The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1876-10-19


10 undertake The horses and ibei
riders we're soon ressA aud the waKal
pole made fssg to .be yeke II The oIsu b
chain lhs, seemed ksa aexlble lbaI
s'ronE, bat wiih every alsnrasce Of ssiet,
from opr new.found Iesier, we stni.te,
our illie lady ~ ressme her Eai, an,
telling beF playfally D bold on to .hD
brake IL abe was sfriid The ark wouls
tip over, We rode ahead iuto ihe roAr,nl
stream.
I Eseh one found enolgh to do to kesT
himself from going down With the aero,
current, and each one bsmed the fool
beadiness that bad riked a woman to
cross alone, or, Ia fact, . cross al all.
Struggling up the step bank, every
eye was turned to ,bcwaRon. II was
half way across; the canister up TO bis
neck In The water, tie oxen stopped,
holiine their noses highup.and snorting
wba, had hspp.ned2 The chain had be.
come unfssieued and the pole hung
sSsying loosely betwera the cattle. while
every moInent the rushing rapids threat
ened to oyerturn The tnwieldiy vehicle.
We could see Our plieky little friend
grsping The brake (dea soul, she had
taken our joking order in earnesD; bat
she did not speak. Aher 9 minute that
seemed an hour, the nan recovered the
pole. and again fastening il TO the yoke,
started on.
Meanwhile the water grew deeper and
more boisterous, and same pouring into
the body with such fOrG as wonld surely
have drowned our friesd, wien we saw
b g't ont on the front sep, aud then
climb quickly aud qnielIy mp on to the
Old canvass top, and cling there like
squirrel, while The whole swayed and
bent backward and forward, down aud
up, like ship At sea. One or two more
p'unges, and ths oxen regsiaed their
foolias, and tue danger was over; bur
there was one unanimous sheut a. the,
crswlrd up the bank. aui our brave lad,
sail, | had 10 let go Of be brake, but
don't you SEQ have come out top of the
heap? ~.,4m ass-,sIe
Taking us by the blttohhole, and draw
ing Us aside, our Yankee OK driver said,
never heard syip from that gal the hull
way over; aud know my nigh OK was
expecting ont, FOR seed him turn his
head round To ketch tie lust yell; aud
that's what on,ackled the pole. Whar du
she hail from, anyhowf and when we
odd him from Down rsast, be fair;y
Dared, swan ltp lnhni 1 might have |
knowed 1t. If could lind another as
gritty, I'D marry her 10 horrer; and she |
,hould be mistress of as pooty rancho
as grows in these here diggins; and what
d more, know IL is uuherpinned all |
'ver with gold-dust.
Night came on apaee, and We still had
long pull up the mountain, over All In
lined plain road, aud our John owned
hat he had never peeu over II At ali.
our team was uninjnred, and
We were soon on our way. Darkness
vas rendered more dense by the. pine
oresIs on either side, aud ouly by send
ny one person ahead to feel out the sud.
ZEN turns, aud to stand with bis lighted
ighr, could We manage TO crawl along:
Looking far ahead, We saw light that
Joked human TO our wearied el es, aud
rawing cIoserf We hailed It accordingly.
bat from The door came dozen men aud ,
oys, sstonished TO see visitors 10 such
tate Ui roads. -
Our heroine had been perfectly silent
jr the past hour, worn out with all the
ay had brought abon; but st the first
ght OF shelter she cried out, Can yeu /,
ecp us all night! You must, any way;
Or am halt drowned and wholly sta, we'd l
nd sm not going to travel in California
ny more tonight.
Stay you shall, said onr Mountain
louise host, though haven't ssparc bed
, the honse; but IA turn right out OF
line, snd you'll sleep ike top.
supper WIS soon ready, and The stack
I fried eggs that came on TO the table
isappeared as snddealy as our pluck,
tie companion did fion our midsi {
hen the feast was ended.