Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1904-06-22

self. Then sudden fear struck him
as he noted the progress of the tide.
It had already crept up several
inches!
He was near the lower end Of the
slab. The bottom of the dock sloped
sharply downward, and he saw that
before the tide could rise high enough
to float the entire mass and remove
the pressure from his body, his face
would be covered and he would as
suredly be drowned.
The young navigator had strong,
active body and clear brain. He
fully appreciated his peril, but saw
that il was idle to waste his energies
in frantic and unavailing efforts. He
looked about for his ak, hoping to cut
himself free. A few feet to his right
the handle protruded from beneath
the ice-cake, A single trial showed
him that it was out of his reach, and
he at once dismissed it from his
thoughts.
But one resource remained In the
pocket of his coat, few feet behind
him, was a small jack-knife. Stretch
ing his arms backward at full length
he touched sleeve and very carefully
drew it toward him. In a moment
the open knife was in his grasp, and
he mustered all his powers for the
coming struggle. With so small an
instrument he would have no more
than time to cut himself clear before
the tide should reach him. Every
stroke must tell.
To gain his liberty he set out to
cut three sides Of an ice-cake sixteen
inches long, sixteen wide, and from
six to ten thick. The fourth side was
the edge directly before his face. This
would allow him to sit upright, with
his head above the slab, and when
the rising tide lifted the ice, he could
easily pull his legs out.
With freedom of motion and suit
able instrument, his task would have
been trifing one. But handicap
ped as he was by being held down in
a cramped position, armed only with
a short, slender steel blade, and I'M
able to lift his head high enough to
see the surface he must attack, he did
not underrate the difficulty of the
achievement.
Stretching his arms forward above
the edge of the slab, he began with
strong, cautious strokes to draw his
knife across the cracking fragments,
which sprinkled his face and cheeks,
and fell in heaps on each side. Deep
er and deeper grew the riffs; before
many minutes he would be free! n
He struck a hard spot, and bore
down little too heavily Snap! The
brittle steel, chilled by constant con-
tact with the ice, broke short off. AS
the blade gave way his hand came
heavily down upon the surface, and
the knife flew from his grasp.
For an instant this catastrophe,
coming so Unexpectedly, paralyzed
Duncan. Then he remembered that
the tool had another blade, and swept
his fingers over the ice in the hope
of grasping the horn handle. To his
horror he could nowhere discover it.
He tried again, straining and stretch
ing forward with all his might, but
again failed.
Sick with disappointment, he let his
head drop back upon the mud, and lay
for moment with closed eyes, then
turned his face to note the progress
of the tide. 1t was rising quietly,
more terrifying to him than if it had
come with a sound and tumult. AL
ready it washed the foot of the sriles
across the dock.
Resignation now would be cowar.
dice. Duncan breathed a short pray
er for strength, and again faced the
situation.
A rushing far up the river broke
the stiffness of the afternoon. The
Boston boat! Perhaps some one on
board might see or hear him.
But he was doomed to disappoint.
ment. Just as the steamer came OPP
posite the dock she whistled for the
Winterport landing, and the hoarse
below of escaping steam drowned
the shouts he raised. And so swiftly
did she speed by the narrow opening
between the wharves that not one
among her scores of passengers per-
-ceived the frantic waving of his arms.
The beating of the paddle wheels died
away and he was again left to himself.
1t was not far from four O'clock.
The sun was declining toward the
west, and the banks were beginning
to cast their shadows toward the
river and it was growing colder. Dun
cans body was stiff and numb from
the fearful weight that was grind
ing him down into the mud. The
sharp edge of the ice seemed to cut
his flesh.
All the while his brain was busy
with schemes to get the knife that he