The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1885-04-07

quite distinct from that made by the
wind and rain dashing outs de, or the
swirl of the water tapping the banks of
the stream some fifty yards below the
cabin, suddenly fell upon our ears. Both
the woodsmen In the cabin jumped to
their feet simultaneously, and did like
wise.
"The logs hez busted !" cried Jim, 'an'
the chances is as how Dan Higgins an
Bill hain't got acrost Yit. Like enough
they's got caught, an ef go. Gcd help
em J" aod the logger caught up lantern
and jumped out Of the cabin without
waiting 10 put on his bat, speedily fol.
lowed bv bis partner and myself, oil Of
Us making our way in the direction OF
the creek. Tue mnffled sound, like the
deep, distant rumbling OF thunder, came
heavier and began to resolve itself into
the grinding and groaning Of the trunks
of gigantic trees. now rather felt than
seen, moving down the creek slowly to
the position where we stood.
Thar they are!" exclaimed Jim, his
already blancbed face looking even more
ghastly beneath the rays Of the lantern
carried in his partners hand. "Thar
they are, both the tao O. them! Don't
yer see their lantern shinin' up from the
front log1"
There, certainly, about 100 yards up
stream tiickered aud danced 6tful spark,
oscila,ing from side TO aide with the mo
tion Of the log on which the men evil
IDENTIFY stood, though I could not distin
guisa their forms through the darkness
and binding rain.
| Two minutes more and the dread pro.
cession had approached near enough for
Us to distinguish the figures and their
peril. They were standing near the hither
end OF gigantic redwood truuk, the
foremost OF the floating equsdron OF
trees and logs coming down, as an mex.
orable rear guard, directly upon 1t, and
Threatening to overwhelm, or snap, or
crush it by sheer weight II 1t offered the
least obstacle to their majestic onward
sweep. The two woodmen had evidently
chosen, or rather shifted, their position
as near to the shure as possible, where
they could now see their friends standing
by their lantern, ust as We saw them by
theirs. But the unequal distribution OF
gravity which this very step OF self-pres.
ervstion involved was every moment
causing the tree to assume more and
more transverse position to the stream,
so tha. it becime evident to an expert.
enced eve that it was only matter OF
time before it would again stretch the
same barrier from shore to shore that 1t
bad done before starting upon it's com.
pulsory voyage. This, however, inefiec.
tusl as it would have been to protect the
lives upon it from the irresistible force
now being projected against it, was moi
destined 10 be accomplished, owing to
the decreased momentum of the transe.
We sely f)ating tree in front.
Suddenly shriek divided the compar.
atively deep stiffness Of the night, go in.
ent had all the actors been on the press
ing necessity of the moment even to haz
ard an exclamation. A female figure
came fying down from the slope from
the camp above, and as she dashed to
the bank OF the creek it became evident
that she was swinging RATA above her
head. The leather thong whizzed through
the air straight f3r the men, standing
now not more than City feet abreast OF
us on the trunk Of the tree. Bill, who
was holding the lantern, caught the
moose and slipping it over the head oi
Dan Higgins till the thong caught se'
curely around his waist sal in voice
We could hear from the bank:
"Thar ye are. I kin ketch on to the
back o. the loop an mSke the banks
quck's yers II. I hain't got no wife n
family to sport no ways Jump!"
So saying both men jumped headlong
into the current, eight strong arms strain
ing every energy to drag them through
the eddy made by the tree, now relieved
by its weight, swinging slowly around
toward iengthwise OF the stream Thirty
feet more and both men would have beer
safe, but at last the great supporting
beam was being driven sheer endwsy'
down the channel the shorter logs, now
with free room to play. .surging ami driv
; ing past it on every side. One u thes'
hnre straight down upon the woodsmen
With a gigantic effort, bred from th'
deadly danger before them the pull upoI
the leather rope by the men on shor'
seen ed for moment to make the nearly
submerged bodies fairly leap from th'
water. Next moment both disappears
from view beneath the ponderous trunk
aud when, Eve seconds later, the burde
at the end of the RATA was dragged t
shore, it was lighter by one.
E Nothing could be done for the gener
! ou, and adventurous man who had in
! measure sacrificed his own single lie +
, save that of his married partner-for b
might we'll have appropriated the savin
p moose; but when, three days afterward
T hs body was washed back from the ba
e at the rivers mouth, not an eye was dry
and not a mau was absent from the fu
3 neral procession OF the rude woodsma
D who was not kuo as far as N
r inquiries could stretch, never had bee
!. known-5y any other name than that
"Bill."
RA party Of fve men, while hun
8 ISnu deer ahont three wepka aUo disco,