The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-03-24

More than sixty years ago two poys
necame friends under very peculiar CIR
cumstances, and the friendship lasted
lifetime.
Thomas I,add, then about Is, and Of an
adventIresome and fearless disposiuon'
was crossing, or attempted TO cross an
overflow channel caused by the Mlssls-
sippi breaking over its banks in tlnne
of high water He was in pirogue' OF
dug-out canoe, and when he had gone 10
about midway of the current, winch was
turbulent. Iioating log struck the little
craft and capsized it.
Under ordinary circumstances TINS
would have been a mishap of slight i'm
portance to boy of Thomas Ladds ols-
position He was an expert swimmer
and quite used to the exigencieS of river
life hat unfortunately, when the mo-
1nent of collision with the drifting log
came ne was standing upright IN the pl-
rogue, IryIrg to push another tnreatell-
ing obstacle out OF his way. me SUI W.
den lurch flung him headlong ana MS
right arm was broken by falling across
The log, and with but one arm 70 SWIM
with, he came near drowning 1crlnWIIn.
The muddy waves were rolling MSh,
which made it very difficult, at best, 10
keep from strangling, ana the noanhg
logs and fragments of boughs addeu
greatly TO the moments trouble.
Pluck never fails 70 shoY itself, now
ever. and the boy was plucky to fault.
After the first shock. of surprise and pain
Thomas got his head above water, ana
finding that he could not trust 10 his one
arm in swimming amid such h1ndrances,
la ID hold of the first floating thing that
came near him. This proved to be a
piece of sawn timber, a beam from some
building destroyed by. the. raging stream.
and of sufficient weight to bear up his
weight.
What alarmed him most after his first
thrill was over, and he was sufficiently
at himself to consider the whole bearing
of his misfortune, was the fact that
night moonless and cloudy, already be-
gan to cast d gloom over the e31panse OF
water between the funerea1 walls of for
est on either swampy bank He shouted
for help, without the least expectation
of being heard. His fathers plantation
house was two miles away, and besides
no voice could be heard very far above
the tumult OF the waves and the roar of
a strong wind in the woods.
Those were days when there was dan
ger OF no light sort in going alone and
even unarThed in the wild forest. Even
if Thomas Ladd succeeded in reaching
the shore, wolf. a bear, or a panther
might meet him there. He had drifted
trusty gun had gone down when his ca
noe turned over. Still he chung, to the
beam. and now and again yelled right
Justify for help, as he went UP and down
with the rapid roll of the waves and
plunged on and on along the currents
centre lire. Night fell with a fine fog
like rain that added to the darkness, and
the boys voice became hoarse; his hurt
arm throbbed and shot pains into his
shoulder and neck. meantime he lost all
reckoning OF distance or direction.
Clinglng to the piece of timber vas no
easy task for it rocked and tumbled and
jumped, being lifted and let fall by the
irregular action of the waves. His unin-
iured arLa became numb and his body in
the water was chilled. Every moment
seemed the last; he was in despair; but
native strain of conbativeness sustained
him and kept him clinging desperately
and calling as loudly as his tired throat
would let him, while at irregular inter
walls. and always Unexpectedly, his head
went under water and he had to hold his
breath to keep from Strangling.
1t. was pitch dark; drift-wood beat
against him, and sometimes almost
crushed him. He was beginning to weak
en- in spirit, as he had long ago done in
body, when he heard a voice near him,
negro's voice, strong and not unkindly.
who's dat dar?"
Strange to say, this sudden revelation
of the possibility of succor unnerved the
poor lad, and. with a cry half Joy, half
despair. ne lost his hold on the beam.
Even then. however, his pluck would
not wholly desert him. Desperately he
struggled. turning on one side. and swim
ming with his paralyzed arm. AT the
same time a vague form like that of
large monkey astride of a floating log
was bObbing up and down near him.
.'vho dat dar?" it repeated.
Help me. Q quick! help me-! cried
the boy.
Don know =, bout d lat; ", was as the cool
I'm Tom Ladd. My arms broken. I
can't swim any longer. I shall drown"
The water strangled him while he tried
to speak, and his voice was strangely
harsh.
us yo' Colonel Ladd's little boy?"
Eyes. Quick, help
Thomas Ladd had reached the farthest