Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-05-09

Id ,rre away, and we can live up there
ilst Ike squirrels"
The energetic lad now sped about the
mouse to complete his preparations for
j theIr strange change of abode. Ev Z
! lIttle Jennie, the youngest sister, caugIi'
I 'omethlng of his courage; and both girls
ran about, helping in whatever way they
Some Ioayes OF bread. bucket ofdough
nuts. together with dried beef, u smoked
ham aud several wooen blankets were
i laid out on the kitchen roof. Then Henry
bound the clothes line about his waist and
climbed on the great branch, and hence
,, up the large limbs above, to a height Of
. some twenty feet above the rushing wa
, Lers.
Selecting spot where two limbs
branched { fl parallel with each other, he
now lowered one end OF his rope to his
sisters for the old door and boai ds.
Before climbing up he bad instructed
them what to do and how to DO it; and in
= very short time the boards, the door, and
other coils of rope were hauled up one
after. another and securely fastened.
The door and boards were then placed
on the parallel branches and tied with the
rope, and in his manner small floor
or platform. six or eight feet square, was
la'd large enough for all three to sit or
lie on.
1t did not take long now to draw up the
food and blankets, but there still rem. aimed
for the Id the harder and more perlous
task OF hosting up the little girls TO his
airy platform.
He had reserved the longest and strong
est rope for this purpose, and looping it
l.. the middle over the limb and letting
the two ends fall to the roof. he descended
and tied an end firmly beneath the arms
Of both Izah and Jennie in turn.
To climb back to the old position was
but the work of moment. Then came
the real work. Iz4h was a pump little
girl, and Jennie was still heavier, though
not so old. They were frightened and
screamed considerably, . but he hauled
them safely on 10 the platform.
| Meanwhile the wild rushing waters
were steadily rising, and now nearly
reached the kitchen window. sill. Sill
larger cakes of ice we're driving ponder
ously along among the trees; occasion
ally one ground against The elm, giving
it heavy, jlrring bump, or struck the
| walls Of the house with force that made
| TIE tmbers crack.
The little girls trembed with fear, and
| now that the excitement OF climbing into
he tree was over. despair again seized
| upon tLem. In vain Henry tried 10 q liet
their fears. Great sobs would well uu il
>pi of their childish Efforts 10 be brave.
|. was in truth an app,hng situation,
T rs er poured the ever-rlslng flood and
now the ice cakes and great drift logs
we're smashing in the lower windows
Nothing was left OF the stock yards, shed.
and barn; but here aud there some of the
wretched cattle still kept their head,
above water; and more disheartening
than any hing else were the poor creatures
muurnful lowings. There was no hope toi
hem Their drowning was but question
o, an hour or two; every Thing Was going
down beneath the black, rolling current.
And well might the children feel Thankful |
If even the great elm withstood the bat
tering of the ponderous ice cakes which |
came grinding in among the scattered |
trees of the grove.
Henry's heart almost failed him Il re-
gun ed the best efforts to keep from breaking |
completely down, and giving way to his
lriehI and grief. But, mastering these
terror. at length, he earnestly set to work |
10 make everything secure. lie felt, to
1hs ne ought o save the bedding and the
mot valuable of the household furniture
for he saw that il might be hung |
u, on The limbs of the elm, If ouly he ha, |
dar d descend after it inio the shattered |
ard rocking building.
But The creakiug and grooming of the |
tim bers Commingling with the hoarsC |
gurgIngs Of the wster,a ppalled him. The
house seemed on the point Of being swept |
away, and sadly he watched it heave and |
sway as each fresh. heavy mass of ice
,ame pungng against it.
Fearing to trust his little sisters up on |
the frai platform unsupported, be tied |
them securely TO the lm0s above, leaving |
The ropes slack enough to allow of theil |
moving about. Once for moment be |
almost made them smile by calling them |
his little ponies picketed out to grass He |
tried totell them stories, and kept courage |
in their little hearts ny the assurance that
pa and ma would soon come and lake |
them away in big boat.
Then the hours wore on. The house stood I
still, but the waters crept higher, till al
noon the river ran nearly even with the |
top of the windows. Still the old tree |
gave no evidence of yielding and at length |
the pangs of hunger making themselves
felt. they ate hearty meal in spite OF
their strange and almost desperate situa-
ton.
The afternoon passed. Once they
thought they heard distant shouts; but |
the tops Of the trees prevented them from
looking off clearly. Night drew on; and
and still the house stood, wonderfully, as
it seemed to Henry.
As night closed darkly in, the little
girls cried themselves 10 sleep, pillowing
their heads in the lads lap; and thus
through all that long night, never once
closing his own eyes in sleep, he sat and |
held them.
Not long aftel dark Henry heard a
terrific crash, and indistinclly saw the |
house melt away amidst the mad waters |
beneath him.
When at last the day dawned. there |
was not familiar landmark to be seen
save the trees and many of the smallest
of these had been broken down by the |
masses of ice. 1t was a bitter awakening |
for little lz4h and Jennie; and 1t was
long before Henry could again accustom |
them to the terrible dreariness Of their |
situation.
But help came shortly after day break. |
Even before the papgs of hunger had
brought them to think of breakfast !
CHEEKY voices were heard shouting from
the river above. The neighbors had
espied them on their platform, through |
the leaiess branches.
1t was a strange sight, and one that |
would have inspired less resolute hearts |
to attempt their rescue. The young,
anxious faces anxiously looked out over
the dreary waters, and watched with hope !
and delight the efforts making to save
tenn. 1t was an hour that they would |
never forget.
Cold and hungry, but safe and happy /
the gallant boy and his little charges were
taken aboard boat manned BY the faithful |
Rudolph and several other young men. |
who had worked with energy, but in vain,
on account of the floating ice, to reach
them the day before.
Mr.. and Mrs. Wilson we're delayed |
longer than they had expected; and not
returning till evening of that day, they
learned no hing Of the danger to which /,
the cbiliren bad been exposed till after