Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-01-12

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had time to escape"
"G0d help them, then :" mutteret
another; sits all over with then
now"
At that moment the CHATTER o.
\ hoofs was heard along the stony
road, and a single horsemaR came
tearing down toward the bank, biz
white hair and his horses name
streaming on the wind like q pen
non. A murmur ran through the
crowd as he approached. dts our
master; it's the Count of Hide
sheim ~
Even before he reached the spot,
the Count had evidently seen the
danger Of the island family, for his
first words were:
1.-TWO hundred thslers to the
man that saves them. Who will
go?'
The men looked at each other in
silence. There were no faint hearts
among them but the bravest man
might well have shrunk from that
boiling whirl of foam, in whose
grasp the strongest boat would have
been as nothing. More than one
eye kindled, more than one hand
clenched itself but nobody stepped
forward. At that moment q huge
wave went roaring up the islet, and
strikingl the cottage wall tore it
away like paper, while the shrieks
of the children and their. mo Their,
who were plainly visible, were heard
even above the bowling of the
storm.
"Will you let them perish before
your eyes :" rOared the Count. IF
1 were ten years younger I'd go
myself"
Just then a solitary figure, which
seemed to have risen through the
earth, so suddenly did it appear,
was seen on the very brink of the
river, launching a small boat. In
instant the boat and man
together in the whirlwind
of spray that filled the air. The
Count clutched his horses name,
and his lips moved as if in prayer,
while more than one stiaed cry
broke from the peasants AS the little
bark at length reappeared close to
the islet, dancing like u feather
amid the roaring waves that surgsd
up around. But the ferrymap lad
seen the coming help and prepared
for it. In an instant his wife was
lowered down, with her baby in her
arms. The two other children fol-
Owed; but, alas !! there was no
place for the father in the tiny skif,
overloaded.
The two brave men exchanged a
look, and understood each other.
the boat, shooting down the
current like an arrow.
More than once all seemed over
tut the oarsman's hand was sure,
md ct last, far down the steam, he
brought his charge safe to land.
Then, without hating a moment, he
eized the tow-rope, and dragging
lis boat up to the point whence he
lad started, shot out into the rag
ne food one more.
".God be with him - cried the
Iount, fervently; no other man in
Saxony would have dared such a
iced -
Stoutly did the gallant man
train at his task, but he came only
ast in time. The ferryman had
arely leaped into the beat when
he whole building came crashing
own. In an instant the whole
rowd was in motion, and, headed
y the Count himself, they rushed
own the bank to meet the res :ued
ian and his deliverer as they
ouched the shore.
There, my brave fellow !" cried
he old noble, holding out his purse
0 the oarsman "never was money
etter earned" '
Mot so, Sir Count" answered
be other. "God has enabled me
0 keep myself by the work of my
wn hands, and | need nothing
lore. Give your gold to this poor {
Ian and his family, who have lost
heir all"
And, without awaiting reply, he ,
armed ON his heel and disappeared.