The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-11-25
IT THE MERCY
). OF THE WIND.
BY FRANK |. POLLOCK.
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TIP to the New Year the north On
tario winter had been unusually
snowless and cold, so that Lake Huron
was frozen to an almost unprecedented
distance from the shore. The long har-
Dor of Parry sound was dazzling belt
of thick glare ice, and from the mouth
OF its steamboat channel the great
Georgian bay stretched out to north,
west and south, white and still to the
very horizon.
As the ice was in perfect condition
for skating, the harbor was usually well
sprinkled with moving figures on fine
afternoons, and was generally among
the skaters.
One day, as l walked down to the
landing, l noticed that the west was
dark with ominous-iooking gray clouds,
among which the sun was already dis
appearing. A fresh northeast wind
blew down the sound, and this decided
me to take the south channel, in Or
der to have the breeze at my back. AS
for returning, the wind might be ex-
pected to go down as evening advanced.
The ice was superbly smooth, and the
wind SO strong that | went flying down
the channel at great speed. The dark,
heavily wooded shores streamed past
like panorama. did not realize the
full force of the gale behind me, for
there is sorts of intoxication in rapid
motion through the open air, and !
skated faster and faster, without the
least thought of danger or sensation OF
fatigue. 1t was as if | moved by pure
volition.
l did not notice the passage of time,
hut in what seemed lnarvelously short
period l found myself rounding the
dun head of Parry island, and com.
ing out upon the open lake itself. There
looked at my watch: as it was five
o'clock | decided to take short run
upon the lake and then return.
| had never before skated upon the
open reaches of the Georgian bay, and
Pad not imagined that the ice could be
so excellent. | knew that usually il
Vas cracked and ridgy, because the in
cessant motion of the water prevented
1t from freezing smoothly, but now il
was almost as CLASSY as the ice on the
harbor itself.
Away few, delighted Once l was
clear of the island, the gale struck m,
with increased strength and so greatly
accelerated my speed that | was quite
TWO miles from land before l tool
thought, and began to fear trouble il
regalning shelter in the teeth of thu
wind. So crcled about to the right
iaeed toward the shore-and stopped
snort! The gale met me like a wall
IL was impossible for me to skat.
against it.
took few vigorous strokes, but Ii
'ain. When tried to stand still Wen
shoing away before the wind. Again
anu again | renewed the struggle, des
perately exhausting myself. Every bi
eyefst knows the heart-breaking strair
o' riding against a head wind, but thi
was worse, for was not able to advanc,
even a yard. Indeed, l actually los
ground. l could stop myself only b,
sittlng down, and that was what / did
was not then much alarmed. |
seemed absurd to suppose that an able
oodied and active young man would b.
prevented from crossing two miles o
ice oy wind power alone. Could | no
taek' to right and left, and thus bea
up through the storm?
igot up, and began to skate vigorous
y N southeasterly direction, bearing
70 the east, so that the wind blew upo
my right side, or upon my "weathe
oow. For some minutes all seemed t
90 well. l held my head down an,
travelled as fast as was possible. Blu
ahen made ready to ''go about" upo
eae other tack, and looked to see wha
progress l had made, l was horritie,
= nnd had been blown so far to lee
sara as to be quite half a mile far
eef from shelter than before.
Tried to rectify the error by strikin
oa' strongly northeast to north, b..
Nv .as 'afee OF the storm would not eve
.auW .a.. me to turn at right angles to It
"Ssss' ! was gradually and impel