The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-03-19
The Longest Way Home.
BY NORMAN DUNCAN.

| 's' bS"NNiuiiS SieeplnS urOunu
me-the slow, cruel approach Of it.
closing in upon every hand, lying all
about me. and hidden from me by the
hight"
The doctor paused. He looked over
the quiet water of the harbor.
Yes he said. repeating the short.
nervous laugh, ''it was a narrow es-
cape. The sun OF the afternoon-it had
shone hot and bright--had weakened
the ice. and strong, gusty wind, such
n 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 vagucst outline of the hills-a
blacker shadow in black sky-was to
be seen.
But I had the lamp in the surgery
window to guide me, and l pushed out
from the shore, resolute and hopeful
l made constant use of my gaff to
sound the ice. Without it | should
have been lost before had gone twen-
ty yards. From time to time, in rotten
|
but slight pressure, then l had to turn
to right or left. as seemed best. keeping
to the general direction as we'll as
coNld all the while.
"As / proceeded, trcading lightly and
cautiously. was dismayed TO find that
| the condition of the ice was worse than
the worst had feared
| thonpbt r-;+I, r,,l
glance toward the light in the window,
| III 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 puzzlng 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-
pcrate. / determined to return, but |
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.
~ have not far to co. thought. Il
must proceed with confidence and
common-sense sort of caution. Above
all. l must not lose my nerve
1t was easy TO make. the resolve; it
was hard to carry it out. When l was
searching for solid ice and my gaff
splashed water, when the ice offered
no more resistance to my gaff than
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
wlnd-high and fast rising to a galc-I
should have sat down and waited for
the morning. But there were omlnous
sounds abroad and, although / 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-the mis-
chance was inevtable-my step was
badly chosen. My foot broke through.
and | found myself of n sudden sink.
Ing. l threw myself forward and fell
with my arms spread out; thus l dis
trlbuted my weight over n wider area
of ice and was borne up.
"For time I was incapable of mov-
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 | lay STILL |
hugging the ice, for how long | cannot
tell. but l know that when | recovered
my self-possesson my first thought
was that the light was still burning I'm
the surgery windOw-an immeasurable
distance away. ! must reach that
light, I knew. but II was n long time
before l had the courage to move for
ward
Then ! managed to get the gaff un.
der my chest. so that could throw
some part of my weight upon IT, and
began to crawl. The progress was inch
by inch--slow AMI toilsome. with no
moment Of security to tighten II. l
was keenly, aware of my danger; at
any moment, MS l knew, the Ice might
open and let ME In.
II had gained fifty yards or more.
sand had come TO broad lake, which
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. II was very dark. and
In few minutes was lost. had the
wind to guide me. II Is true, but soon
mistrusted the Wind. II was veering.
It had veered, thought: 1t was not
OOEG(blo for mn La frstef n frnnlfoitIv