Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1901-01-10

trough" But he set his teeth hard to
bear the pain, and uttered never
cry.
At ten seconds on it's course, the
log had reached an equilibrium.
Hjorth lay as if half-turned on his
right side.
Il shall be smashed at the turn"
he thought.
Even then the log half-canted over
and tossed him as far on his side as
he had been on his right. 1t was now
flying round the first curve out if it's
equilibrium, as sleigh swiftly
turning a corner rises on the inner
runner.
Against the longer side of the curv-
ing trough it slashed. then raced on
almost free of the bottom. 1t was
pressed against the side timbers, and
carried Hjorth on the other side.
The knot on the rope round the
young man was thrust against the
timber. It's particles began to be
planed off as those of candle might
be if held against revolving grind
stone.
Farther back, where the side of the
log touched the slide, bark flew away
in strips that dropped behind and were
whirled along for some yards in the
vortex of air following the rushing
timber.
The air through which Hjorth was
forced came against his almost sense.
less body with such solidity as to
I, e. ;nf ha
chest was SO wedged into it that the
construction almost stopped his breath
ing. So .:eat was his agony that he
must have died had it endured long.
Again the log lighted for straight
run of then seconds. hen canted and
rose to hurry round the final curve.
Once more the knot was ground
against the side timbers. The strands
had been almost worn away when the
log lay down for the straight stretch
to the water. Still the rope held Hjorth
although the thrust of the air against
him was so strong that the knot must
have fallen apart had the run been
twenty seconds longer.
Then the log shot straight out over
like rags tied to a descending arrow,
and the log, plunging at an angle
into the pond, went out of sight.
Neither Hjorth nor the rope that had
bound his body rose with the timber
when it jumped half out and splashed
heavily down. The remaining strands
had parted under the strain of the
plunge. The log rose. and little waves
went away trembling with reflections
of the last rose color after sundown.
Their circle had widened far before
Hjorth's head appeared.
Too much racked and exhausted to
struggle, he rose as a corpse rises.
But the icy water had restored him to
full consciousness, and he tried to
strike out dog fashion" with his
bound hands But the effort was agony.
He understood that some of his ribs
must have been broken. and with an
agonizing breath he sank again.
Even in that extremity the youths
firm Northman soul forbade him to
yield and die. A twist of his legs
brought him upward. He let his feet
sink, became motionless, laid his head
back, and so rose till his nose and
lips were above the surface. Although
ears, cheeks and forehead were SUBJ
merged he could yet catch breath.
But the pain of his gasp for air was
uncomfortable. He convulsively moved
his bound hands. That slight distrub-
ance sank him once more.
Still Hjorth kept his senses. Tread
ing water with his feet, he thrust his
head we'll above the pond Then he
heard a voice cry out near by:
There's his head. Pass me that
pike-pole."
"Where?' cried another man.
There, Here. don't you see? All,
he's gone down! No-I've got him!"
AS Hiorth went under he
felt the sharp hook of the pike-pole
catch in his coat. Then he was lifted,
groaning, into the boat of the men who
had their cabin near the mouth of the
slide.
Hearing the roar and splash of log
at so unusual an hour. they had run
out of their shanty. On seeing Hjorth's
head appear on the rose-tinted water.
they had hurried to his aid.
Before morning. after stripping him
in their shanty and wrapping him in
hot blankets. they had taken him to
the doctor at Bloomfield.
There his young ribs quickly knit.
but his nerves were shaken and he
could not 80 back to work on the slide.
He drew his little earnings from the
bank and went to Dakota. There he
has prospered so well that all the
yellow-headed Hjoryesens are with
him.
He refused to lay an information
against Hicks.
What good would II do?" Hjorth
asked. let him go. Ii put him In
Jail. he'll take to the bottle worse than
ever when he comes out"
When the news that Hiorth refused
IN proseeute WAS brought To him. big