Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1890-03-01

thing but the lantern here and hurry"
They piled the traps together a little
back from the edge of the swamp,
threw the dead muskrats upon them
and turned again toward the field of
ice.
Already, when the wind paused for
an instant to take breath, they could
hear the dull groaning of the great
white mass, and occasionally sharp
report announced crack. They
looked at each other with sober faces.
Jerritt spoke:
care you afraid ?"
"No. It's dangerous, but I'm not
afraid. Besides, afraid or not, we
mast get our traps. Come on !"
They started upon a run toward the
centre of the swamp where the traps
were set. AS they sped over the slushy
ice the murmur and gurgle Of the fast
rising waters beneath came clearly to
their ears, and urged them on with
greater speed. Suddenly Colby, who
carried the lantern, stopped short.
"Here is one" said he, breathless
from his run, as he knelt near mound
that rose above the ice, "and rat,
too" he continued, drawing the trap
from the water eff we find the others
as well filled our trip will be successful
for the last one"
eve can hardly hope for that" re-
piled Jerritt, as they scurried on again,
their heads bent downward to avoid
the rain eff we can get all the traps
I'll be-
There was sudden cracking, tear
ing sound that interrupted the speaker,
then came a great unheaval of the en-
tire face of the swamp as it were, fol-
lowed by falling and grinding, a
heavy roaring, a rushing of water, cold
and pitiless-the spring flood had
come!
Grasping each the other and in
black darkness, for the lantern had
fallen and was gone, trembling lest the
angry water should scoop them into
the stream, the two boys knelt upon a
narrow block of ice that swayed and
tossed and plunged in the furious cur
rent as it swept toward the open bay.
The danger they feared had over
taken them. The ice had broken up.
They were lost
For short space the terrified voy-
ayers neither spoke nor moved, but
crouched upon their strange cold raft
in an agony of terror and suspense,
while from the continuous motion of
the ice and the grinding and crunching
and seething about them they knew
that they were hurrying onward
through the night. AT last, however,
Norm, who was perhaps the cooler of
the two, placed his lips at his com
panion's ear and whispered, "Wel
soon be in the bay and there the cur
rent is not so swift. Perhaps we may
drift ashore p
1t was their only hope, but even that
frightened the terrible prospect about
them.
At times their craft would be pushed
and jostled about by other pieces Of ice
so that they were almost thrown into
the water by the shock, and again it
would be half submerged by the weight
of debris that was forced upon it
Once-and Colby thought that it
was when they passed the riffs just be-
low the swamp their raft broke fairly
in two, and with cry both sprang
towards larger ice cake dimly seen
at one side. They reached it and again
fell upon their knees with hearts beat
ing like trip-hammers.
The rain continued, and the wind
still howled from out the black south.
1t pierced the drenched clothing Of
the unlucky trappers, but excitement
kept them warm as yet. They were
moving, though not as rapidly as be-
fore their change Of craft, but the
gloom about was so thick that it was
impossible to judge Of their where
abouts.
81 half believe we are in the lake
already" said Colby, peering sharply
about them cant you hear the surf
on the shore?"
"The surf" returned Jerritt "why,
the lake is smooth, for the wind is off
shore p
$50 it is! And it will drift us away
from the land, not toward it. Norm,
we'll never see home again, cried poor
Sid"we'll drown surely"
"Don't, ST, don't" replied his COM
panion earnestly. "You must not give
up yet. Perhaps we're not in the lake
after all, and even if we are this cake
may not drift far or the wind may
change Don't give up yet!''
The ice raft was riding on an even
keel now, only rocking a trife in the
wind or as the boys moved.
eff we could only see" half-moaned
Colby, eff we could only seel Why, l
believe I'd try to swim to shore if |
knew where it was, rather than to
freeze here or go down in the middle
of the lake"
The rain was growing thinner, and
it had become so cold now that the
drops we're like bits Of ice. But the
same cold stiffened the wet clothing of
the boys and encased them in an
armor which protected them from the
cutting wind. The cake upon which
they were drifting was too small for
much exercise, but they could swing
their arms and stamp their feet with
out danger, and this they did most en-
ergetically.I
Isl" said Jerritt, after long pause,
"do you hear any sounds ?" 81 listened
intently.
"Only the plash of the water, the
sough of the wind and the grinding of
the ice. 0, Norm | know we must be
in the lake."
"No, no not those sounds" returned
the other excitedly, "but the jingle of
bells and the bark of dog"