Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-05-16

ton to be resisted He would have one
more slide. He climbed down the steep
bank at a place where the ice looked
firm, leaped lightly from log to log and
was soon across the run enjoying him
self ON the smooth ice beyond.
For a long time the boy played on the
ice all alone, but as the time passed, the
encroaohing current, REINFORCED by tiny
riyulets from every declivity, widened
and heightened. Still no thought of
danger came to him.
At last he was aroused by an ominous
cracking of the ice and thin film of
water creeping over the surface toward
his feet. A dull, grinding sound COM
ing from the direction of the run in
creased his alarm.
With all speed he could command he
fastened to re-cross the stream, but to
his terror found that where little time
before he had crossed in safety an angry
torrent now swept, bearing along de-
tached masses of logs and ice.
Mrs. White had started TO walk to the
scene of the jam. She was proceeding
leisurely along the bank of the swelling
stream, enjoying the warm sunshine,
when above the rising tumult Of the
waters and the grinding of the tossing
logs and ice there fell upon her ear a
well-known voice calling Mamma
mamma 7"
With a start she turned and looked
in the direction of the sound, over the
gurgling ice-plain beyond the run.
A al, <.u4fr hax- t.
that terrified call, mammal o mammal
Save me save mel"
From the high bank on which she
stood she had looked over the object of
her search. Now she looked downward,
and was Mortified TO see her child stand
ing close to the treacherous edge of the
crumbling ice. His hands were out
stretched to her and look of terror was
ON his face.
$50 back go back I" she cried, as a
realization of his peril swept over her.
"Go back on the smooth ice and mamma
will go for help"
Accustomed TO obey, the little fellow
turned to retrace his steps. He had got
half the distance to the shore when with
a loud crack huge section of the ice
uDOA hilACu llC CA8Od AWAY liOth
the shore ice and Immediately black
line of water showed beyond it. The
gap rapidly widened, effectually pre-
venting the boys escape.
At this moment the agonized mother
became conscious Of deep and sullen
booming, borne to her ears from down
the run, and mingled wi h il she could
hear family the shouts of excited men.
Too well she knew what had happened,
the jam was broken.
Ii her child was saved it must be done
quickly. Already the mass upon which
he was floating was yielding TO the grip
of the angry current. She gave one
glance at the terrified little figure stand
ing there SO helplessly, and with pray
er to heaven for help, sped away down
the stream like the wind.
The distance she had to go was nearly
O mile, and the way was intercepted by
rocks and fallen trees. But in a very
short time she sank torn and bleeding
in the arms of her startled husband,
with only strength TO gasp, ''Wilton !
Wilton I" Then she swooned.
Mr.. White at once despatched several
Of the men up stream toward the camp
to rescue the boy from any peril he
might be in. As soon as he could
restore his wife to consciousness they
both followed on, the almost distracted
mother refusing to remain behind.
They quickly met the men retracing
their steps along the bank, keeping pace
with the cake of ice, upon which was the
boy, half dead with terror. To rescue
him seemedimpossible.
The rocky banks descended perpen-
licularly to the waters edge, and the
raging flood was filed with a plunging
mass of logs and jagged cakes of ice.
At the point where the stream entered
the narrow gorge before mentioned, it
iurned sharply to the right. Here a
Jagged edge of rocks abutted into it,
against which the mad waters hurled
with prodigious force, and,
seemed to gather a new inn
1etus as they swept away into the mar
row defile.
Toward this dangerous point the boy |
vas now being rapidly borne, and twas |
EVIDENT that his frail raft of logs, held |
ogether by the brittle ice, would be |
dashed in pieces upon it, while the |
lnxious group ON shore would be help
ess to prevent it.
The almost distracted father pleaded |
With the men to save his son, and offered |
reward to the one who should bring
lim safe to land. But although there /
vas not one of them who would not have
isked his life to safe the boy had there
,een a possibility of success, they be-
ieved that to attempt it now was GER
ain to be the death of the rescuer, with
ut hope for the boy, and they all shook
heir heads.
At this terrible moment, when the
'arents where in dispair and they had
-iven up their boy as doomed to an
wful death, strange thing happened.
10 intent had all been in watching the
rogress of the cake of ice on which
title Wilton stood, that they had not
oticed the stalwart form of man
peeding along the bank towards them
rom the direction of the camp. He
anne on with giant strides, and not
i'll he had swept through the startled
roup, and snatched a pike from one of