Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-02-23
A SIeigh.Ride for Life.

the wind changed, and great masses of inky
clouds rolled up from the northwest. ft
grew cold very rapidly, and before nine
o'clock, the soft "sposhy" snow had become
frozen mass of ice. The morning dawned
clear and bright, with the mercury only four
degrees below zero. Frosty particles gilt
tered in the air, and the cleared fields at the
base OF the distant blue Oquago mountain
seemed cased in letters of ice.
"Boys," said father rising from the table
and going where the warm fire was glowing
like molten gold in the open 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 il easily
by hand. You will have plenty of time be-
fore school commences, and then you'll not
be bothered to come home with the horses"
VI course we could take it, Just as well as
not. John was seventeen and | was nine
teen, hale and hearty and, with our strength
oil muscle and ambitious spirits, we undoubt-
eddy felt, as most young men Of that age do,
that we were "full team" for almost any
thing. The long, yellow sleigh, with three
seats and heavy swan-necks in front, was
soon at the door. The dinner.basket and
books were placed therein, and each took his
place at the pole, for brisk run along the
| icy road.
"Let me say one word to you, boys, be-
fore you CO." said father, coming out upon
the stone steps. Don't undertake to ride
down hill It's icy and it's dangerous. Re
member what | say"
GAIL right" we replied in concert, as we
started ON run. The half-mile that inter-
vened 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 sleigh-ride-a genuine old.
fashioned good one |" | shouted, as we halted
| before the door. "Come, boys and girls, get
in. Load up the old sleigh, and go down to
MIR. Fenton's with u.s. Well have glorious
time, and we can all get back before school
commences. Come /"
Alas, in our moments of excitement and
hilarity, how soon was the admonition of a
kind father forgotten
GOOD ~ calculated Harry Sugars, but.
toning up his coat and drawing on his nit
tens. "Girls, get your cloaks and shawls
and bundle up, and we'll have half-hour's
fun fit for a king
In less than five minutes the long sleigh
was well filed 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 then leaped aboard
| We were fairly under way Before we had
passed over ten rods, began to see that we
had undertaken dangerous ride On we
flew, gathering speed faster 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 il we should happen to meet
a loaded vehicle | could not help shud-
dering at the thought. The boys who were
acting as steersmen were stout fellows, who
knew their duty well but noticed they al
ready had hard work. and the Sleigh with its
heavy load of human fright was getting be-
yond their control. We had not taken into
consideration the icy road, and the weight
of the load that was propeling the smooth
steel sleigh-shoes with irresistible power.
We had a good mile of down grade to
ride, and scarce quarter of the distance
had yet been passed. A short 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
one hundred and fifty feet. Could we make
rfrc turnf We had little time to think. A
loaded sleigh had passed along the road the
night before, and the runners had cut deep
burrows in the soft slush, which was now
| frozen like adamant Doubtless these aided
| greatly in keeping our sleigh in its proper
| position. We dashed around the dangerous
turn like wildfire. | shuddered as | caught
All instantaneous glimpse of the tall tree
| tops away below us, and lower still the
clusters OF willows that lined the icy shore
of the river.
AT the same moment column of white
steam shot up from the foot of the bank di-
rectly below u.s. 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 steep hill.
side in southwest direction for half mile
or more, when it crossed the railroad, near
the foot of the descent. In many places the
rocks had been sliced down forty or fifty
feet to form the road-bed, and precipitous
cliff extended below to the railroad track.
Neck and neck we flew along, even with the
| great putting iron monster below. 1t was
| wild race for life for if we met the train at
the crossing, no earthly power could save us.
The engineer saw sand promptly sounded
the danger signal-sharp and distinct. 1t
rang alarmingly in our ears, like the knell
OF approaching death. The steersmen
grasped the side of the sleigh with the en-
ergy of despair, and setting their teeth to-
gether, made last concentrated eff ort to
check our lghtning-like career. But the
moment their feet touched the surface they
were thrown violently upward, nearly jerk
ing them from their positions, and the mad
runaway sleigh dashed on as before.
The engineer seeing our situation-as we
afterward learned-opened the throttle and
threw on every pound of steam the engine
was made to bear. Fearing for our lives, he
made the effort to pass the crossing before
we reached there. 1t was an awful moment
The sleigh-track spun out behind us like
silver ribbons, and the stumps and corners
of fences seemed to dash past us like flashes
of lightning. Little pieces of ice from the
road-bed flew spitefully in our faces and the
wind blew so hard we could scarcely breathe.
Oh, how forcibly did fathers kind words
of warning come back to our recollection
now, and pierce our disobedient hearts with
mental anguish Thoughts of home and
eternity passed wildly through our minds
in quick succession. The girls casped each
others hands, and with staring eyes and
bated breath tremblingly awaited the dread
moment. A moment only We had to think /;
and we were at the crossing, and the crisis
was at hand.
The sleigh struck the iron rails Just ahead
| of the cow-catcher, and with sudden shock
| leaped forward and upward. There was
| frightful changing and kissing around us,
and a deafening screech from the steam
valves as we leaped the track. The hot
breath of the fiery monster fairly swept in
our faces as we dashed before him and he
even left his mark, in the shape of long
and deep indentation on the rear of the
sleigh-box.
The girls uttered a wild shrek of despair,
aud two of them tainted in each others
arms. Billy Smith sank down, pale and
trembling, and the steersmen tottered and
shook as though their almost palsied limbs
were struck with deathly weakness.
| 1t was all over, however. We had won the
race we were at the bottom Of the hill, and
We were safe. The engineer and fireman
swung their hats, and score of handker-
chiefs fluttered at the car-windows as they
dashed past us; but we were too much
frightened to return the congratulation.
Our rate of speed diminished rapidly as
We crossed the little fiat, and, shortly after
We struck the ascending grade, ceased alto
gether. The shock TO our nervous systems
nad been considerable but nevertheless we
soon recuperated, and while the girls slowly
wended their way back to the school-house,
We drew the sleigh TO its destination.
We returned TO the schoo-room that morn
1 -.