The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-05-15
A YOUNG TENNESSEE HEROINE.
Riding a Horse Into the River to Save
Her Brother from Death.

| Riding q Horse Into the River to Save
Her Brother from Death.
Near Gainsboro occurred an incident the
story Of which reads more like romance
| than truth, yet it is voUched for by Judge
| Fite, one of Tennessee's most distinguished
jurists 1t was while the angry Cumberland
| was in his most violent mood, when the swift
| flowing waters were at their highest, that
brave Mica Hall, frail young girl Of 10
years, performed an act of heroism which
should emblazon her name high upon the
scroll of fame.
Meas brother, Conner Hall. and another
young man, both aged about Is, were in a
canoe catching driftwood in the middle Of
the stream The weather was intensely cold
and both young men had on their heavy over
coats and heavy underclOthes. Suddenly the
canoe was upset and both boys were thrown
into the stream. The current at this point is
very swift and the canoe quickly went 10 the
bottom of the river. The brave young fell
lows began to struggle desperately to save
themselves, but the heavy clothing weighted
them down so that they could make little
Roadway against the angry waters which
bore them swiftly down stream.
Some distance down the rixer is a small
island, which was covered az The time by
about four or five feet Of water. Young
Halls companion landed against this island
and managed by the most desperate efforts
to maintain his position upon it.
Poor Conner, however, was not so fortunate
In his efforts to escape he continued to float
farther and farther away. About 800 yards
from where his companion lodged Conner
foated against a tre~ top, and clung to It
with desperation born of despair.
All this time young Halls mother and 10
year-old sister, Mica, were standing at the
edge Of the water several hundred yards
from where be had lodged. They were, in
truth, at the edge of great sheet of water
which had backed up from the river. The
frenzied mother saw the desperate struggle
Of her son to save himself, and, wringing her
hands in grief at the thought of his meeting
death in the bosom Of the angry river, was
almost ready to plunge into the water and
make an effort TO reach him.
Then it was, in the supreme hour Of peril,
that the heroic young girl ran back to the
barn and secured horse. Selling hold Of
the halter she pulled him down to the edge of
the water, and, tearing of her clothing,
Jumped upon the back of the animal with the
words, Ma, I'll save Bud, or die, -" and plunged
fast firing brother chung to the tree top, the
agonized mother expecting every moment to
see him sink into the river, never to rise again.
Mica urged the trembling animal forward
until he struck deep water, where it was with
the greatest effort the shivering girl could
keep his head straight toward the boy.
The waters surged and SpIashed against the
brave rescuers, and every moment seemed an
age. At last the tree was reached, and just as
Conner was becoming unconscious he was
seized by his heroic sister, pulled upon the
back of the horse, and the battle for life be-
gan. The horse struggled desperately, but
the poor girl held tenaciously to his name,
and, with one arm around the semi-con-
scious boy, finally managed to reach the bank
far below where she had started in. Once
safely upon terra frma, she gave way under
the terrible strain, and it was several hours
before she was able to recite the story Of her
brave deed to the assembled neighbors.
The other young man was rescued by party
of man, and Mica Hall is the heroine of the
Upper Cumberland Nashville American.