Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1876-08-23

ing to US. May l never, but II
young Nine, Parnell herself! Ye,
and there's the child with her,
said one of the men on the bank.
I "Can't be" said another incredu
lously. "The farmer would neve
have fingered this long, till he
right in the grip of the ice."
"Parnel's not tew hum,
tell you," answered another il
New Jersey accent. "He's ava,
this week past to Philadelphia
City. Yes, that's the wife calling
for help, poor young thing! Guess
these cowardly slSunks of hiret
men hev gone off on the fat boat
and left the woman and child to
shift for themselves" ..
To explain this l may briefly say
that, two miles above Ithaca al
most opposite to the bluff on which
we were standing, there is an islet
in the river shaded by trees, and
which derives its name from some
fancied resemblance in the shape
to that of ship. On it stood a
farm house, with brightly painted
gables of carved woodwork, a tiled
roof, and porch which in summer
was festooned with climbing roses
"a picturesque object in the land
scape. Often in the still sultriness
OF an August day l had looked ad-
admiringly at the house, with its
peach and apple orchards, its mead
ows shaded by tall cottonwood,
poplars, and its sunny garden
sloping to the waters edge, where
the great streaked MELONS and
yellow pumpkins lay basking in
the midst of blooming flowers, and
had considered it as the very abode
of peace. / knew tho proprietor
of this enviable dwelling-Seth
by nalne-but very slightly, and
had never met with the 9th cr mem
bers of his family, OF set foot on
his tiny domain.
This island farm was in great
danger from tue advancing ice was
but too manifest and | was aston
ished when, on demanding who was
ready to assist me in carrying all
to the deserted woman and child, |
no response was made beyond a
leprecatory growl of dissent from
ny proposal.
"Throwin' life away rs you'd
hrow a corn stalk, that's what |
'all it." pithily rejoined after a
,ause, the old woman from the hills.
'Tain't the drift that's speckling
he river now that I'd value the
mapping of gunlock," he contin- ,
ed, pointing to the loose ice float
lg by; otis the gorge itself, that ,
'ould smash in the side of a hun '
red ton sloop as boy cracks a !
eanut and see mister, tho jams t
realSing already" l n
And indeed the icc wall, which C
ad for some moments been i
,ationary, having probably anchor f
| itself on some shoal or sand c
INK, was again in motion, urged S
Y the rcsistless pressure of the 7
)od above it, while tho shrieks C
I'd dispairing gestures of the lone o
occupant of the islct showed in o
hat agony of alarm she beheld Il
o near approach of the destroy ii
z wave. Still, although l made
! urgent appeal to those around b
aid me in manning q broadhorn IN
one of number of boats of ol
rious build and size that lay @,
Dored in the creek hard by-+no II
luntcer answered to the call, and ci
len ! declared my intention of ii
ing alone to the rescue of those I'll
the island, efforts were made to tr
ssuadc inc from running the risk OF
what, to the bystandcrs appear W
to be all but inevitable death. W
"Good grit I'll say for the Brit al
her" Such were the old farmers III
lcdictory words as | sprang into bl
'anoe, grasped the paddle, and p'
shed off. "Pity, too, to see it ad
ne. We onghter hev held him be
TX 10y force, ncighbor." en-
was by this time well l,
Of the creek, which formed NC
{ of miniature harbor, and ply th
my paddle with the vigor ncccs- pc
y to contend with the force of the su
rent, now swollen by the effects wi