The daily Cairo bulletin., 1883-01-07

which IN summer lnteflaced lnelr leafy
arms over this portion Of the stream,
then onward, onward, through the
clear cold night, cleaving space like
some winged thing.
Until
Never after could he succeed in accu-
rately defining what next occurred.
Was it that he tripped over some jag
ged unseen stone embedded in the icep
that his skates became suddenly EN-
tangled in some fallen twigs? or, that
------In any case, without preliminary
sign or symptom, without tho yaguest
notion that his equilibrium was en-
dangered Dick pitched head foremost
heavily TO earth, coming down with
monstrous crash which starred the ice
for yards around, and shivered the froz-
en- surface Immediately beneath his
weight.
Itrent, it Glove, it gaped asunder, the
jagged edges springing wide like the
two ends of ribbon sundered sharply
when tension is extreme, and into the
dark yawning chasm thus exposed,
head foremost Dick was plunged.
Widely, yainly, his iron-shod feet
struck out flercely right and left; he
but succeeded in enlarging the hideous
aperture, and greediy the prisoned
waters sucked in their unexpected
prey.
Was it fancy, or even as he fell, did n
sharp, smothered human cry reach his
ear from the nearest bank2 The voice
of a fellow-Creature telling of sympa-
thy and commiseration at that moment
OF sapremest peril, when IN the heyday
of health and strength a brave man re-
alizes he is face to face. nay, surely in
the very jaws of remorseless Death
himself.
Just then Dick might not pause to
ponder; he was graphing with his cru
el foe, tiercely, wildly, as those only
struggle who recognize that the is
one of life or death; that no interme-
diate course is practicable, that the die
is cast, and a few brief moments must
irrevocably decide the fate of the
writing, terrified human soul, thus
suddenly plunged up to the lips III the
seething whirlpool of despair
Ali it was awful--awful. He was
sensible of the ice-cold waters closing
above his head whilst lower lower, he
felt himself downward drawn as though
into a bottomless abyss, freezing yor-
tex, from which escape there could be
none
His very soul turned sick and numb,
whilst physically he grew positively
nerveless from despair for after those
first few moments of purposeless plung-
ing beneath overhanging cruel lodges,
which seemed to frown blackly at his
impotence, Dick vaguely realized the
utter futility Of further efforts, even as
he stretched his eager hands now right,
now left, with the blind instinct of
solf-preservation strong in every hui
man breast: for the treacherouS ice
gave way beneath his clutch, and the
additional impetus thus lent the waters,
seemed but the more etfectually to
overwhelm their puny victim
All! it was terrible, this rendering up
Of precious life whilst one was young
and strong, and brave and bold. The
utter impossibility of resigning himself
to the inevitable, for one moment pos
sessed Dick with the absolute force of
frenzy; let the old, the ailing the used
mp die-not him--not him in the full
strength and glory of his manhood the
fragrant flower of his youth and perfect
health. He could not. would not yield
up his breath before the lifelong fray
was more than well commenced; before
he had lived, and loved, and suffered TO
the extent of one tithe OF the tether
Nature had allotted TO him as his indi-
vldual share OF earthly experience.
But now consciousness suddenly be-
came dim and ha2y, cloudy, indelinable;
earth and heaven. the past and present,
the possible future, all became alike in
volved in vague cold mist defying an
alyZation. 1t seemed to Dick he was
floating on his back on the surface of
the waters with his face upturned
towards the clear, pale, pitiless sky;
that death-c0ld hand closed his tired
lids; that an icy weight as of an up
rooted mountain had settled upon his
breast-stilling pulsation and respira-
ton, forbidding his nuttering heart to
beat, the life-stream TO quiver longer
through his numbing veins, Then all
was peace and calm: a measureless
tranquility became his portion; the
briefagony of resistance over, Dick felt
no desire TO struggle longer against his
DOOM
Surely a hundred years at the very
least must have elapsed before, on re-
opening his eyes, Dick became dimly
conscious of laying on bed of snow,
with blankets piled above him, with
two rough-faced men bending over him,
whilst a horny-hand pressed between
his lips the mouth Of bottle contain
ing lit seemed more than probable) the
famous elixir Of life itself. for, certes,
that was mono other than the liquid life
stream il distilled through his every
vein.
"Ah! IL fancied all was over; that
II was drowned" he murmured faint
", even rs he reclosed his weary eyes.
2 Not this time, master, not iist yet
awhile. Though near enuff squeak il
wur, an all; an if so be as yen TAX ad-
vice, ven not 60 fur t. try it on aginl
Hen do moo, Jack--rlght as n trivct.
Lend . hand and then lead on"
Subsequently it seemed to Dick, he
was borne aloft on angels pinlons
through the clear cold air; then again
surely he was sailing through realms of
ether and meaSureless space III gilded
whrelless car, which Glove the night
with murmurons thrill, as of swal-
lows on the wing.
but he was for TOO listless to make an
effort 10 uncIose his eyes Just then, IN
order to convince himself of time, loeaI-
ity, or circumstance; lie resigned him
self utterly TO the inevitable, dimly rec
,,,,,.;,,s,,o, fnititiy nf q rtUUl In II