Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1891-10-16

toe SHOW auu 80 kept her5elt ana me
from rolling to the bottom.
We then heard another "thump" as
the other end of the big log fell. We
saw it swing around, roll slowly over
like great animal getting ready to
spring. and then with dull, sodden
noise, it plunged down the rollway and
shot past us with terrific velocity.
1t passed so close to us that it swept
breath Of cool air across our faces. I
could have touched it with my out
stretched hand.
she dragged inc to my feet, and we
stepped back into the path which was
now strcwn with fragments of bark from
the log. We looked back and saw that
it had broken through the ice close to
the river bank, and that it rose aud fell
in the swift-moving current underneath
l thought the danger was over. We
were about half way up the slope, aud
Lyddy hurried me directly toward the
pile of logs, for there was no other way,
owing, as have stated, to the slippery
ness of the crust at the sides.
CHANGING at the pile of lumber, I no.
ticed that stake ut its base was bent
forward almost horizontally. This stake
had been driven there to partially sup
port the logs at the bottom of the pile.
AS looked / saw the stake novel
That was not ALL We heard another
"thump" rs second log rolled from its
position on the pile.
looked at Lyddy, who had suddenly
halted and was holding me back. In her
face read what was about to happen,
and the cause.
The snow and ice melting away at the
base of the pile had caused it to settle,
and ms the logs were hapcd higher and
higher during the winter, the movement,
ever SO slight, of the foundation, had
disturbed the equilibrium of the entire
mass.
a comprehension Of the dreadful
danger and its cause came to me in flash
of consciousness.
If left to myself, I would probably
have tried to scramble to the side of the
rollway. l would have failed aud rolled
down to the river.
As it was, l trusted wholly to my COM
panion. She was so clever mt contriving
other things, that 1 felt that she would
think Of some way out OF our present
difficulty.
She had, up to this moment, chung to
the rope by which she was drawing up
the sled. Now she let go, and the sled
glided backward down the slope. At the
same time, she turned to me and said:
"Come, quick! Don't fall-but you
must run"
obcyed, digging my small heels into
the softening crust, aud clinging to
Lyddy's hand, without a, thought that :
was H., sA3l;sae ne. think she
ttfaass :. =. ohe wanted to save me
from being crushed under the logs,
which she knew were coming down, and
she had conceived of plan for doing it
if she could only get me over the ground
quickly enough.
Our haste was accelerated by another
ominous "thump" from the pile of logs.
We had just reached the place where, a
few moments before, we had slumped
through the snow betwixt the timbers.
Before had time to think what she
meant to do, she thrust me forward and
fell into the cavity. She sprang in
after me.
"Lie down, close as you CAM" she
brcathlcssly cried.
l obeyed, and felt the ice-cold water
with which the snow was soaked strike
through my clothing and tricklc down
my neck. did not like to lie down fat
in the cold slush, but Liddy forced me
into it and held me there. She crouched
over me, her face partly upturued, and
her long, coarse hair trailing across my
face.
None too soon. The log came thun-
dering down. and caught glimpse of
it rs it bounced over US. The moment
it had passed attempted to rise.
''Not yet, dear" said my companion;
and she pressed down more closely.
"rhe log has gone over" returned.
"Yes, but the others are coming-all
of them, I think. Then we will have to
look out. So lie close ms you can, dear,
for there isn't quitc room enough for me-"
Her voice shook. She tried to work
herself down by my side, under the tim
bcrs. But the space was too narrow,
and her weight pressed so heavily upon
me that cried out.
I'll can hardly breathe" I gasped.
And, reaching up her hand, she grasped
the timber, and SO partially supported
hor weight, SO that she would not press
upon me so heavily.
There was then brief period of sus-
pcnse, which must have been much
harder for Lyddy, who realized our peril,
to bear, than it was for Inc.
We heard thamp, thump, sounding
dull and distant. Then moment Of
silence, during which we could hear each
other breathing. Then heavy rumble,
another pause, followed by thunderous
sound that shook the ground under us.
The logs were coming down, hundreds
of them, bounding impetuously over
each other, gaining momentum at every
leap-a resistless, noisy stampede, like a
herd of frightened buffalo, running
down declivity, the foremost pushed
and hurried by those behind, whom they.
seemed to be striving to outstrip, in a
mad race for the river.
OF course the interval was very hriof