Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1903-05-13
The Longest Way Home.
BY NORMAN DUNCAN.

miles round the harbor by the road.
I'm going the shortest way
"'You'll find it the longest, SIR said
he
Il repeated my directions as to the
treatment Of Tommy, then gave the
man good night and stepped out on the
Ice, gaff in hand. The three hours fol-
lowing were charged with more terror
and despair than, doubtless, any year
of my life to come shall know. l am
not morbidly afraid of death. 1t was
not that-not the simple, natural fear
Of death that made me suffer. 1t WAS
the manner of its coming-in the night,
with the harbor folk, all ignorant of my
extremity, peacefully sleeping around
me-the slow, cruel approach Of it.
closing in upon every hand, lying all
about me, and hidden from me by the
night"
The doctor paused. He looked over
the quiet water of the harbor.
YES" he said, repeating the short,
nervous laugh, 'it was narrow es-
cape. The sun of the afternoon-it had
shone hot and bright-had weakened
the ice. and strong, gusty wind, such
wind as breaks up the ice every
spring, was blowing down the harbor
to the sea. 1t had overcast the sky
with thick clouds. The night was dark.
Nothing more Of the opposite shore
than the vaguest outline of the hills-a
blacker shadow in a black sky-was to
be seen.
"But I had the lamp in the surgery
window to guide me, and pushed out
from the shore, resolute and hopeful
l made constant use of my gaff to
sound the ice. Without it l should
have been lost before l had gone twen-
ty yards. From time to time, in rotten
places. it broke through the ice with
but slight pressure, then had to turn
to right or left, as seemed best, keeping
to the general direction as well as /
cohld all the while.
GAS proceeded, treading lightly and
cautiously l was dismayed to find that
the condition of the ice was worse than
the worst l had feared.
"'Ah,' thought 1, with a wistful
glance toward the light in the window
I'll be glad enough to get there
"There We're lakes of open water in
my path; there were flooded patches,
sheets of thin, rubbery ice. stretches of
rotten 'slob.' / was not even sure that
solid path to my surgery wound
through these dangers, and If path
there were it was a puzzling maze,
strewn with pitfalls. with death wait
Ing upon mis-step.
Had it been broad day my situation
would have been serious enough. In
the night, with the treacherous places
all covered up and hidden it was des,
perate. l determined to return, but l
was quite as unfamiliar with the lay
of the ice behind as with the path
ahead. A moment of thought persuad-
ed me that the best plan was the bold
est-to push on for the light in the win
| dow. l should have, at least, star to
guide me.
81 have not far to co. I thought. Il
must proceed with confidence and
| common-sense sort of caution. Above
| all, l must not lose my nerve
| ut was easy to make the resolve; 1t
was ~ " Nails II ouls w heh was
searching for solid ice and my gaff
splashed water, when the ice offered
no more resistance to my gaff than a
similar mass of sea foam, when my
| foothold bent and cracked beneath me,
when, upon either side, lay open water
and narrowing, uncertain path lay
ahead, my nerve was sorely tried.
"At times, overcome by the peril
could not see, stopped dead and trem-
bled. l feared to strike my gaff, feared
to set my foot down, feared to quit the
square foot of solid ice upon which
stood. Had it not been for the high
wind-high and fast rising to a gale-I
should have sat down and waited for
the morning. But there were ominous
sounds abroad, and, although l knew
little about the ways Of ice, felt that
the breakup would come before the
dawn. There was nothing for it but to
go on.
"And on l went but at last-tfle mis-
chance was inevitable-my step was
badly chosen. My foot broke through,
and I found myself of a sudden sink
ing. threw myself forward and fell
with my arms spread out thus I dis
trlbuted my weight over a wider area
of ice and was borne up.
For a time was incapable of NOV
ing a muscle; the surprise, the rush Of
terror, the shock Of the fall, the sudden
relief Of finding myself safe for the mo-
msnt had stunned me. So lay still.