The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1877-08-22

huru. the IDEA j. 4ANtetl .-
hasten, Miss Temple, or the smoke may
imcommOde yOu- 4,--i
Do rnoi ten me the danger; Is it greater /
,j,gn IL scemsg ana equal On any trial. I
III we reach the point of yon rock De
f,rr fi,st sheet Of fire. we are safe. Miss
TcmpleW exclaimed the Young man. IN /
irstbat burst without the bounds Of ms /
forced eompOsurc. Fly! the struggle Is /
for your liieH
The place Of the Interview between /
Miss Temple and the Indian has been al /
ready described rs one Of those platforms
az rock. which form q terrace IN the
mountains of that country, and the lace
az II. we have said, was both high ana
nerpeudicular. Its shape was nearly
natural are. ends of which blended with
fine mountain. at points where its sides
we're less abrupt la their descent IL was
rnund one of the denominations Ofthesweep
of the rock that Edwards had assembled,
and Il was toward the same place that he
urged Elizabeth 70 desperate eNertion
of her speed.
Immense clouds of white smoke had
been pouring over the summit of the
mountain. and had concealed the ap-
proach and Tayages Of the element; but
a cracking sound drew the eyes of Miss
Temple, as she flew over the ground, sup
ported by the young man, towards the
outline of smoke, where she already per-
ceiycd the waving ilames shooting for
ward from the vapor, now ilaring high In
the air. and then bending TO the earth,
seeming to light into combustion every
stick and shrub on which they breathed.
| The flying pair were opposed by the sur
ly roaring Of body of fire, rs if fur
mace were glowing in their path. They
rccOiled from the heat, and stood on
point of the rock, gazing in sort OF stu
| porat the flames, which were spreading
rapidly down the mountain, whose side
soon became Il sheet of living fire.
There was beauty as well rs terror In the sight,
and Elizabeth and the youth stood viewing the
| progress Of the desOauOn, with a strange mix
ture of horror and interest. Edwards, however,
| drawing his companion with him, they skirtcd
| the edge of the smoke, the young man penetrating
| frequently into its dense volumes In search Of a
passage, but in every instance without success
| "This mountain is doomed TO be fatal to mel"
| Elizabeth whispered, rather than uttered aloud;
''we shall find our graves ON it," My iatherl my
poor, my distracted iathCr!"
| Edwards, with aching eyes, examined into ey-
cry hssurc in the crags, in quest Of some opening
that might offer the facilities of flight; But the
| smooth, even surface of the rocks afforded hardly
q resting place for foot, much less those cOntin
ued projections which would have been necessary
for a descent Of nearly hundred feet
| Had the flames spread on that rock with half
the quiCkness with which they leaped from bush
10 tree, in other parts Of the mountain, our pain
full task would have soon ended; for they would
have swept of the victims, who were suffering
dOubly under the antiCipatiOns of their approach
ing fate. But the popularity of their situation af
forded Elizabeth and her companion the respite.
i The thin covering of earth over the rock on
which they stood supported but a scanty and fad,
ed haTbage, and most of the trees that had found
root in the assures had already died, during the
intense heats of preceding summers. Those
which still retained the appearance of life, bore
| few dry and withered leaves, that were drained
oftheir nourisismcnt; while the others we're mere
" the wrecks On pines oaks, ana naples, no
better materials to feed the fire could be found,
had there been u communication with the flames ;
but the ground was destitute Of the leaves and
boughs that led the destructive element IKE q
torrent over the remainder of the HUI AS auNill
airy to this scarcity of fuel there was one OF the
large springs which abound in that country,
gushing out of the side of the ascent above, which,
after creeping sluggShly along the level Elnt, sat
uTating the messy covering Of the rock with
moisture, swept round the base Of the little cone
that formed the pinnacle Of the mountain, and,
entering the canopy of smoke near one Of the ter
limitations Of the terrace, found its way TO the
lake, not by dashing from rock to rock, but by
the secret channels Of the earth. When the fire
reached this barrier, il was compelled to pause,
until concentration of its heat could overcome
the moisture, like an army impatently waiting
the operations Of II battcrnE train, TO open its
way TO death and dGsOlatiOn.
| The air seemed quivCring with rays Of heat,
which might be seen playing along the parchCd
stems Of the trees. The excited imagination Of
Elizabeth, as she stood ON the verge of the preci.
pice, and gazcd about her, viewing the approach
Of their powerful enemy, ftnced every toe and
herb near her on the point of ignition. AT such
moments the roaring of the ilames, the cracking
Of the furious element with the tearing OF taling
branches, and, occasionally the numbering
echoes of some Frustrated tree, united to alarm
the victims. Mohcgan, who was nearest to the
danger maintained his scat with the lnVinclble
| resignation of an Indian warrior Much of the
| time he was chanting kind Of low dirgc in the
| Delaware tongue using the deep ana remarka-
! bly, cultural tones Of his people.
! i'At such moment, MIR. Edwards, all earthly
distinctions end" whispered Elizabethi per
suadc John to move nearer to us-let us die to-
| gcther."
81 cannot-he win not STIR" returned the youth,
| in the same horribly still tones. Gle considers
this as the happest moment of his life. He past
| seventy, and has been deCaying rapidly for some
| time; he received some injury in chasing that
unlucky deer, too, on the lake. OH Miss TEN
| pie, that was an unucly chase indeed! it has led,
| ] fear, to this awful scene"
The smile that beamed on the lovely features of
| Elizabeth was celestial, as she answcredin soft,
| soothing voice, "Why name such q trillC now-at
| this moment the heart is dead to all earthly emo
| tons"
"Ifanything could reconcile man, in the Wig
or and pride ofmanhood to this DEATH" cried the
| youth, with teryOr sit would be TO meet it i'll such
| company"
"falk not so, Edwards, talk not So" interrupt,
ed Miss Temple, u am unworthy of it, and 1t is
unjust to yourself. We must die; yesyes-we
must die-it is the will of God, and let us endea.
vor to submit like his own children"
+, "Die!" the youth rather shrieked than exclain,
ed, "No-no-thcre must be hope yet-you must
not shall not die"
"In what way can we escape" asked Elizabeth,
| pointing, with q look of heavenly cOmposure,.
| towards the fire 'Obscrye the fame is cross
| ing the barrier of wet grOuud-it comes slowly,
| Edwards, but surely. Ali scel the tree! the tree
is already lighted"
Her words were too true. Tho heat of the con-
Migration had, ut length, overcome the resistance
of the spring, and the fire was slowly stealing
along the halt-dried moss; while dead pine kin
died with the touch of a forkcd 1ame that for q
moment, wreathed around the stem of u tree, as it
whirled, in one of its evOlutOns, under the lnlu-
ence of the air. The effect was instantaneous and
magical. The flames darted along the parched
trunk of the pine, like lightning quiyering on Il
chan and Immediately column of living lire
was raging on the terrace. 1t soon spread from
tree to tree, and the scene was evidently drawing
TO a close. The log on which Mohegan was seat
cd lighted at its farther end, and the Indian APP
peared t0be surrounded by the fire. Still he was
unmoyed AS his body was unprotected, his SUI
lerngs must have been great, but his lortitude
was superior TO all. His voice could yetbe heard,
raising its tones, even III the midst Of these hor-
rors. Elizabeth turned her head from the sight,
and faced the valley. Furious eddes of wind
were created by the heat, and, just at the mo-
ment, the canopy of fiery smoke that overhung
the valley was cleared away, leaving distinct
view Of the peaceful village beneath them.
"My fatherl-my father!" shreked Elizabeth.
"Ohl this-this surely might have been spared
me--but submit"
The distance was not too great for the figure of
Judge Temple to be seen, standing in his own
grounds, and apparently contemplating, in per
feet ncOnciousness of the danger of his child, the
mountain in flames.
"My Incorporate warmth has done this !" cried
Edwards in the accents of despair. "If had
possessed a mOiety of your heavenly resignation,
Miss Temple all might yet have been we'll"
"Name it not-name it not" she said SIT is now
of no avail. We must die, Edwards we must die
let us do so as Christians. But, no--you may
yet escape, perhaps. Your dress is not so fatal
as mine. Fyl leave me- An openinr NAV vet