The Van Buren press., 1893-08-05
SHE COULDN'T BE DROWNED.
The wonderful vitality Of an Abyssinian
Girl.

The Wonderful Nttanty OF y" ANY ''
Girl.
Sir Samuel Baker gives an account OF
a thrilling incident which illustrates
the folly of taking unnecessary risks,
He was stationed on the banks OF an
Abyssinian river. His tents were
pitched upon the verge OF elm some
thirty feet in height, down the side of
which a rugged path led to the water.
The rainy season was SO far past ina.
the river was rather low, though at
the foot of the cliff it was broad.
Lower down the shelving rocks mar
rowed the passage until just beyond
there were some powerful rapids Near
their head was ford where women
were accustomed to cross, carrying
their burdens of fagots from the oppo-
site shore.
lone day." says Sir Samuel, II was
employedoutside the tent, when OBJ
served throng of women, each laden
with a bundle of wood, crossing the
ford in single file from the opposite
bank.
Among them were two young girls
of about fifteen years, and | remarked
that these, instead of marching in
line with the women, were wading
hand in hand in dangerous proximity
to the head of the rapids.
a few seconds later noticed that
they We're inclining their bodies up
stream, and were evidently struggling
with the current. Hardly had pointed
out the danger to the men around me,
when the girls elung to each other, and,
striving against their fate. they tottered
down the stream toward the rapids,
which rushed with such violence that
the waves were about two feet high.
with praiseworthy speed the Arabs
started to their feet and dashed down
the deep descent toward the river: but.
before they had reached half way. the
girls uttered shrek. lost their foot
ing. and in another instant threw their
arms wildly above their heads, and
were hurried away in the foam of the
rapids
Zone disappeared Immediately. The
other was visible as her long black
hair foated on the surface; she alse
sank. Presently, about twenty yards
below the spot, pair of naked arms
protruded high above the surface. with
ivory bracelets upon the wrists, and
twice the hands clapped together as
though imploring help; again she dis
appeared.
1.-THE water was by this time full oil
men who had rushed to the rescue: but
they had foolishly jumped in at the
spot where they had first seen the
| girls, who were, of course, by this time
carried far away by the torrent.
'.Once more, further down the river,
the hands and bracelets appeared; again
they wildly clapped together, and in
the clear water we could plainly see
the dark hair beneath.
'Still she sank again, but almost i'm
mediately she rose head and shoulders
above the surface, and thrice again she
clapped her hands for aid.
s'This was her last effort; she disap-
peared. BY this time several men had
wisely run along the bank below the
tail of the rapids, and having formed a
line across very narrow portion OF
the stream, one of them suddenly
clutched an object beneath the water,
and in another moment he held the
body of the girl in his arms.
"Of course she was dead? Or a fiji
subject for the Royal Humane society
So supposed, but to our intense aston
ishment, she no sooner was brought tC
the shore than gave herself shake
threw back her long hair, wrung ou
and arranged her dripping rahat, and
walked leisurely back to the ford
which she crossed with the assistanc.
of the Arab who had saved er."-Th.
Million.