The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-10-03

About u mile below was the remorstS-
less falls, pitch of about forty feet in
the river, sheer over "a rocky wall,
place over which it was next to impos-
sible for any living thing TO go and not
be pounded to death in the rocks be-
low by the thunderous overflow of
water The boys still clung desper-
ately to the hope of being able to bring
the raft to land, but they Boon saw that
it was impossible. The current grew
swifter and swifter, and they could see,
by the cleaning waves that flashed
under the light of their swinging
lanterns that they were moving along
almost as fast as boat under full sail
Exte nding out into the lake about
half mile above the falls, was rocky
point upon which fort had been
erected a great many years ago, during
the Fenian invasion, by the Dominion
government, and as the country round
about at the time was disturbed by an
uprising of Indians and Metis, several
soldiers were kept there on guard
for many weeks. The water
for a quarter of a mile from the
end where the garrison stood was shall
low, and the waves broke from the
bottom, rising to height of from
twelve to fifteen feet. Albert and
Frank had now taken down the sails,
for they found that to touch shore was
impossible, and they were more willing
to trust themselves to the violence of
midlalSe than the sure destruction be-
low. But they had gone down too far
and the swift current was dragging
them steadily along toward the fatal
brink. They waved their lanterns
madly when they saw the lights
cleaning in the fort and again cried
and cried for help, but the air was
full of the booming noises of the storm
and their voices fell far short of reach
ing the shore. Then the raft reached
the toughest piece of water they had
encountered yet; it beaved and
strained, and as the great pillows
rolled under it its surface looked
almost as uneven as the face of
the lake. Then, with a crash,
it parted almost in the middle,
the end where the steering oars were
placed drifting off from the part con-
tanning the caboose, the boys and the
wild animals. The shanty was placed
in the middle of the joint, and the
brothers, fearing that the whole mass
would go to pieces, stood by the door
still waving their lanterns. The bear
was seized with the general terror, and
crept about from log to log, getting
farther away from the edge. He soon
smelled the two deer, but made no at
tempt to attack them, being evidently
too terrified to care for anything except
his own safety. Now the raft was di-
rectly opposite the reef where the wa
ter was toughest; it lurched and
swayed for minute or so, then, in
some indescribable way, it seemed to
go all to pieces at once, each joint
however, remaining intact Two of
the joints adhered to the one on which
the shanty stood. But the bear was
set adrift on a square of his own, and
the waves at every souse nearly COW
cred him. The two deer crept around
to where the boys were standing and
shuddered with dread.
Then the dark shore was suddenly
illuminated, there was loud report,
and a dark object struck the raft near
where the shanty stood and went roll
ing over it into the sea. The brothers
ventured from the door of the caboose
to see what had happened and found
a stout rope lying across the joint next
to the one upon which they stood. The
truth dawned upon them; the cable had
been shot from u mortar in the fort,
and here was their deliver
ance. They at once took hold of
the heavy rope and made it fast to
raft, then swung their lantern. In few
seconds twenty pairs OF stalwart
arms were pulling on the cable
and drawing it slowly foot by foot
J in the teeth of the hurricane
| toward the shore. The diminished
raft was dragged into leeward of the
reef and at last pulled upon the be ach.
In fifteen minutes more the boys would
have met their death below the falls.
The deer permitted themselves to be
secured by ropes and led ashore, and
| they were afterward put in park near
| by the garrison where they became
tame and docile. The brothers returned
home next day, but the rest of the raft
went over the falls and the bear with
it; his body was found afterward whirl
ing around among the rocks below
The method of sending the rope to the
raft was as follows: Several coils Of
the rope were placed ia a shell
the rope itself passing out from hole
in the SIDE coil of about four hun
dred yards being placed near the gun
the shell was fred from one of the
heavy mortar, and at the first snot was
successful Edmund Collins, in n. Y
Independent.
A HOME WEDDING.
| 1t lWasnt II Grand One. But 1t Wa
PrettIer Than If 1t Had Been.