The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-03-18

nol iloln surlklng against the foot OF the
cliffs. Now she shot out into the stream
and up as far as the line would permit,
and then wheeling, drove headlone
against the rock; then out and back
again, now straining on the line, now
striking against the cliff. As soon as
the second line was brought we passed
1t down to him, but his attention was all
taken up with his own situation, and he
did not see what we were doing. /
stood on a projecting rock waving my
hat to gain his attention, for my voice
was drowned by the roaring of the falls,
when just at that moment 1 saw him
take his knife from its sheath and step
forward to cut the line. He had evi-
IDENTIFY decided that it was better to go
over with his boat as it was, than to
wait for her to be broken to pieces. As
he leaned over, the boat sheered again
into the stream, the stern-post broke
away, and she was loose With perfect
composure Bradley seized the great scull
oar, placed it in the stern row-lock, and
| pulled with all his power-and he was q
| strong fellow-to turn the bow of the
/ boat down stream, for he wished to go
. bow down rather than to drift broadside
on. One, two strokes were made, n
third Just as she went over, and the boat
was fairly turned; she went down almost
beyond our sight, though we were more
than hundred feet above the river.
Then she came up again on great wave,
and down and up, then around behind
some great rocks, and was lost in the
tumultuous foam below.
| We stood speechless with fear; we saw
no boat; Bradley was gone. But now,
away below, we saw something coming
out of the waves. 1t was evidently a
boat; a moment more and we saw Brad
ley standing on deck swinging his hat to
show that he was all right. But he was
IN a whirlpool. The stern-post of his
boat remained attached to the line which
was i'll our possession. How badly she
was disabled we knew not. 1 directed
Sumner and my brother to run along the
cliff and see if they could reach him
from below. Rhodes, Hall and myself
ran to the other boat, jumped aboard,
pushed out, and away we went over the
falls. A wave rolled over us and our
craft became ummanageable another
great wave struck us, the boat rolled
over, and tumbled, and tossed, ] know
not how. All / know is, that Bradley
was soon picking us up. Before long we
had all right again, and rowed to the
| cliff and waited until Sumner and
my brother came up. After a difficult
climb they reached us, when we ran two
or three miles further, and turned again
to the northwest, continuing until
night, when we ran out of the granite
/ once more.
At twelve o'clock on August Doth we
emerged from the Grand canyon of the
Colorado, and entered q valley from
which low mountains were seen coming
to the river below. We recognized this
MS the Grand Wash.
At night we camped on the left bank
in mesquite thicket. The sense of
relief from danger and the joy of sue
cess were great. When he who has
been chained by wounds to a hospital
cot until his canvas tent seems like q
dungeon, and the groans of those who
lie about him are an increasing torture
when such a prisoner at last goes out
into the open field, what world he sees
How beautiful the sky, how bright the
sunshine, what "foods of delicious
music" pour from the throats of the
birds, how sweet the fragrance of earth,
and tree, and blossom. The first hour
of convalescent freedom seems rich
recompense for all the pain, the gloom
and the terror
Something like this was the feeling
we experienced that night. Ever before
us had been an unknown danger heavier
than any immediate peril. Every wax
ing hour passed in the Grand canyon
had been one of toll. We had watched
with deep solicitude the steady disap-
pearance of our scant supply Of rations,
and from time to time when we We're
hungry had seen the river snatch por-
ton of the little left. Danger and toll
were endured in those gloomy depths
where often the clouds hid the sky by
day, and but narrow zone of stars
could be seen at night. Only during
the few hours of deep sleep consequent
on hard labor had the roar of the mad
waters been hushed; now the danger
was over, the toll had ceased, the gloom
had disappeared, and the armament was
bounded only by the wide horizon.
The river rolled by in silent majesty;
the quiet of the camp was sweet, our
JOY was almost ecstasy. We sat till long
after midnight talking of Grand canyon,
of home, and, more than all, OF the
three men who had left lis. Were they
wandering in those depths, unable to
find way out Were they searching
over the desert lands above for water ?
Or were they nearing the settlements
with the same feeling of relief that we
ourselves experienced!