Rural Retreat times. [volume] (Rural Retreat, Va.) 1892-1918, 1903-03-20

uHu udffOWuS, uncertain pain LAY
ahead, my nerve was sorely tried.
"At times, overcome by the peril
could not see, stopped dead and trem'
bled. feared to strike my gaff, feared
to set my foot down. feared to quit the
square foot of solid fee upon which ]
stood. Had it not been for the high
wind-high and-fast rising to gale-l
should have sat down and waited fol
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 tt
go on.
''And on went, but at Iast-the mis-
chance was inevitable-my step was
badly chosen. My foot broke through
and / found myself of sudden sink
ing. l threw myself forward and fell
with my arms spread out; thus 1 dis
tributed my weight over a wider area
of ice and was borne UP.
For time l was incapable of NOV.
Ing muscle; the surprise the rush of
terror, the shock of the fall, the sudden
relief of finding myself safe for the mo-.
ment had stunned me. So I lay still,
hugging the ice, for how long I cannot
tell, but know that when recovered
my self-possession my first thought
the surgery window-an unreasonable
distance away. I must reach that
light, knew, but it was a long time
before had the courage to move for.
ward.
"Then l managed to get the gaff un.
der my chest, so that I could throw
some part of my weight upon it, and
began to crawl. The progress was inch
by inch-slow and toilsome, with no
moment of security to tighten it.
was keenly aware of my danger; at
any moment, as I knew, the ice might
open and let ME in.
81 had gained fifty yards or more,
and had come to broad lake, which I
must round, when the light in the win.
dow went out
" Elizabeth has given me up for the
night thought in despair. she has
blown out the light and gone to bed
There was now no point of light to
mark my goal. 1t was very dark, and
in few minutes I was lost. / had the
wind to guide me, it is true, but I soon
mistrusted the wind. 1t was veering,
it had yeered, l thought; it was not
possible for me to trust it implicitly.
In whatever direction l set my face
fancied that the open sea lay that way.
again and again started, but upon
each occasion had no sooner begun to
crawl than fancied that had mischo-
sen the way. OF course I cried for
help, but the wind swept my frantic
screams away, and no man heard them.
The moaning and swish Of the gale, as
1t ran past the cottages, drowned my
cries. The sleepers were not alarmed.
Meanwhile that same wind was
breaking up the ice. I could hear the
cracking and grinding long before I
felt the motion of the pan upon which
7 lay. But at last did feel that mass
of ice turn and gently heave, and then
gave myself up for lost.
"'Doctor! Doctor"
"The voice came from far to wind
ward. The wind caught my answering
shout and carried it out to sea.
They will not hear me- thought.
They will not come to help me-
''The light shone out from the surg
cry window again. Then lights APP
peared in the neighboring houses and
passed from room to room. There had
been an alarm. But my pan was
breaking up! Would they find me in
time? Would they find me at oil?
Lanterns were now cleaning OH the
rocks back of my wharf. Half a dozen
men were coming down on the run,
bounding from rock to rock of the
saw them LAUGH boat ON the ice and
drag it out toward me. From the edge
of the shore ice they let it slip into the
water, pushed off and came slowly
through the opening lanes of water,
calling my name at intervals.
''The ice was fast breaking and NOV.
ing out. When they caught my hail
they were not long about pushing the
boat to where I lay. Nor, you may be
sure, was long about getting aboard"
Doctor" said I, chow did they know
that you We're in distress?"
oh" said the DOCTOR sit was Tom
my's father. He was worried. and
walked around by the shore. When
he found that l was not home he
reused the neighbors.'
"As the proverb runs" said I, ''the
longest way round is sometimes the
shortest way home"
Yes" said the doctor, 81 chose the
longest way."-Youth's Companion
The English Oyster.