The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-10-21

such speed. 1t was wonderfully ex-
hAarating, and yet l flew on through
the darkness in full knowledge that l
should probably be knocked senseless
or killed outright if thrown by any
ridge or other such obstruction as |
was likely to encounter.
But no obstacle was in my way. For
quite an hour | was blown along in this
fashion, and l think that l had trav-
ersed more than Is miles when l heard
a small roaring sound ahead that sent
a SILVER to my very backbone. At the
same time the ice grew rougher and
serrated with wave-lille ridges. tried
to check my speed; | wheeled; ! was
flung down and slid rbefore IstOpped.
Looking forward, l saw the dark hori-
zOn much closer for the white plain
was cut sharply at a point not far in
front, as if black curtain had been low
cred from the skies. From behind this
curtain came the roar.
j had instantly OWNED the truth. The
bay was not wholly frozen. l had ar
rived at the edge of the ice-belt, and the
dark water of Lake Huron was heaving
and foaming right before me.
The moon, though hidden by dim
clouds, gave a faint sort of half light
that showed me the whole scene-the
vast frozen plain to right and left, and
in front, the appalling, inky, furious
eXpanse. White-capped pillows were
running high before the gale; and I
heard an astonishing roar of wind and
water. And | had come within ten rods
Of the brink. Not only so, but
seemed to be out on point or peninsula
Of ice, with open water to the west as
well as to the south of me. Such near
ness to the open water scared me. l
must try to get farther away. 1t was
conceivable that the rough ice edge
under me might break up under the
force of the gale.
l dropped on my hands and knees.
and started to run on all tours, the
points of my skates rasping into the ice
The horrible roaring behind inspired
me with a sort of panic. For a couple
of hundred yards | scrambled on, and
then the effect of eXertiOn and excite
ment began to tell. l was seized by
sudden exhaustion, and collapsed.
1t was showing faster now; | noticed
that the front of my pilot skating-coat
was t!Iickly covered with white The
flakes drove through the air with the
speed and sting of arrows, but l turned
my back on them, and stretched out on
the ice-to die, as l imagained. | did
not feel that l had energy enough to
get to my feet, even to save my life.
Ut did not seem so cold now. I began
to feel drowsily comfortable, and sus-
pected that I was freezing to death
and didn't much care.
could for awhile feel the snow beat
ing necessarily on my face and shout
ders, for l was in a sort of doze, but rot
wholly unconscious. Presently the
snow ceased falling. I lost count of the
lapse of time, but [ was suddenly
awakened by heavy blow, as if a plank
| had fallen across my body. l came to
| myself in an instant,a and on raising my
head found myself completely imbed-
| ded in snow
was not particularly cold now, and
the queer, numb feeling in my legs was
gone. l could hear the roaring of the
storm outside, and began to realize that
| the thin, flying snow had needed only
such an obstacle as my body TO form a
very respectable drift, at the bottom of
which was inferred, and which had ar
rested the freezing process.
AS l thought of this, another dull
th11H '
sepulchre. | sat up with some difficult
! ty, threw the snow aside, and looked
about.
| realized in a moment what had Oc-
| CURED. The wind had shifted from
east of north to west of north, and
under its influence massive pillows
were now rolling on the western edge
of my peninsula. Now and then a crest
of a breaker, blown bodily off by the
| gale, would fall with a resounding crash
far up on the ice. Without doubt, it
was such an event that had awakened
me, and just in time, for it was certain
that the ice about me would soon be
breaking up.
l jumped up and struck out. With
the new direction of the wind, | know
that | was saved. | could not return to
Parry sound, but Penetanguishene and
Midland lay IS miles down the coast,
and with the gale at my back I fancied
that it would be easy to cover that dis
lance.
1t was not so easy as l had imagined.
AS the sounds of crashing and rerding
ice died away behind, l found myself
weak and weary. My legs ached, my
back ached, my head ached. l would
have given worlds to sit down and rest
the one thing which dared not do
Snow retarded me slightly, too, though
it was mere thin, hurrying, scurrying,
loose layer, except where occasionally
collected as a drift by some slight OBJ
stacle.
l need not, however, describe the tor
ture of that Is miles skating. Had il
not been for the good wind pushing be.
hind, [ must have dropped by the way
AS it was, I was half dead and two.
thirds unconscious when l. saw the cleo.
trio lights of Penetanguishene shining
on the sky across Christian island
Youths Companion.