Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-07-15

der my excited pull. Another stroke,
and it broke at the oar-lock! Great
heavens! and was not dreaming! 1t
was not all nightmare! MY oar was
broken! had no other! My boat was
gliding into the main current of the
river, the Niagara River, and the falls
not fifteen miles below!
What did 1 doP What could I do but
sit frozen in terror, helpless and dumb?
On, on. on was steadily floating. The
night shutting men in; nobody to hear,
nobody to help; the distance between
me and the bank of Grand Island grow
ing wider and wider; that black cruel
current the very gulf of death. No,
did not pray unless the wild shrill cry l
gave when l saw the roof of our house
against the sky was prayer. l had
thrown Off my wrappings to make the
desperate plunge that would only bring
death the sooner, aui1,1save me from
that hurrying dash tagh the rapids
ahead, when gave bud despairing
cry-a shrek so terri6ie that l could
not have repeated it but for the quick
answer it brought. Old Pont answered
me!
Out from the darkness and across the
dreadful river came his loud wolf-like
bay-a furious cry for help. Yes it was
more than that-it promised to save
me; it told me to be brave.
l answered him; calling him by name.
Louder and louder did he bark and
howl as he threw himself against the
door and tore at it with his paws. Ii
the door of Heaven ever opens to me
the light will be like what I saw when
fathers candle flickered over old Points
head. He caught my cry; my boat had
ing he ran down the bank. could hear
the clanking of the anchor chain and
Point struggling to get into the boat.
/" Row for the shore, Peggy?' Father
was at last fairly awake, as he said after
ward. g For Gods sake, why don't
you rowP''
Never word he spoke when 1 shout
ed why did not. He said he tried to
speak-tried to say. Don't be afraid.
Peggy, l can save you;" but it was like
shouting in nightmare. He knew Pont
was swimming after him and he drove
him back with his oar, wondering after
he did so how he dared take the Sec
ond's time. Then he says he remem-
bers nothing more distinctly until we
were nearly ashore, my boat in tow of
his, and I in a dead faint upon my
cargo.
peggy! Peggyr' he was calling when
! came on the beach; and Point could
not be made to understand by blows
why was not to be torn and tossed and
kissed and barked over. peggy!
What tempted you to 90 body liftin'
What graveyard did We take it from?''
That made me laugh, if you can be-
ieve it; even then, in spite of every
thing. kissed father and the dear old
dog and pulled at the grass as 1 sat there
on the bank to make sure 1 was on dry
ground again. Father was dreadfully
bewildered and kept talking about hav-
ing forgotten to feed Pont and to call
him in that night, just as if that was
to be sorry for; for if the dog
had been comfortable in his bed and not
hungry out of doors he would
never have heard my cry, and then
l suppose God sends suffering to us all
to make us help somebody
else.
But, father" said 1, when my chat
tering teeth and Pont would let me
speak, 'you must break into Parson
Doty's barn as soon as ever you can and
take his best horse and ride over to Cap
tain Bedelps for me. No, no, get the
horse and I'll go myself"
Are you crazy, Peggy Is it body
liftin' and horse stealth both at once?"
"It's struggled brandy, father-that's
what's in that coffin-enough to make
our fortune. Don't wait for talk now;
be quick as you ever was in your life.
I'll hide the boat in the flags while you
get the horse. They may be after me
the smugglers-you know"
1 was galloping across the island at
breakneck pace in no time, for the Cap
tain lived on the eastern shore. Father
had taken no notice of my costume, but
Captain Bedell did at once, or rather
he was slow to discover Peggy Herrick
N the rough-looking man rapping with
! whip-handle on his bedroom window
ust before daybreak.
The Captain didn't need many direc-
ions when he was on the trail of SNUG
yled brandy. He sent Vim Smith back
With me to guard the booty-each of us |
carried arevolver-andh he started for the |
poplar tree and the church steeple. Be-
ore night he had the whole gang in
Buffalo jail-Miss Nancy, the departed |
and Jerry Clark, for as
oon as had pushed off with the coffin
he three started out to follow at safe
distance with cask of brandy in their
,oat, and the Captain, who had Jerry
,efore their arrival, had little trouble in
them.
The Captain was a good friend of
nine, and he saw that had not only
he handsome reward, but perhaps more
raise than deserved. He interested
himself in selling our place and in get
ing me into a good boarding school in
Batavia. Colonel Allen, who owns
early all the island, gave father good
ituatIon on his dairy farm, and MEM
er of the Falconwood Club presented
'ont with silver-plated collar with
ATTN on it, which was all well enough,
or Pont can read Latin just as well as
70 can English, and think he would
ather not have everybody know what
e has done in the world.
There. that is all there is to it. 1t is