The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-03-19
A NIGHT OF HORROR.
A Terrible Ride Towards Eternity
on q Log.

A Terrible Ride Towards Eternity
on Log.
shall ever remember the night OF tho
10th Of January, 49,.
A heavy snow was lying upon the
ground; the mercury had risen many de-
gress since noon: the humidity OF the
atmosphere and hazy sky indicated
storm Of some kind, whether OF snow or
rain IL was hard to determine.
After our evening repast, my little
family, consisting Of four, including two
children, had drawn around our genial
hearth. when my ever thoughtful wife
remarked:
.Iave you been to see Mr.. Jones about
tho school mattarg'
Il have not" / replied. land shall
hayo to attend to the matter tonight, as
the school board meets tomorrow, and
IL don't confer with him before that
t.r,e it will be doubtful about our get
ting the school-house at the bend Of the
river"
was one of the school directors, and
had the interest of my children ct stake.
Jones was another member Of the board,
and tho only one who was likely to turn
tho scales in my favor.
Putting on my overcoat, and telling
my family that would not be gone
long, started out. Before passing tho
dooryard gate heard the earnest voice
of my wife calling after me: 1-You will
90 by the way of the bridge. my dear,
won't you?" ske said pleading1y.
1T is too far to 60 by the way Of the
bridge tonight" I replied: Il have
creased on the sycamore log many times
in the night, and know every inch Of 1t.
Besides. the snow makes it plenty light
enough to SEQ plainly il the moon Il OBJ
secured by Clouds"
But dear" she pleaded, Il shall
worry about you; and, to please me. do
60 by the bridge tonight"
20! you littlo plague" I laughingly
replied; '.you are always borrowing
trouble about something. Think no
more about it and will show you in an
hour or two that the sycamore pass is
safe"
started of whistling lively tune.
but did not whistle as happily as have
done in my life; for somehow the in
junction Of my good wife, and the image
Of her sweet, pleading face, kept coming
up before me; besides, had called her .
plague. and accused her OF always bor-
rowing trouble, which, although pleas
antly spoken, was unjust, for she ever
used better judgment than myself, and
had needed her entreaties, on the &C.
casion in point, it would have been bet
ter for me, as the sequel will show.
The intuition Of woman is remarka-
BILE. and true, warm-hearted bosom
companion is q safe guide at all times,
and especially so in moral sense.
Some call her sagacity weakness, but
the man who braves it when it is melted
by love is emphatically foolhardy.
But to my story.
reached the crossing and found the
river q good deal swollen, but the water
not yet up to the log
The river at this point, which is tho
narrowcst for miles either way, was
about sixty feet wide. A large sycamore
log had fallen across, reaching from
bank to bank, but long years before the
time of which write the top and roots
had fallen into decay, and only the
trunk renamed, which formed q good
foot bridge.
/ passed over with q moro careful
| step than ever before, for must admit
! feeling little akin to superstition
had taken hold Of me, but when safe on
tho other side sensation OF relief came
and laughed at my silly notions.
i sr;S 81
much longer than l expected. and whar
started back the rain was falling in
great drops, and tho snow was nearly
sill melted away. 1t was raining toe
hard to think of going around by the
bridge, which was fully half mile
away, 50, battoning-up my greatcoat.
went directly to the point where !
crossed q few hours before.
The water was higher than had eve,
seen it; the log was nearly submerged
and | had to wade to reach it as the
rushing waters had broken their bounds
When mounted tho foot bridge it ap
pcared to give under my feet, but think
Ing that impossible pushed along to
reach the other bank.
When about midway the old sycamore
to my horror began to sway around, and
in moment shot like an arrow down
the stream.
could not keep my footing, and
dropping down sat astride tho floating
object with my legs in tho chilling
water.
grew wild with excitement; thought
Of my little family. l recalled tho
bright faces Of my little children as
had seen them In the morning at the
window feeding tho snowbirds. Who
WOULD caro- for them il were lost?
remembered the earnest injunctions
Of my watchful wife, Of tho miles before
ne where nothing world be offered to
rescue, of tho falls where death would
be inevitable.
| 1t would DO madness to leave the log,
for the current would sweep me away
as tornado would a feather. The
whole terrible situation was taken in at
a thought.
/ was nearing my peaceful cottage,
could see the CLEAN OF the lamp set at
the window as my guide, and / halloed
st the top Of my voice, screamed with
the desperation Of 4 mad man, but the
, Wild roar of tho Infatuated river seemed
to hush every articulation as it left
my lips. thought for few moments
saw figure upon the banks. rubbed
my eyes to see clearer. strained them to
tho utmost OF their powers, but the