St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-02-11
& Sleigh Ride for Life.
JASPER T. JENNINGS IN GOLDEN DAYS.

to a close. There had been a thaw,
with warm, drilling rain, all day
but just before dark the wind chang
ed, and great masses of inky clouds
rolled up from the northwest. 1t
grew cold very rapidly, and before 9
o'clock the soft, "spOshyn snow had be
come a frozen mass of ice. The morn
ing dawned clear and bright, with the
mercury only four degrees above zero.
Frosty particles glittered in the air, and
the cleared fields at the base of the dis
tant blue Oquago mountain seemed cas-
ed in fetters of ice.
Boys" said father, rising from the
table and going where the warm fire
was glowing like molten gold in the
CRATE, "can't you take Mr.. Fenton's
sleigh home this morning as you go to
school It's down hill most of the way,
and you can draw it easily 10y hand.
You will have plenty of time before
school commences, aud then you'll not
be bothered to come home with the
horses
OF course we could take it, just rs
well as not. John was II and | was 10,
hale and hearty and with our strength
of muscle and ambitious spirits, we un-
doubtedly felt, as most young men of
that age do. that we were full team"
for almost anything. The long, yellow
sleigh, with three seats and heavy swan
necks in front, was soon at the door.
The dinner basket and books were plaG-
ed therein, and each took his place at
the pole, for brisk run along the icy
road.
'Let me say one word to you, boys,
before you 60" said father, coming out
upon the stone steps. "Don't undertake
to ride down hill. It's icy and it's dan
gerous. Remember what | tell you"
"All right" we shouted in concert, as
we started on a run. The half-mile
that interviewed between our place and
the school house was soon passed. A
number of girls and boys were running
about the yard as we came up.
"Hurrah for Il sleigh ride-a genuine
old fashioned good one - l shouted, as
we halted before the door. "Come,
boys and girls, get in. Load up the old
sleigh and go down to Mr.. FentOn's
with us. Wen have a glorious time,
and get back before school commences.
! Come! ~
Alas, in our moments OF excitement
anu nlldlllN, now soon WIS the duulO-
milton of kind father forgotten
"GOodm calculated Harry Sugars,
buttoning up his coat and drawing on
his mittens. "Girls, get your cloaks
and shawls and bundle up, and we'll
have a half-hour's fun fit for king"
In less than five minutes the long
sleigh was well filled with laughing,
merry crowd, and we were ready to
start. Billy Smith stood up in front TO
hold the pole, and two of the larger
boys took their places on the sides to
steer. Herb Martin stepped behind and
pushed the sleigh two or three rods as
fast as he could run, and leaped aboard.
We were fairly under way. Before we
had passed over 10 rods, | began to see
that we had undertaken a dangerous
ride. On we flew, gathering speed fast
er and faster with every rod we passed
over, until the keen air blew in our
| faces, and the trees and fences seemed
| to dash past us at an amazing rate OF
| speed. What if we should happen to
meet a loaded vehicle | could not help
shuddering at the thought. The boys
who were acting as steersmen were
stout fellows, who knew their duty
well but | noticed they already had
hard work, and the sleigh, with its
heavy load of human freight, was get
ting beyond their control. We had not
taken into consideration the icy road,
and the weight of the load that was
propelling the smooth steel sleigh shoes
with almost irresistible power.
We had good mile of down grade
to ride, and scarce a quarter of the dis
tance had yet been passed. A shoI t
way below us the road made an abrupt
turn to the right, around spur of the
steep hillside. The ground had slid
away on the lower side of the road
around this turn, and an almost sheer
precipice yawned below for more than
$50 feet. COuld we make the turn
We had little time to think. A loaded
sleigh had passed along the road the
night before, and the runners had cut
deep furrows in the soft slush, which
was now frozen like adamant. Doubt
less these aided greatly in keeping oul
| sleigh in its proper position. We dash
ed around the dangerous turn like wild
fire. | shuddered as | caught an in
Simultaneous glimpse of the tall tree-top,
away below us, and lower still the clus-
tiers of willows that lined the icy shore
of the river.
At the same moment a column o
white steam shot up from the foot o.
the bank directly below us, and the
shrill shrek of the locomotive rang
fearfully in our ears. 1t was the up
mail train, sounding its approach to the
station.
The road extended along the steel
hillside in a southwest direction fO
! half mile or more, when it crossed tn,
railroad, near the foot of the descent
In many places the rocks had beer
sliced down forty or fifty feet to form
the road-bed, and precipitous cliff ex
} tended below to the railroad track
Neck and neck we flew along. ever
with the great putting iron monster be
low. 1t was 4 wild race for life : for i
, we met the train at the crossing, n,
earthly power could save us.
The engineer saw us, and prompt,
sounded the danger signal-sharp anc
distinct. 1t rang alarmingly in our ears
like the knell of approaching death
The steersmen grasped the side of tn
sleigh with the energy of despair, ant
setting their teeth together, made las
concentrated effort to check our light
ning-like career. But the moment thei
feet touched the surface they wer
thrown violently upward, nearly jerk
ing them from their positions, and tn