The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1895-11-15

may yet save her. O Heaven. helm m,
20 tne speed and the means OF rescuin,
her from this dreadful deathv
And calling loudly to his compan
ions, whom he had already outstripped
70 come ON, he now set forward, witt
az possible speed, for the place which
afforded the last chance for the poo
girls rescue. The banks of the river
at the point which it was now his OBJ
Ject TO gain, were SO much more eleyat
ed than those above, that he had littl,
Tear OF finding the path leading on I,
the bridge obstructed by the water
And it had glanced through his mind
as ne described this forgotten spot, ant
saw the remains of the bridge still
standing, that the maiden might bt
assisted to escape on to the bank, O,
be drawn up by cord, or some othe,
implement, to the top of the bridge,
which, being high above the ordinar,
level OF the water, would not probably
be swept away by the ice, at least no,
till'that part Of it on which she was
situated should have passed under it,
There was an occupied log house
standing but short distance from the
place, and the owner, as Woodburp
drew near, was, luckily, just making
his appearance at the door.
"A rope, a rope! be ready with a
rope" shouted WOODBURY., pointing
to the scene of trouble, AS soon as he
could make himself understood by the
wondering settler.
The man, after hurried glance
from the speaker to the indicated
scene, and thence to the bridge below,
during which he seemed to compre
bend the nature Of the emergency. in
stantly disappeared within the door.
In another moment Woodburn came
up, and burst into the house, where
he found the settler and his wife
eagerly running out the rope of their
bedstead, which had been hastily
stripped of the bed and clothing and
the fastenings cut, for the purpose.
The instant the rope was disengaged
it was seized by the young man, who
bidding the other to follow rushed out
of the house and bounded forward to
the bridge which they both reached
Just as the unbroken ice was here be-
ginning to quake and move from the
impulse of the vast body above which,
now scarcely fifty PAGES distant, was
driving down, with deafening crash,
towards them.
"Thank Heaven, she yet lives, and
is nearing us !" exclaimed Woodburn.
as he ran out on to the partially Gov
cred beams of the bridge, where he
could obtain a clear view of the chan
mel above.
She is there, hedged in, though as
yet riding securely in the midst of
that hideous jam, but, if not drawn
up here, will be the next moment lost
among the spreading mass, as it is
disgorged into the Connecticut here
below"
''Shall we throw down an end for
her to catch?" said the settler, hast
ening to Woodburn's side.
II dare not risk her strength to hold
on to 1T; l must go down myself"
said WOODBURY., hurriedly knotting the
two ends of the cord round his body.
"Now stand by me. my friend. Brace
yourself back firmly on this string.
piece; let me down, and the instant |
have secured her in my arms, draw us
both up together
II can let you down: but to draw
you both up-'replied the other, hes
itating at the thought Of the hazard
GUS attempt
"You must try it." eagerly inter
rupted the intrepid young man. "My
friends will be here in moment to
aid you. There she comes be ready
nowv'
Accordingly, sliding over the edge
of the bridge, WOODBURY. was gradually
let down by the strong and steady
hands Of the settler, till he was swing
ing in the air, on level with that
part of the approaching mass on
which stood the half senseless object
OF his perilous adventure. The fore
most of the broken ice was now sweep
ing swiftly by, just beneath his feet.
Another moment and she will be
there! She evidently sees the prepare
ton for her deliverance; a faint cry
of Joy escapes her lips, and her hands
are extended towards the proffered aid.
And now, riding high on the billowy
column, she is borne on nearer and
nearer towards those who wait, in
breathless silence, for her approach.
And now she comes-she is here! She
is caught in the eager grasp Of the
brave youth; and, the next instant,
by the giant effort of the strong man
above them, they are together drawn
up within few feet of the bending
and lettering bridge. But with all his
desperate exertions, he can raise them
no higher, and there they hang sus
pended over the dark abyss of whirl
ing waters that had opened in the dis
rupting mass beneath, at the instant,
as if to receive them; while a noun
tain billow of ice, that must over
whelm them with certain destruction,
is rolling down, with angry roar, with
in few rods of the spot. A groan OF
despair burst from the exhausted man
at the rope; and his grasp was about
to give way. ..,
instant longer!'' cried loud voice on
the right, where tall, muscular form
was seen bounding forward to the spot.
"Quick, Colonel Carpenter " quick
O. for, Gods SAKE, quick" exclaimed
the settler, throwing an anguished
and beseeching glance over his shoulder
towards the other.
The next instant, the powerful frame |
of the new conner was bending over the
grasped rope: and, in another, both |
Dreservers and preserved were on the |
bridge, from which they had barely
time to escape, before it was swept
away. with loud crash, and borne oil |
On the top of the mighty torrent.
They we're met on the bank by the
of WOODBURY., and the
friends of the rescued maiden, who
came promiscuously running to the
SPOT, when loud and long were the
Jushing acclamations of JOY and graft
- A. 81 rann wildly LID to heaven at |