St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-12-05


by the old man who had spoken first.
"Only last winter poor Henry Bleech-
er was frozen to death on the shore of
Battlesnake Island; and then lust
week afterwards, poor Cap'n Deer
been on the lake all his lifetime, got
bewildered in the squalls, and died out
there all alone in the dark and cold,
and his folks to home settin' up to day
light expectin' him Oh, it was awful
dreadful to think of it; but nothin' to
what 1t would be for woman-a young,
tender, beautiful woman" tear wet
the hardy old mountaineer's face, and
he turned to dry it on his coarse hand
! kerchief.
At this moment the brisk Jingle of
sleigh bells was heard at the door, and
before the eager listeners could spring
forward to open it upon the new conner,
Will Argensen entered, wrapped up in
buffalo robe.
IL am ready to attend you to Wolf
6oro, If you still think of going,n said
he, addressing the lady.
She arose quickly at the sound of his
voice, and accepting the large blanket
which the ticket master kindly offered
her as further protection from the in
clement weather, she followed her con-
ductOr into the dark, piercing night,
and was lifted into the sleigh which
awaited them. Argeusen wrapped the
buffalo closely around her, and attach
ing the large glass lantern, which he
had carried in his hand, to the front
part of the cutter, he sprang in. The
horse was a large, powerfully built ami
mai of dark iron gray, and his fiery
eyes, as well as his long, slender neck, =,
showed him spirited and strong.
The eager crowd of idlers left their
warm corners by the stove, and gath
cred around the sleigh and its Occu-
pants, some expostulating on the mad
ness of the twain in setting out on such
a night-others wishing them God
speed, and amid the murmured accla-
nations they drove off, ....
Half a mile on terra .tirn,o, and the
horses feet rang sharp and clear on the
ice of the Winnipisseogee. The summit
of the tall, blue mountains which arose
on either side of our travellers were
shrouded in an impenetrable mist, and
the light wind which blew was INSULT
cient to break up the clouds of rime
that filled the air.
Little or no conversation passed be-
tween these two people, so recently
thrown together. Argensen was occu-
pied with thoughts of the perilous un-
dertaking before them the lady with
sad images of her dying mother-6ying
without kiss of her only child to sooth
her passage through the dark void be-
tween time and eternity.
! With anxious eye the young noun
talneer scanned the thickening air, and
the terrible thought would fit across
his brain-"lf a squall should rise ~
Nearly four miles of the journey was
passed over in safety. They had reached
the dreariest part of the road, and the
darkness became almost palpable.
Mountains black as Erebus completely
walled in the shining track of ice, and
by the pitching of the cutter, and the
careful progress of the horse, they knew
that drifts of snow and ridges of ice OBJ
structed the way.
! The wind steadily increased, and cut
the face like Il sharp icicle. The breath
OF our travellers CONCEALED almost before
1t left their bodies, and the dark sides
of the horse were covered with IA feath-
cry frost.
The cold became intense, penetrating
the thick buffalo skins as if they had
been mere cObwebs, and the delicate
frame of the girl was chilled through.
BraVely she suppressed the deadly
shlvers that involuntarily stole over
her, but Argensen felt the effort, and
drawing his arm around her, he said in
a low, earnest tone:
| Lady, we are strangers, but it is no
time to stand for ceremony when one is
freezlng. Sit as close to me as possible,
and lay your face upon my breast; the
wind is rising to gale, and the squalls
Will be upon us ere longw
With one powerful hand he guided
the horse with the other he held close
to his side the little, trembling form of
his companion and the noble gray, as
if feeling that everything depended Oh
their reaching the end of their journey
before the breaking of the squall over
their heads, tore bravely on.
In vain in vain in vain The mad
wind bore along the ebon clouds with
the swiftness of lightning, and scarcely
more than five miles of the way were
passed ere it burst upon them in all its
fury. The dreaded "white eye" envel-
oped them. Hail in minute particles of
frozen snow, in thick, continuous sheets.
blinded the eyes of brave Argensen,
and shut out the din, over-arching sky.
The horse drew up under the lee of
wooded island, and could be induced TO
go no further. Argensen clasped both
arms about his paralyzed companion,
and awaited the progress of the storm.
Heavily, and more heavily she leaned
upon his shoulder, and at length the
fatal truth rushed over him with appal-
ling force-the sleep that invariably
precedes death by freezing was upon
her! He sprang up wildly.
''For the love of heaven, awake
Rouse yourself! To sleep is DEATH"
A faint moan was the only response.
He tore off the buffalo robes which en-
velOped her, and vigorously chafed her
cold hands and breathed upon her lev
lips. For time he feared that he held
only death in his arms; but at last. bv
the dim light of the lantern he saw
flush steal over her face, and her eye
lids slowly unclose.
''Is it my mother holding me? ?n she
said dreamily then, as if remem berino
all, she drew herself away from the
arms that supported her. Argensen
soothed and encouraged her, until the |
storm broke and the clouds were swept
away. A few faint, struggling stars
burst through the billow of vapor, and
like angels eyes looked down upon the
wild desert of snow. Two hours they
waited there-two hours of agonizing
suspense-ere the noble horse could be
made to pursue his way. With more
than mere brute instinct, he knew the
dangers of the way in the thick dark
ness and storm nd ,.oEr,col 4 |