Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-03-10


terror of the honest, hard working
miner in whatsoever mine, together
with his merciless band of renegades
and Indians, was creeping up this
river-bed, and this midnight raid
meant death to the four partners of
the Clear River mine.
Z Rallying every energy he turned
and fled up the river-bed as for dear
life. Not of his own danger was he
thinking, but rather of the peril of
the unarmed men in the little cabin
yonder-his sspards" who had be-
come endeared to him through the
many months of weary privatlon and
toll, so cheerily shared together; his
comrades, unto whom his soul Glove
with love as strong as that of a
brother.
Why did objects beside him, be-
lOiC Hilu, DtCOn6 oO uloJiuCu! LIZ
threw up his head as he ran.
The clouds were parting, and he
perceived that in a few moments their
friendly aid would be withdrawn.
The moon would burn like some
great watchfre in the heavens, and
his flight would be revealed to those
merciless eyes not pistol shot away.
The odds were all against him.
Strain every energy, every nerve as
he might, to-morrow's sun would
look down on four victims to Lomax
and his band, and the dear folks at
home would look in vain for those
whose bones were whitening by a
rotting dam in those western wilds.
The dam! An inspiration, born of
dire necessity, leaped into his mind,
and light famed forth in his eyes.
The strength of hope sprang up in
his heart and swung every nerve, and
on he sped.
The dam loomed up before him.
He sprang to little locker, built for
convenience sake, close by the end of
the dam, threw up the cover, seized
q box of blasting powder, thrust it
under one of the projecting supports
of the dam, lighted short fuse,
thrust one end in the keg, and then
turned and fled.
And the moon burst forth from be-
hind the clouds, her calm, pale light
falling softly over all that the dark
ness had hid.
'sHa, ha, ha % laughed the happy
trio, still sitting round the cabin table,
as one of their number finished relat-
ing some anecdote of his rollicking
college days; and the laugh was still
sashoina when the door was suddenly
burst open, and Upton, with face as
white as a death mark, stood on the
threshold. He made a beckoning
motion, and then disappeared.
The miners sprang to their feet,
but even as they did so, a loud ex-
plosion deafened their ears, and a
terrible thrill rocked the little cabin
like a cradle. With one impulse they
leaped to the door.
They saw the whole front of the
dam move out in one mass, one in
stant transfgured by the light of the
moon into stately wall of FURNISHED
silver, the next broken and sheathed
in a glorious sheeting spray.
And then torrent with foaming
crest leaped down over its own high
way. from which it had been shut
out so long, stripping bare the found
alton of the dam and driving the
flume before it.
The miners on the bank stood
dumb, but the men in the path of the
opened fioodgates uttered one cry as
the dark death touched them; and
then all was silent save for the
mighty song of the waters, which
rang up to the mountain top.
The miners heard that last cry of
despair, and their hearts seemed to
stop in horror. They turned to Up
ton, who was standing near them,
and saw that he was staggering like
one beneath whose feet the solid
earth was rocking.
Strong arms knit around him, and
he was supported to the cabin.
The door and windows of the
cabin were barred, and then they
crowded around Upton, who ha6
sunk on his rude couch, and ont
question burst from every lip:
.sWhat was that cry, Upton? p
The story of Upton was briefly told
| When he had finished, three strong
right hands were stretched forth to
ward him.
He gave each hearty grasp il
turn, and that silent handshaking ex
pressed more than could have beer
put into words.
But after dam and flume had beel
rebuilt, the mine no longer wore tn
name of Clear River. 1t had bee
changed into Upton in honor of th
brave young s'pard'' who had save
the lives of his friends and himself O.
the night he walked down by tn
fiume.
The publisher of the Beaver Falls, Pa. Courie