Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-10-01

tOusNlOuh Audl lht lNt was II uiuSt
soon break up, and then the lad would per-
haps be drowned.
Finlay sprang forward, but Dick caught
him by the collar and stopped him upon
which Finlay, with an impatient and pow
orful shove, sent the bully backward head
long into the sand and gravel.
The boys in the drlft, who had not seen
the moving ice, but who had lost all adj
miralion for Dick, began 10 cheer.
But in moment everybody was look
ing at the ice which now began 10 grind
against the shore, with crashing and
thunderous sound. A large iat-boat, near
ly hundred feet long, was torn from its
moorings and crushed by the slow, but ir-
resistible, motion Of the ice, which ground
the timbers 10 splinters.
Powerful as was this slow, smooth ava
lanche Of ice, 1t was broken in turn by an
immense rift that stretched nearly from
shore TO shore, passing within twenty feet
Of Tom Corson.
The poor lad was now thoroughly fright
ened, and ran in terror towards the shore,
where stood all the boys and the master,
each suggesting a different plan for saving
him, for the ice on which he stood was be-
ginning TO break up, and he could not get
within hundI ed yards OF the shore, great
longitudinal fissure having shut him of.
Flnlay launched a skif in the opening
made by the first rift, and called to Dick to
get in with him. Dick refused, declaring
that a skiff could not live two minutes in
the Ice,
The school-master, however, got in with
Henry, and they pushed off. Just then a
great triangular piece which had been
loosened by the second rfissure, caught
against The shore, and being forced down
by the mass OF ice above, assumed rotary
motion, and soon made kindling-wood OF
the skiff.
The master and Finlav were glad 10 get
back TO the shore with their lives. Both bad
held to their oars, and Finlay seized the
one carried by the school master, and, with
the Two in his hands, leaping upon this
rotating cake Of ice, ran 10 its outer edge,
where ii was grinding hoarsely against the
yet unbroken mass upon which Tom stood.
He sprung clean over The dangerous point
OF contact, and reached the terrified Tom.
Take this oar" he said, land follow
me-"
The cake of ice next the shore had by
this time drilled away from the mass on
which they Stood Finlay easily cleared
the gap but Tom fell IN, and Finlay pulled
him out by the oar, 10 which Tom held
with death-grip.
The triangle was fast going 10 pieces, and
at the next leap FiDlay mad TO scramble
out of the water first, and then pull Tom
out.
But now there was no longer any com
municaii on with the shore, and the saliva
tion of the two boys seemed out OF the
question. They drined along upon cake
of ice, which ever grew smaller by the
wearing away OF its edges. The boys and
the school master ran down 10 the shore,
helpless TO do anything for the lads who
were ahoat.
Then there was a sound below them oi
cracking OF ice-cakes such as they had moi
heard before. 1t came nearer. ...
The ice before the two boys seemed 10 be
running back upon their own piece, which
reared up in front, broke in two In the
middle, and was overwhelmed and sunk
by great piece from above.
Finlay and Tom managed 10 extrcate
themselves from the ruin Of the ice-raft on
which they had stood, and to get upon the
piece which bad been forced above it. Then
they saw what it meant. The ice was
gorged at the bend of the river. For a min
ute the great mass was locked in.
Quick I! 1t is already trembling, and
about 10 move. Only swift and agile feet
can save them.
They climb along the ridge, and over the
hummocks. They are safe ashore at the
very instant when the dull roar and swash
sets in again, and the great, grinding mass
Is on the move.
The master had fully intended 10 punish
Dick Corson. But he couldn't. The events
of the morning had punished him. His
disgrace was so complete that a whipping
would almost have been mercy. But the
teacher did write upon the black board
"Bullies are not generally brave" And
Dick Corson left school, Ed'Vdrd Elgles-
ton, in Youths Companion.