Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1891-12-17

his heavy cart bounding behind
him.
Il saw it like one sees objects re-
vealed by flash of lightning in a
dark night. Instantly | thought
of our fate, for nothing could stop
him, and when he struck us We
must be hurled over the precipite.
i was paralized with fear; every
thing turned black before me. l
had wild desire to escape, but l
knew that escape was impossible.
Even. il l could have c,n..'ad from
the wagon, it would have done no
good; and what of the sick girl?
While l looked, and these
thoughts flashed through my mind,
| saw Peter throw all his weight on
the lever of the brake, forcing it
down to the last notch, and locking
the wheels SO that it was impossible
for them to turn. THEN he thrust
! t!:e The reins and whip into my hands.
Keep the team steady, ma'am,'
he said, you must do it!
He seized something under the
seat, and before l could speak, he
was gone from the wagon like a
flash.
For one moment l basely sup
posed he was going to save himself
by climbing the almost perpendic-
ular side of the mountain, which no
doubt he might have done-he is so
quick and agile, But the next
moment saw him rushing toward
the on-coming mule and cart, and
wondered in a stupid way why he
showed SO little fear of his old
enemy.
While l looked, unable to turn
my eyes, and knowing that surely
he must be killed, l saw him make
a stand in the path, and suddenly
spread the big blue umbrella di-
rectly in the face of the mule.
saw the mule as suddenly swerve a
little toward the edge of the preci-
pice.
Tn that instant the of wheel of the
heavy cart went over the grade,
and amid a cloud of dust everything
vanished from my sight, leaving
only in view the winding mountain
road, with poor Pete lying with
torn clothing and bleeding face in
the middle of it.
Then heard the crashing of the
cart as it bounded from rock to
rock to the bottom of the canon.
4 was so frightened, so dazed
that | did not know what to do.
did not dare to leave the wagon to
go to Pete's assistance, for the
mules were much excited, and | had
hard work to keep them from try
ing to turn around.
Fortunately, Alice had not real
lied the situation, for her view
toward the front was obstructed; ;
and when she anxiously asked what
was the matter, / was able to quiet
her, by assuring her that the dan
ger was past.
while l was trying to think how
| could get to Pete, who had saved
our lives, perhaps at the sacrifice OF
his own, / saw Dennis Mccarthy
coming around the bend. He was
without hat or jacket; one shoe was
gone, and he seemed to be quite
out of breath.
'The Lord be praised' he gasped,
when he saw us; 'ye're safe, for sure,
but where is me mule an me cart!'
Over the grade | answered.
'He said nothing more, but bent
over the body of poor Pete.
SIS he dead?' / asked.
NO, ma'am,' said Dennis, 'he is
not, but the breath is mostly
knocked out of him, and I'm
thinkin' he dreadfully hurt.
We must contriye to lay him in
the wagon and get him to the camp
as soon as we can.'
1T was well we had such a stock
of blankets and pillows; and easily
made a comfortable place at the
back of the wagon, where we laid
the bruised and wounded boy, and
then started on
This was the faithful account oi
what happened which Mrs. Green
told her husband later. He him.
self could have told with what emo.
tions he met the little procession
on its way up to the camp.
His services as a doctor were
needed by all three of the people in