The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1889-05-18
NO COWARD.

large artificial lake near Versailles
was completely frozen over, and
seemed to invite boys to transport
their games from land to water.
Boys are easily invited to games, and
when pleasure Is in question they
think little Of danger. Luckily for
the boys of Versailles, it was Thurs
day afternoon, the half holiday OF
French schools; so the ice, which all
the morning had shown in the sun
like IN immense mirror, was covered
with children, skating, sliding, run
ming, racing, tumbling, pushing,
laughing, shouting, chattering,
grinning and looking happy.
Among the spectators on the bank
was one, a sturdy boy of IL or II,
who stood looking on from the side,
and seemed afraid to trust himself on
theice. You may be sure that the
other boys jeered him, called "muff,"
coward" and so forth, but he did
not seem to care, and put up with all
sort of abuse from little fellows whom
he could have knocked over with
turn of his hand.
His name was Hippolyte Lefort,
and you wish to know why he did
not join his school-fellows on the ice
it was because he had promised his
mother never to set foot on it.
Oneis always hearing ofaccidents,"
shesaid. "Since your cousin Francois
was brought HON, drowned that
fearful night l have never been able
to bear the thought of your skating.
If you wish me not to be miserable
every time there is q frost, you must
promise me, Hippolyte, never to go
on the ice."
"But the other fellows will laugh
at me-" grumbled Hippolyte, the
first time that she mentioned the
subject. cit is dreadful to be taken
for a coward"
"Ah, Hippolyte; you are my only
son." was all she said, and in reply
the boy threw his arms round her
neck and kissed her.
81 will promise mother. l don't
care for skating a bit; l would just
as soon 60 without. like swimming
far better. Will you be afraid if go
bathing in SUMMER"
"No, my son. One does not hear
ofso many accidents to swimmers
as to skaters. Besides it is useful;
by knowing how to swim you
may be able some day to save your
own life or that of another, and do
not wish my boy to be q coward,
though l hope he is not afraid to be
called one for his mothers sake.
But skating is nothing but a dam
gerous pleasure, and can't bear the
thought it. You promise, Hyp-
polyte.
So Hyppolyte did promise, and as
we have seen that he was not a boy
to take a promise lightly, it may be
more easily understood that he was
not likely to break one when made.
This was the reason that he was
standing on the bank of the lake
that Thursday afternoon and trying
not to be angry at his. companions
who were teasing him about his sup
posed timidity. =
They laughed and jested; but soon
their laughter was turned into pitia-
BILE cries. An ominous noise was
suddenly heard. The Ice split under
the feet Of the skaters, the crack
spread out like the rays of a star,
and a gull yawned in the middle of
the merry crowd. One boy disap-
peared at once beneath the surface;
a second, who was sliding toward
the fatal hole, endeavored in vain to
stop himself, and throwing up his
arms, plunged into the water with
an agonized cry ofterror. The 9TH
ers fed in all directions screamed in
all directions, screaming and calling
out for help. But the panic was gen.
eral. Every spectator seemed to
have lost all presence of mind. Mol
there was one boy who, while the
rest of the crowd stood staring and
lamenting, lost not a moment in
throwing off his coat and shoes to
go to the rescue. 1t was Hippolyte
Lenfort, the boy who was afraid
to go on the ice. Rushing through
the crowd, in three bounds he had
arrived at the hole, and before any
one had noticed him or understood
his purpose, dived into the water.
There was a cry ofastonishment and
admiration, and then succeeded u 81
lence of trembling suspense. The
most hard hearted OF that crowd
thought the moments long in which
the brave fellows fate remained I'M
certain.
'There he is!''
NO; he has dived again!"
Throw q rope!"
Break the ice!''
Thank God! He has saved onel"
Breathless, almost exhausted, Hip
polyte rose to the surface, bearing
in his arms a feebly struggling body,
which he supported to the side and
and laid on the grass. A forest of
hands was held out to relieve him,
the crowd passed forward, q clamor
of voices arose, but above all rang
the shrek of q woman-a shrek torn
from her by sight of the saved boy,
for she was q mother, and it was her
son who still struggled or lay in the
stiffness of death beneath that
smooth, bright and treacherous sur
face.
"Charlesl Charlesl'' she cried in an
accent that none who heard her
could forget to her dying day, and
then, in the sudden madness of des-
pair, she sprang forward to bury her.
self in the same cruel water that had