St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-07-30

there. Wen be right after You"
Obedient to his fathers advice, Tom
hurried rapidly along the path leading
To the spot where the team had been
left, while the remainder of the party
followed after as fast as they could.
The place was reached at last. The
| wagon was there, the two brides lay
lust where they were thrown but the
horses were gone.
/ For n moment the farmer stood dunn
founded. Then he began to examine
their tracks.
'It's plain enough" at last he hur-
riedly said. They've slipped the
halter aud started back home. You'll
have to see if you can't Overtake 'em,
Tom. I'll take yOnr mother and the
children back to the mill. The wind
is rising, and it is setting in for il cold,
raw storm"
The rain came faster and faster, and
| by the time they had regained the
shelter of the mill they were thorough
nv wet. fire was soon kindled in
the little stove used by the single
makers the winter before, and the time
in waiting for Toms return was en-
ployed in drying their clothes.
An hour passed away. The storm
grew more and more furious. The rain
poured down in torrents, and the great
tops of the pine trees bent and wrlthed
in the terrible gnsts. The river, always
rapid and strong, was now fierce,
| turbulent stream, whose middle cur
rent nothing could cross in safety.
At last Tom burst into the mill.
dts no use" he exclaimed. We've
got to stay here or swim home. | went
| 4 Exra
miles from here, and found that the
horses have turned the wrong way, IN
stead of going home. If they had gone
straight back, the men would have
known that something had happened
and come for us but there's no chance
for that now"
At this Harry and Jack began to cry,
and even Mrs. Allen looked dismayed.
"Staving here tonight is out of the
question:" said Mr. Allen. owe
! haven't "a mOrsel to eat, and every
hour we stay makes it worse. We're
in for long storm, and, the road
! half the way from here to the turn
nike will he under water within twelve
hours"
| "What shall we do, then 2" asked
Tom, who was holding his dripping
coat before the blaze.
| ''If it were fair weather | should
know what to do quick enough and ]
don't know but we shall be obliged to
come to it any way"
! "Why, what do you mean, father z
asked Mrs. Allen, anxionsly.
! He pointed to the river.
! 81 should take the shingle-raft lying
there by the landing. 1t is staunch
and strong, and just as safe as any
boat that ever flOated on the st. Johns
river"
Mrs Allen had Il wOman's dread of
the water, and her heart sank at once.
| But the idea of being compelled to
remain for two or three days in that
desolate spot, without food OF il chance
to sleep, was more dreadful yet, and
she felt almost like urging her husband
to carry out the desperate idea he had
announced.
"We've got to decide upon some
thing very quick" continued the farm
er. eth be dark in an hour, and then
we shall irave no choice"
He went to the window and looked
out for u moment at the river. Then
he came back to the stove.
sit storms fearfully but then we're
pI city nigh rs wet as we can be now.
believe we can keep in shore without
much trouble, and at the rate the steam
is running now, we should reach
Woodstock in less than an hour. ''fve
done it worse weather than this"
~ shouldn't be afraid myself" said
Tom, "but then there's mother and the
children to think of"
'I'm not afraid, TOm," said Mrs.
Allen. "And even if were, | believe
it is the only thing we can do"
"Wem try it them" said Mr.. Allen,
decidedly. "Come, Tom, we've no
time to lose. See if there is rope
enough in the corner there for coil to
throw ashore when we get to the land
ing at Woodstock, and put the pad
dies aboard. Let me take the baby, !
mother. Now, boys, jump on. There's |
room enough for Il regiment. You'll
have to make up your minds to stand
Il good deal of water the next hour. |
Push her off"
The raft swung slowly round from
its fastenlngs, and i'll another minute !
struck the shore current, which, though |
less swift than the middle of the river,
was yet so strong as to make safe nav
igatiOn difficult task. The rain |
came with such binding force that it I
was almost impossible to see the shore, I
and the increasing dusk threatened to
grow into total darkness before the end
of their perilOus journey was reached. !
1t was barely three-quarters of an
hour from the time they left their start
ing point when the raft touched the /
landing place, at Woodstock, and Tom,
rope in hand, jumped on shore, to
throw the loop over the post which /
had always stood there.
To his dismay, the post was gone,
aud as the raft swept along he felt the
rope slip through his fingers, in spteT
of his endeavors to hold it. There was I
another point, lower down, where the
raft might strike if his father could |
keep it ont of the current by his single
arm. BEYOND that, the river made a
sudden bend, and if the landing should
be missed there, no power could stop
them from going down the river.
He hurried to the nearest houses of
the village and gave the alarm, and
then flew down the street, which ran
parallel with the river, to the lower
landing. He was just in time to see
his father spring from the raft, hold
ing the rope, and rushing in the water
up to his waist, caught hold of it to
assist. Their united strength babe
fair to bring the raft into the eddy,
and the shouts of the rapidly advanc-
ing men, who had been reused by
Toms brief warning, gave them addi-
tiOnal energy. Two minutes later half
a dozen strong arms were aiding them,
and the raft was slowly drawing to the
81.