The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1895-11-08

upwards into the air, with a noise
sometimes resembling the sounds OF
exploding muskets, and sometimes the
crash of falling towers.
But the noise of another and similar
commotion, in an opposite direction (,
now attracted their attention. They
turned, and their eyes were greeted
with scene which, though less start
ling from its distance, yet even sur
passed, in picturesque grandeur, the
one they had just been witnessing.
Through the whole visible reach of the
Connecticut, long, white, glittering
column of ice, with it's ridgy and
bristling top towering high above the
adjacent banks, was sweeping by and
onward. like the serried lines of an
army advancing to the charge; while
the broad valley around, even back to
the submits of the far off hills, was
resounding with the deafening
din that rose from the extended
line of the booming avalanche, with
the deep rumblings of an earth
quake mingled with the tumultuous
roar of an approaching tempest.
The attention of the company, how
ever, was now drawn from this mag
nificent display of the power of the
elements, by an object of more imme-
diate interest to their feelings. This
was an open double sleigh, approach
ing, on the opposite side of the river,
towards the place at which they had
just crossed over, in the manner we
have described. The mountain mass
that was still forcing its way down the
river before them, with increasing i'm
petus, was now within three hundred
yards of the pass, to which those in
the sleigh were fastening, with the
evident design of crossing. And
though the latter, owing to point of
woods that INTERVIEWED at a bend in the
stream short distance above, could
not see the coming ice, yet they seem
ed aware of its dangerous proximity
for, as they now drove down to the
edge of the water, they paused, and a
large man, who appeared to have con.
troll of the team, rose to his feet, and
with words that could not be distin-
guished in the roaring Of the wind and
the noise from the scene above, made
an appealing gesture, which was read
as an inquiry whether the team would
HAVE llIt W CEOSS tuC lCC
reached the spot
at is Colonel Carpenter and his
company, said WOODBURY.. He will
have no time to spare, but enough, l
think, if he instantly improves it, to
get safely over. He has smart horses
and is anxious to be on this side OF
the river. Let him come"
Accordingly, they returned him en-
couraging gestures, which being seen
and understood by him, he instantly
whipped up his horses, and, forcing
them on to the ice, soon effected his
passage in safety, and drove rapidly
down the road, leading along the
northern bank of the stream to the
Connecticut, the object of his speed
being obviously to keep forward of the
icy food, by which his progress might
otherwise be soon INSTRUCTED.
There" resumed WOODBURY., break
ing the silence with which he and
his companions had been witnessing
the rather hazardous passage of their
friends, = there, the colonel is we'll
over but his is the last sleigh to cross
this year, unless it be drawn by
winged horses. -
"Well, winged, or not winged, there
is another, it seems, about to make the
said one of the company,
pointing across the river, where a
covered double sleigh, with snowy
equipage was dashing at full speed
down the road towards the stream.
Its hostile craft I" ''Peters and
his gang - 1--WE owe them no favors"
6" Let the enemy take care of them
selves!' were the EXPLANATIONS which
burst from the recently incensed group,
as all eyes were now turned to the
spot.
80. no no!' exclaimed WOODBURY.,
with looks of the most lively concern.
BE they foes or friends, they must
not be suffered to enter upon that
river. Why, the breaking ice has al
ready nearly reached the bend, and
unless it stops there, that path across |
the stream, within five minutes, will
be as traceless as the ocean! Run
down to the bank, and hail them - he
turning to those aroun him. |
If here they would not listen to me.
Will no one go to warn them against
an attempt which must prove destruc-
tion"he added, reproachfully glancing
around him.
"Shall we interfere unasked?" said
one, who was smarting under a sense
Of former injuries ''ay, and interfere,
too, to save such a man as Peters. that
he may go on robbing us of our farms
"And save such man as Sheriff |
Paterson, also, that he may hang the