-
I answcrablc problem. John had little furth-
/ er to say, His blue eyes still gazed toward
! the rapids and the wrecked steamer. but
they seemed 10 be gazing even beyond
them into vacancy, aud his thoughts seem
! ell 10 be far away from crowd or Cherry
/ Bile. suddenly he seized his friends arm
aud together they walked away toward
the little ferry wharf far up the stream.
| whence the Inflated steamer had but an
4 hour before started on her disastrous vow
age. The knots of men who gathered
about this oracle Of the rapid intuitiyely
/ followed them. In front OF one o, the uu-
merous small ship stores that stood on the
street facing the levee was a little old
woman, watching with n dozen compAu-
ions. the threatened vessel.
Missy, said John to her, could you let
me have about thousand yards of ships
cord! The Ferry company will pay for it,
An shure. wild pleasure. Mr.. Marsden.
| J. somebody going TO take Il to them
/ folks.'
! Yes, missy. Ana VIII You let me have
1 pen, ink, and note paper In your little back
room for few minutes: Excuse me- Tom.
/ but must be alone
Johu Marsden came out OF the little
/ back room in about ten minutes, and, tax
! ing the long line OF ships cord upon hi,
shonider, continued his way without 4
word, to the l'ttle ferry-wharf followed by
the now silent crowd. He spoke a few
/ words to the ferry keeper, who pointed at
the conclusion OF their conversation TO
stout, iron-bound skif that floated inside
the narrow slip. The oars lay idly In it,
and a short hawser held it to the pier
That will do said John unite it,
john said Meredith huskiIy, what are
you going TO do?'
I'm going to get line to her.
Yourself John-are you going your
self?
Yes, I'm going my self, if Heaven favors
me-
John gave few words of instruction to
Tom Meredith and two or three picked
men of the crowd in regard to the rigging
| OF rope bridge or cable which he hoped
| to draw over with his smaller line when he
should react. the boat. and also relative to
the careful handling of the line as he paid
it out, so that it should not be caught in
the jagged foes of ice. Then he drew Tom
Meredith TO one side, and said
Il wish you'd toll mother, Tom. to night
however my venture ends. She may be
uneasy abou. me unless she knows where
| am. She's strong and can bear Il. but,
if never reach the boat. break il to her rs
gently as you can.
Meredith silently bowed his head.
And Tom continued Marsden in low
er tone. and more slowly. what tell YOU
now is In holy confidence. never to be di-
yulged.
'Ies!'
Give this letter to its address when
when | am gone'-and he handed Tom
Meredith the note which he had written
in missy's back room. Tom could not help
seeing the superscription: Miss Bessie
Alden. Bently Place
Tossing the line into the bottom of the
boat and giving an end to Meredith. John
1 % ustfh 81 Ia at
his oars was swiftly on his way TO the dark
ly flowing ice-current outside. The little
group cheered him as he bent to his task.
and the greater crowd further down the
river. guessing his purpose, stretched it.
self along the river bank to catch a better
view of him.
Success required only quick eye and a
ready hand, and John had both. His trou-
bles arose in contending with the thicker
ice that hung sluggishly on the outer
edges of the channel. But he continued to
make progress toward the disabled steam
er. Once. on glancing toward her to meas
ure his distance, he distinguished the
dresses of woman among the passengers.
His heart took new courage. His blood
warmed with the thought that he was bat
tling for women women who knew Bes-
sic, doubtless, and would tell her-some OF
them-hOw he had worked TO save them.
Then he remembered, and almost started
as he did so, that there was a grand ball
to be given that very night at grand
country house beyond the suburb opposite,
and nearly every body in had been
invited and doubtless Bessie among them
! and size might actually be on the Cherry
BILE now. As he neared the boat he caugh,
occasional glanees in the midst of his ar.
! duous duties, of a group who stood on the
J main deck with ropes and willing hands to
help him, and of row OF anxious fac es a,
the railing of the deck above. The tremb.
ling ice-cakes and the roaring eddies lifted
his skif with one final effort, far on TO the
icy guard surrounding the Cherryble, and
in another moment half dozen hands had
, lifted him to the deck, and a dozen more
were waving hats in the air.
The line ? said John.
we have it here safe.'
Marsden's voice sounded dim and dis
tant to his own ears as he spoke, and h,
: became conscious Of q dull pain in his arm
and head as he walked across the deck
He heard amid the eaUssr thanks of strops