St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-10-15


you coward, and fight on Il level ?"
cried Dick
"Ifyou don't like my way, what do
yeu fight for ?' retorted Finlay. Il
am peaceable fellow. Iou are a
bully. You have picked this lonesome
spot to attack me. do not want to
fight, and | won't stand out and fight
like rooster, OF a bulldog or Il prize
fighter. If had IL stick or Il stone,
would not hesitate to Use it to defend
myself. shall not fight You as Il
man, but us | would Il bad dog. shall
stand here. If you walk away, shall
go on. If you attack me like IL high
wayman, shall knock You down, if
there is strength enough in my round
ahout, and think there is"
This Was more than Dick Corson had
bargained for. He saw that Finlay ut
terry rejected his code, and took all the
advantage of his defensive position.
And F'inlay had never seemed quite so
81 H'ls ut this moment.
4re IrllOw was not exactly Il coward
after all. He was us cool ls could he.
and it gradually dawned on Dick that
if he struck at Finlay once, he
might give the bows under the drift
heap the pleasure of seeing his own de
feat.
For the present, therefore, he con
tented himself with taunts, which did
not seem to disturb his big, gnod-na-
tured antagonist Finlay sat down on
IL log near by. while Corson continued
to exhaust his breath. conscious all the
time that the boys under the drift pile
-. I.
suddenly Henry Finlay arose and
started forward, saving. "Get ont OF
the way, Dick, the ice is moving"
You lie :" said Dick. ITS no such
thing You just want to get away.
and | won't let YOU
tell you its moving. and there's
your brother Tom, half way over !,
He'll he drowned -
You don't come that gum game
over me - cried Corson. whose courage
revived at what he thought the first
symptoms of returning cowardicc on
the part of Finlay.
In truth the great m;lSS of ice. near
lN Il mile in width. had begun to move
slightly, and Dicks Younger brother.
on his WAY to school, was walking at
his usual pace, unconscious that the Ice
WAS atinat. 1t must soon break up and
then the lad would perhaps he drown
ed.
Finlay sprang forward. hut Dick
caught him 10y the collar and stopped
him upon which Fimlay with IN i'm
patient shove. sent the bully back
wards hcadlong into the sand and gray
cl.
The boys in the drift. who had not
seen the'moving Ice, but who had lost
all admiration for Dick. began to cheer.
But III il moment every body was
looking at the ice which now began Il"
grind against the shore. with IL crash
ing and thunderouS sound. \ large
tlat-hoat nearly Il hundred feet long.
was torn from its mnoringS and crush
ed 10y the slow. but irresiStahle. motion
of the ice. which ground the timhers
ia -,Ilintcr>.
Powerful as was this avalanche of
ice. it was broken in turn 10y an I'M
mrnSc rift that stretched nearly from
shore tn shore. passing within twenty
feet of Tom Corson.
The poor lad was now thoroughly
frightened. and ran in terror towards
the master. each suggesting IL different
plan fnI saving him. for the ice on
which he stood WAS beginning To break
up. and he could not get within one
hundred yards of the shore. Il long
itudiual ti~surc having shut him off.
FnlaN launo he'd Il skin III the open
inc made hv the first rift. and called to
Dick tn get in with him. Dick refused.
declaring that IL Skitf could not live two
minutes III the ice.
The school master. however. got i'll
with Henry. and they pushed oil. just
| then a great triangular piece which had
| been loo>cned 10y the second ii>>ulr.
caught against the shore, and heing
| forced down 10y the mass of ice above.
assumed IL rotary motion, and soon
made kindling- wood of the skin.
| The master and Finlay Mere glad Ia
get back to shore with their lives. Both
| had held to their oars. and Finlay
seized the one carried 10y the school
master. and. with the two III his hands.
| lcaping upon this rotating cake OF ice,
ran to its outer edge. where 1t was
| grinding h"aI>cly against the Yet un-
| broken mass upon which Tom stood
| lie sprung clean over the dangerous
point of contact. aud reached the tel
riticd Tom.
Take this oar" he said, land fol
low me-"
The cake of ice next the shore had
hv this time driftcd away from tn,
mass on which they stood. FinlaN
easily cleared the gap but Tom CorS"r
fell in. and Finlay succeeded in pull
ling him out by the oar. t" whirl
Tom held with Il death-grip.
The triangle WAS fast going to pieces
and ut the next leap Finlay had IL
scramble ont of the water first. an'
thcu pull Tom out.
But there WAS now no longer any
communication with the shore. and the
salvation of the boys seemed out of tn,
question. They drifted along upon 4;
cake of ice. which ever grew smaller
by the wearing away of its edges
The boys and the school-master raj
down to the shore. helpless to do any
thing for the boys who were atloat.
Then there WAS Il sound of cracking
ice-cakes such us they had not hear,
before. 1t came nearer.
The ice before the two boys seemed
to be running back upon their owl
piece, which reared up in front, brok,
in.two in the middle, and was over
whelmed and sunk by Il great piece
from above.
Finlay and Tom managed to eXtrl
cate themselves from the ruin of tho
icr-raft on which they had stood, ant
to get upon the piece which had bcer
forced above it. Then they SAW what
II meant. The ice was gorgcd at tn,
bend of the river. For a minute the
great mass was locked in.
Quick 1t is already trembling an'
about to move. Only swift and agile
feet cam SnI. tban