Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1892-11-23
A Remarkable Deliverance.

read with interest.
"It was about five o'clock, on
one evening in November, when |
was twenty-five years OF age, that |
was returning OH horseback from
st. Austell to my fathers house.
To shorten my journey, the weather
being cold and boisterous, | crossed
"a river near the sea, and travelled
over sandy beach. This was the
usual route when the tide permitted
but at its further extremity ! had
to pass under a cliff, which at high
water is dangerous, and sometimes
impossible. On approaching this
place, | found the tide had advanced
further than ! expected; yet think
ing myself safe, being within half
a mile of my home, entered the
water without any fear, but had
not proceeded far before i found 1t
deeper than | supposed.
Having discovered my error, the
cliff being on my left hand, and the
stormy sea on my right, tried to
turn my horse and retreat; but in
doing this the poor animal fell oyer
a projecting rock. By this fall |
was thrown off him on the side
next to the sea, and i'll an instant
was buried in the waves. |, how
ever retained my senses, and, aware
of my danger, held fast by the
horse, which after some struggling
drew me safe OH the beach.
"But although | had thus escaped
the violence of the surf, my situa-
ton was dreadfully insecure.
now found myself hemmed in by
two projecting points, with scarce
ly the possibility of getting rount
either. The tide was encroachine
on me, and the cliff was impossi
able to climb. Thus circumstanced
| made a great effort to remount
my horse, resolving to pass one OF
the projecting points as my only
chance of safety. But all my eff
forts were unsuccessful, and to thi,
inability it is probable | owed my
life.
"The tide gained fast upon me
the poor animal mounted rock
and |, with difficulty followed tin,
example. In this forlorn condition
| once more made an ineffectua
effort to remount, without duly con
sidering the certain destruction
that awaited me in case | had sue
ceeded. The waves, urged on b,
the tempest, to the whole force o.
which ] stood exposed, soon told mt
that my retreat was unsafe. Th'
rock on which myself and hors,
stood was soon covered with TIN,
rising tide, and at times we wer,
nearly overwhelmed.
"Conceiving my only deliveranc,
to be scarcely possible, felt anx
ious for the escape of my horse, ant
endeavored to take off the saddl,
and bride, that in attempting t
swim he might find nothing t.
prevent his reaching the shore
But while | was thus engaged, t.
my utter astonishment, by violen
exertion, the horse partially ascend
ed another crag, so as to keep mi
head above water. was not lon,
in attempting a similar effort, il
which happily succeeded. This
however, was our last retreat, fo
just over my head projected a larg
shelving rock, above which it wa
impossible to ascend Here ] sa
down with "a mind somewhat com
posed to await events.
AFTER remaining some time,
began to hope that the tide ha
reached its height; and in this
was at length confirmed by the ligh
of the moon, which, shining upol
the rocks, showed, to my inexpressi
BILE Joy, that the water had actual
begun to subside. ! was now con
vinced that if we could keep on
position until the water had retired
and | could survive the cold, W,
might both be saved; but this wa
very doubtful, The posture il
which my horse stood was nearly
upright, and | was cherished by tn
warmth which proceeded frou
his breath as | kept his head nea
my bosom.
"As the tide retired, and the moor
rose, discovered, by its increasing
light, to what a fearful height W
had assembled, and that to descen
in safety was not less difficult thar
the means of getting up had beel
extraordinary. This, however, wa
effected without any material in
jury. On reaching the beach, fron
which the waves had now retired