The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1889-05-21


a trip-hammer. The ice was thick.
but beneath that blow an immense
cake was broken off and carried down
under the edge OF the ice below. The
horse swan onward. dragging the
sleigh with it. through the rapidly
freezing slush- Once more he pounded
the ice ahead of him with his powerful
fore feet, and again the ice yielded.
During all this time | twas shouting for
help. | might, at the first breaking
in of the horse. have turned and leaped
back to shore, but did not collect my
thoughts in time. 1t was now too late,
and even IL it had not been / was so
stiffened by the casing of ice that /
couldn't have moved to save myself
from death. The horse kept on. and,
strange as il may seem, broke chan
mel for fifty feet across that riV or and
drew the sleigh out safely on the other
his speed toward our destination. He
soon struck the road. and away We
went.
Il knew that although one danger
was escaped a greater was before us,
and urged the horse on. My sleigh
robes and my clothing had frozen SO
solid that if | had been encased in iron
| could not have been more mOtionless.
My horse was naturally jet black, but
his icy coating made him stand out
even against that frozen mis- like a
specter horse. could not move even
my hands. We were not yet half way
to the agents house when | found my
self growing drowsy. IcOu!d no longer
use my voice. The CHATTER of the horses
hoofs and the creaking of the rum
ners on the icy road sounded to
me like thunder claps and weird. hid
eous cries. / knew that | was freezing,
but / labored hard to rouse my will
and fight with it against my fate. The
stars looked like great Goals of fire,
although before they could be seen
but dimly through the peculiar haze.
The trees. their branches covered with
snow. took on the shapes OF gigantic
and fantastic ghosts Still preserved
all my powers Of reasoning. Finally
found myself growing deliciously
warm. An indescribable languor. at
tended with pleasant visions. took
possession of me. | heard sweet
strains of music where before only
tumult and startling cries had as
sailed my ears. Still. knowing what
all this meant. | made one more mental
effort to shake of the deadly spell.
That was all.
Il don't know how far | was ava
from my destination when | q : froze
to death. but was after M made
aware that | was being called back TO
existence by suffering such torture as
the victin of the rack might feel.
Greater agony could not feel. Sud-
denly at my feet the pricking of
million needles assaulted my flesh.
Torturing NE at that spot a moment
until l writhed in agony. it dashed
quickly ep my legs. stopping an in
slant here and there. as if FLOATING
over my misery, and then crawled
with awful pain slowly upward. until
it seemed that tiny jets OF the flame
were being blown into my body, heart
and brain. The intensity of this
agony was not constant. IL it had
been | must have died again. 1t came
in torturing waves. Each wave was
a trifle less furious than its prede-
cessor. until az last the storm was
passed and / found myself weak,
speechless. limp. and helpless mortal
lying on robe before the fireplace of
my friend the agent.
He had brought me back to life.
but, "a true as | tell yOu. | did not
feel it in my heart at the time 20 thank
him for doing IL. When / was strong
enough 10 bear it he tod me that soon
after going 10 bed he was aroused by
the peculiar and loud neighing of a
horse. He got up and looked out of
the window. lie saw sight that
startled him-a ghostly horse with
ghostly sleigh and ghOstly driver
in the road before his door. As soon
as he could recover himself he hurried
out. Discovering that the horses
driver was dead, he carried him TO the
house and laid him on the floor and
then recognized me in the driver.
Knowing that if he could resuscitate
me nothing could be done toward it
until the robe and clothing were
thawed away. he made the fire blaze
and hurried out to the rescue of the
faithful horse that had reasoned with
himself that he must stop at the first
house he came TO on that terrible
night. and that my life depended on
it.
by the time the horse was cared
for was in shape to De brought back
N life ~ II could no dOna / UNA