Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1901-02-13
In strips that dropped behind and were
whirled along for some yards in the
vortex of air following the rushing

|
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
push him farther into, the rope. His
chest was so wedged into it that tho
construction almost stopped his breath
ing. So great was his agony that he
must have died had it endured long.
Again the log righted for a straight
run of then seconds. then canted and
rose to hurry round the final curve.
Once more the knot was ground
against the side tinbers. 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
Beaver BASIN. Hjorths legs flew up
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
Weld 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 sub
merged, he could yet catch breath.
But the pain Of his gasp for air was
unendurable 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 voice cry out near by:
There's his head! Pass me that
pike-pole."
"Where?" cried another man.
"There! Here, do1't you see? All,
he's gone down! No-I've got him."
AS Hjorth went under he
felt the sharp hook Of the pike-pole
catch in his coat. Then he was lifted,
1 groaning, into the boat Of the men who
had their cabin near the mouth of the
slide.
/ Hearing the roar and splash Of log
i at so unusual an hour. they had run l1.
II isout OF their shanty. 0nss 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 go 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 it do?" Hjorth
asked. "Let him go. If l put him in
jail, he'll take to the bottle worse than
ever when he comes out" .
When the news that Hjorir refused
to prosecute was brought to him, Big
Peter hastened to the man he had
wronged, cried like child, and swore
he would never taste liquor again.
He kept that pledge, and is now an
Industrious, respectable citizen OF
Bloomfield from whom | had most OF
the particulars of this narrative
Youths Companion.