Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-02-05

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But | turned in and got some sleep
in defiance Il the elemental war with
out
At five o'clock in the morning, as the
gray light was struggling into life
NJ 'Causland came fully dressed, into my
room. started up.
" Dress yourself rs quickly as you can,
and come down stairs he said. | began
to ask questions. Lose no time, there's
Il good fellow; | want your assistance. >
lie left the room.
| Jumped up at once. hurried to the win
dow, and looked out. Day was just break
ing through the misty sky, and all the
world was raining. The water was splash
ing from the caves and mingling with the
heavy drops, burst into n separate stream
in every rut and furrow. The wind beat
the tall trees and reared amid the branch
es. Ever and anon sharp snap denoted
Il bough torn from lis place and whirled to
the soaking earth.
| dressed quickly. and joined M'Caus-
land in the little parlor. lie was study
ing u private copy of the railroad time
tables, which, us IN official, he always
carried.
"Will you take the horse and ride down
to Ammcring junction with n mes
sagc?"
His collected manner assured me. Was
this all? A ride through the rain was not
much. "Of course | will go"
lie grasped my hand firmly. " Are
YOU nelvous?n he said and he held it in
his own steady grasp.
" Nonsense" | replied, laughing. I'm
be ready in five minutes, if it's important.
Is the horse herc?'
ran up for my water-proofs. When
came down, the horse was ut the door,
and NJ Causand inspecting him.
| mounted Now" l said, for the
great message, if you please
M'Causland S tone had something very
solemn in it rs he replied:
4" Tell the station master at Ammering
Junction, and any people you see, that the
South Reservoir will not last three hours.
1t will burst down the valley, and will ds
stroy the Apps ViaLuct, and carry away
the bridges on the Holmesdae branch.
Stop the traffic, and save the passengers.
God bless you! and hark ye, ride for your
life. | will fire the signal as a warning,
Good by
Mechanically gathered up the reins,
nodded to M'Causland, for was too
stupilied to reply in words, and started
upon my wild ride. Three hours hence
and the water would be pouring down the
valley through which my course lay.
No wonder had to ride for my life, and
perhaps the lives Of hundreds Of my fellow
creatures depended on mine. Ammering
junction was some miles away. My route
lay through IN unknown country, across
moorland ntersected by flooded streams,
and swept by the fierce wind and rain.
| must do it, thought, rs my horse
picked his cautions away amid the loose
stones down the steep by-road we had
assembled the previous day. | should need
all my strength, though, to execute my
task, so | pressed on. y valuable slice
out of my mind had been expended when
reached the broad highway and urged
my horse to n higher speed. | had to turn
off again, | knew, but | fancied | should
easily find the path. Besides, was there
not Il sign-post? Therefore, urged by
dreadful tidings, and with the fierce wind
and biting rain by turns and all together
assailing me, urged my horse onward. |
reached the turning, and halted to read
the direction should take, | nearly faint
cd with horror US road. The fatal finger
pointed up the cross-road | was pursuing
-" 70 llolmesdalc and Seaham.n The
opposite index pointed-To Ruddai and
Ammering." | could scarcely credit my
senses. Surely | was right We had
come up the previous day, and up the hill
to the reservoirs. had merely 10 reverse
the route we had Travelled. At that mo-
mcnt, if you will believe me ;lhe true state
Of the case and my own stupidity flashed
upon me. We had come from Holmes
dale. was now bound for Ammering.
which now lay at the opposite side.
This was Il terrible mistake. 1t was
now past o'clock. One of the three
precious hours had elapsed and | was
further from Ammering than when |
started. was seized with despair; what
ever could do now? Two hours remain
ed, and | had three uphill miles to ride,
and then about seven more across the
moor, before could reach the junction,
and before that the trains might have
started, and then
| burst out into Il cold perspiration at the
thought and then, desperate and only hall
conscious, rode mldIy back to the Am
mering road and up the hill again. But
the storm licnd WAS abroad and had array
ed all his force against me.
As we gained the more open ground. tic
blast came down with such violence rs lc
sLaggcr Us. 1t tore across the hillside
and whzzed and hissea among the gorsc
and swayng grass. The rain came down
more dcterminedly than ever. At length
| | reached Il small cluster of stone cottages
and halted under the lee Of the last one tC
take breath for fresh Struggle over The
moor which lay before me. Astraight rout
| Law over it-a good road, but crossed a'
| intervals by rapid streams which hat
overilowed their usual limits, and sweleC
over their boundaries in all the pride o
spate' across the tlinty stones which
had deiied them all the summer long
| The submits of the neighboring hill
were shroudcd in II veil of mist, but far il
advance, on the level, could trace tn,
railroad line From the elevation at whicl
stood | could trace the channel of tn,
| Apps River down the valley, and coult
guess the spot at which the flood woul,
strike the railroad and the branch lin,
over the spur of the hill. | could Just dis
tinguish the junction in the middle dis
tance. A dark smoke Appeared to be ris
ing from it; an engine. perhaps, waiting
| to start with train, AMI | was lingering
on the hill. All this, and more, coult
perceive us rested on the summit Some
what refreshed, | rode manfuily forwar,
| into the storm,
L.; I 4