The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-06-27
SELECTED STORY.
A Remarkable Adventure.

nOuudyS Will lIltllOS III ITluCe Cu-
ward Island and was crossing to the
mainland on my way to Ottawa
when our stout steel steamer ran into
Q pack of ice Just outside Pictou har-
Dor and seemed likely to be delayed
there for hours. There was nothing
10 do but make the best of the cir
uumstances, so the passengers, all
men, retired to the smoking room
for warmth and talk.
'Tt's too bad to be stopped here.
We might almost swim ashore" said
fat little man.
"You wouldn't find winter swim
ming pleasant" said a young doctor.
'Have you ever tried til" asked the
Fat man.
'Had to once" The doctors ex-
preston betokened recollection of a
woeful experience.
''Tell us all about it, Come, out with
the story" and at the word story
there was general shifting of chairs
TO face the doctor.
"Well all right. 1t will help to
pass the time, so here it Isl"
In the winter of 1856 1 was going to
school at Pictou academy, and a cold
winter it was The harbor froze so
early that several banks were shut
In. The ice held, and before long it
was so thick that the island steamer
had to cut her way up to the wharf.
Splendid skating and clear, steady
weather we boys had, l tell you.
Going to school was a hard trial
those days. With eyes on our books
we thought of nothing but skating.
Why should dull learning enchain
boys who wished to scud down
the harbor to East river and whiz
along its crooked course2 But you
all know how we felt. After school
we'd skate till late at night, illumi-
mating the harbor with bonfires and
torches.
One afternoon in January skated
up to New Glasgow to visit my sick
friend, Bob Goodyear. He had been
taken down with fever and was dan
gerously ill., Bob was then boarding
In New Glasgow, where he had few
friends.
1t took me about an hour to skate
from Pictou to New Glasgow. l got
there a little after nightfall and
found Bob so very i'll that l decided
TO stay all night and help nurse him.
The doctor came in soon and gave me
instructions for my nights watch.
About II o'clock my real task be-
gan, when the people of the house
had gone to bed, and l was left
to myself in the sickroom. was
somewhat tired after the days exer-
Eon the wind had made my eyelids
heavy, and soon caught myself nod
ding.
However, by frequent sips of
strong coffee, managed to keep my
eyes open for several hours and do
my duty, but gradually I felt myself
growing nervous. I tried to read,
but couldn't and to keep myself I'M
der control l was obliged to pace the
door.
The room was very warm, and in
the small hours went out into the
hall. There the cool air refreshed
me considerably, and the bright idea
occurred to me that might as well
skate back to Pictou that night. My
watch would be over at 3 o'clock,
when / should be relieved by Bob's
regular nurse.
In half an hour she came, and then
I decided to go. So l started before
abe had time to wheeze out half the
list of dangers to which, she assured
me, was exposing myself.
Outside a fine snow was falling,
and the wind was northwest. was
ON the ice and away in almost no
time, it seemed. The cold night air
was most exhilarating, and the very
strong coffee l had last taken stimu-
lated me. l seemed intoxicated with
strength and longed for more resist
Ance than the wind and ice would
oRer.
Digging my skates into the ice,
dashed along against the brisk nor
Wester with the speed OF race horse.
The distance to Pictou was not
more than nine miles, but the storm
and the increasing snow underfoot
would lengthen the trip consider
ably. If ! had paused to consider
this, I should at least have reserved
my strength instead of hurrying on
ut the pace was going.
There was no real danger,
thought, but made far too little of
the risks of skating in such darkness.
The river channel often remains
open in places, even during the cold
est weather. When l found myself
frequently running ashore after pass
Ing the first bend, the thought of
this danger should have occurred to
me.
Strange to say, it did not. But my
progress was fast becoming unsatis-
factory. The course of the river has
many sharp turns, hard to follow. l
often dashed up against one of the
steep banks, and if it had not been
!, 1