Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-05-29

UOO SIoisUs oOOA 1oAn0 Wd0 SottAuB
exhausted, and climbed into the wagon
bed. Ellen was much frightened, but
calm. / treasured her to some extent,
by telling her there was no danger,
though far from feeling safe myself.
"Two principal dangers presented
themselves. First, that we would sink;
secondly, that the drift, which by this
time was coming down in considerable
quantities, would crush the frail wagon
bed.
son the first score I thought there
was but little danger, as the wagon was
almost water-tght. The second danger
seemed more serious. There was stiff
breeze blowing up stream, which kept
us back, while large logs, having less
surface exposed and running deeper,
drifted faster, and kept running against
us, and every now and then gave Sc
we're shock.
81 seized pole which was floating
by, and managed to keep off some Of
them, though not all. I also tried to
steer our novel craft toward the bank.
but it was as unmanageable as ferry
boat The current, for the most part,
kept us in the middle of the stream,
though every now and then we would
run close to the bank, just out Of reach
of the branches which hung down SO
temptingly.
81 knew there was ferry about thir
ty miles below us, where we would be
stopped if we could keep afoat until we
reached it. There were also houses
along the bank, but too far off for my
voice to have reached them, even could
the inmates have helped us.
"I was but a poor swimmer Ellen
could not swim at all, or I would have
been tempted to leave the wagon-bed,
and make an attempt to reach the bank.
Naturally, too, we wished to stay in the
wagon as long as possible. It seemed a
barrier, though frail one, between US
and the seething waters.
"I began to find the water was COM
ing in much faster than before. The
blows of the drift had opened the seams,
and it soon became necessary to bail it
out. To do this, I had nothing but my
hat, and it kept me busy, as I was often
obliged to stop and ward off some large
log which threatened to swamp us.
"While thus engaged. my eyes fell
upon something which gave me CLEAN
of hope. This was the rope which I al
ways carried in the wagon in case of ac-
cidents.
"You know I used to be good hand
at throwing the lasso, and my knack
had not entirely left me. I thought I
might be able to throw the rope around
some limb or log, and by that means
draw the boat to the bank. Ellen,
meanwhile, had been standing in one
end of the wagon-bed- was too wet to
make sitting comfortable-and, as I
could see from her earnest face and
folded hands, praying, I hoped for HE
as we'll as herself.
4" Giving my hat to her and asking her
to continue bailing, 1 made the rope into
lasso. AS soon as the current carried
us near enough to the bank, began
throwing. My first attempt was TO
throw it on a cottonwood limb. In this
I was successful, and, as the rope tight
ened in my hands, felt wild thrill of
exultation. thought we were saved;
but, just as we began to near the bank,
an enormous log came floating down the
stream, which we both failed to see. It
came down with such force that, as
held on with the grip of despair, the
brittle limb parted and dropped into the
water. I was discouraged, but thought
I could easily throw the rope over an
other. But my expectations were in
vain. I threw again and again, trying
sometimes the end of limb, sometimes
sapling, sometimes stump; but the
swiftness of the stream, with the force
of the wind, rendered all my efforts in
effectual. Probably, too, the peril we
were in confused my brain.
"Again were we whirled into the
middle of the stream, and I went to
bailing. The last shock had been al
most too much for the frail craft, and
baiiing out with the hat could no
longer keep down the water. Woman'a
wit came to our aid. Ellen, taking off
the short cloak she wore, contrived to
pin it into a shape which would hold
water. Between us, we managed to
keep the water from getting any deeper
in the bed, though we could not lower it
any; but it was apparent we could not
keep afoat much longer.
CT had hunted on this part of the
river before, and knew that there was
one place where the lasso could proba-
bly, be used with advantage. This was
where there was an old clearing on the
bank of the stream, thickly studded
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