The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-01-01

d One look to heaven--a glance down to
the swiftly-running river, and the person
I addressed leaped feet first. Unthink-
ingly. moved suddenly; the light gig
rocked. In vain attempted to recover
by balance; the boat tipped over and |
fell headlong into the water, now covered
with debris.
The two planks started after me to-
gether from beneath the thwarts. ,tr .t
sank; and as did SO I thought of
Rosie, and made up my mind TO die, if
must; but l struggled manfully tor life
the while. ss-.
When one is unwillingly under water
the brain seems to become buster than at
all other times. know not why, but in
that half minute or SO that 1 was under
meath saw many acts of my life. Cir.
cumstances looked, from ms mental
point OF view, very different
from what they had to my
bodily eyes. had plenty of time to re-
| pent my rashness to utter prayer and
to forgive my enemies; and then I strug-
gled, knocked my head, half sank again,
put out my right arm and grasped some
thing. it was plank. ns..5~ ,.,.... .ts...
| Seeing body rising up close by, I
raised the head. The person had tried
to save was sensible, evidently. il"
twas delighted 10 find that he, too
was floating on plank, the twin support
| er of my arm, and how those good
friends tossed about, and drove up against
each other in sheer delight, as we all
| foated away fast downstream together,
battles description. --., s..
| impelled my plank toward the other,
and, no doubt added by that woudrous
law Of attraction and sympathy which
exists even in wood, succeeded in get
ting close to my companion. Leaning
my arm upon the trusty plank, I man
aged to support the form near me; but all
this time we neither of us spoke word,
nor could we discern each others fea.
lures. The fast subslding fire YVES far
| behind us now. .......
The steady planks kept floating with US
toward the bank, but 1 was not very anx-
ious to go ashore JUS. then, az the river.
sides were steep, and certain curling ed
dies aid not look attractive.
! The moon had been obscured by heavy
clouds; but we could discern the stones
which here and there rose up from out of
the water from a shoal in midstreau. We
should soon be in safety. The planks
apparently thought otherwise. They
bobbed about and grew very impatient
to reach the shore.
There's distant thunder! A storm is
coming up. No. it must be train pass.
ing the bridge above. No; the noise in
creases the sound is born continuously
on the wind. The planks got very rest
less now. The banks even came closer
to us, but the stream ran all the faster.
The noise was getting louder every min
ute.
knew what it was at last knew too
well-it was the mill Weir!
It, the slulce were open to the huge
over. shot wheel our doom was sealed.
Nothing much short of miracle could
save US. Striking out for the bank. l
called for my companion to do the same,
but encountered with the ulster coat his
progress was not great.
We would find footing on the lasher
probably; the eddy would assist US.
We fcated round the turn in the stream
The wheel was revolving. I could plainly
!, hear the splash, splash of the monoton-
Gus clank and dash; the water dripped
and ran away from the grinding wood.
, work, and gladly escaped beneath tt
, save being crushed to air on the top Of
,, those mighty paddles.
We had two channels to choose from -
one over the weir, the other beneath The
:, wheel. The suction in the latter We:
+ tremendous. I SWAN strongly tor ths
r former. I reached the slippery piles anc
caught them, A bright light was burn
, ing in small window in the mil, twenty
:, yards OF SO away. We were in an eddy
. for 4 moment. I called out loudly. I
r, head was put ont. yelled again. Thu
!, plank whereon / Law slipped from be
> hcadlong down the toamy lasilcr like a,
- arrow from bow, while my compsniol
J, was wrenched away and darted for tn
, wheel.
q A loud cry escaped me as we parted
;, All was over now. Death at last. "Ot
- Rosie: my darling Rosie! till We NEE
! in hcaven--fareweli! had time
n think SO much--no more.
"He's all right; don't you lnbbers kee
:, around like that--sheer of. can't ye
81 Let chap have mou,hfuI of air. HUI
rah, yer sowis: he's brea1hin!"
20 He was. It was I. But how veal
T how very i'll, mentally and bodily, fe
"a when 'irst woke again to life snd aske
ia for Rosiel
f :'SnaEs hes wandering in his mind, {
g. ne is. Dinny, cua up and rell the cal
i tain the gintleman's alive. Hurry now
g. J. remember nothing mere until I four
70 myself in barracks, in my brother
- quarters. Then suppose fell aslee
ID But when I again woke to consciousne!
pr they told me, in mufHed tones, that hs
" only just pulled through brain fever, al
", had been il bed nearly five weeks.
J. Five weeks! was due in London:
" told the doctor SO, Or somebody spoke {
n, me--as least the vuice was not like n
own.
IT Indeed, then, it's out O. this ye do,
ct stir, me lad, lawyers or no lawyer
no. Quiet, now, or I'll give ye composer, al
e send We to sleen Tor another month !"
ii submitted, ana got better. In fo
n. night was down again in the ant
60 room, where I was welcomed as a Che
~ If ynnopco - 11ho <rroS c,,i,1;