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

ing of claws Cd the wflatf across the
dock. Then on its capsill appeared
the head and shoulders of a hound,
outlined against the clear sky. Dun
can recognized him as dog belong
ing to neighbor, and the wild hope
flashed into his head that here YVES a
messenger that might summon assist
ance. Oh, if he could only be made
be made to understand!
With voice and gesture he tried to
coax the hound down into the dock.
The animal evidently appreciated the
fact that something was wanted OF
him, for he ran whining back and
forth On the edge of the wharf, as
ii seeking a place to descend. Final
ly, however, to Duncan's bitter dis
appointment he turned and bounded
off.
Two sides of the. ice-cake parallel
to his body were now cut through,
but the hardest Of the three, that
across his thighs, had hardly been
touched. And the water had already
laid its icy clutch on his hair. How
freezing cold it was! 1t had crept
under the cake, and was chilling his
whole body. 1t was flowing into his
ears. The back of his head and neck
seemed to be turning into ice.
Then came ten minutes of painful.
YTyl bow, 20
body was almost destitute of feeling
because of the fearful numbness that
had crept over it. About him the
rising water eddied and gurgled. His
whole life depended upon that little
sharp piece of steel set in the horn
handle. The cake was cut half
through; few more strokes would do
the work.
Again that slight swapping sound!
The brittle blade had broken like the
other!
With mighty effort Duncan flung
both arms powerfully down on the
tongue that still held to the slab by
it's half-severed end, preventing his
escape; but the firm mass showed
no sign of yielding. Again, and still
again, with the strength of despair
he dashed his elbows against the un-
feeling ice, bruising them cruelty. But
his second and third attempts proved
as the first.
"You never can do it! You never
can do it," voice seemed to keep
saying over and over in his ear.
Il will do it," he shouted. And
for the fourth time, his muscles hard
as steel and his energies doubled and
trebled by the deadly peril, he hurled
his tense forearms upon the mass that
held him down.
Crack! The cake split off, and lay
loosely across his chest
He had succeeded at last, but not a
moment too soon, for the water was
tapping his cheeks. With a final en-
deavor he pushed the severed cake
aside, and putting his arms behind
him, lifted his stiffened frame to an
upright position. The long chilling
pressure had almost numbed his body,
and he was weak as a reed from the
struggle he had won.
A few minutes more, and the rising
tide floated the slab sufficiently to al
low him to draw his legs from under
it, and he crept slowly up out of the
water.
1t was hard work to climb the lad
der at the head of the dock; but grit
and resolution conquered, and Duncan
found himself at last on the molder-
ing timbers of the wharf. 1t would
not do to remain there, however, so,
slowly and painfully, he started to
drag himself homeward.
The effort he was obliged to make,
hard though it seemed, was of the
greatest benefit to him, for it gradu-
ally set the blood circulating olce
more through his benumbed body. BY
the time he had gone two hundred
and begin slow, hobbling walk. On
reaching home he said nothing of his
adventure, although he felt it's effects
for weeks afterward.
Duncan is now captain of a three
masted schooner, well-known in the
coasting trade. In one of the draw
ers of the desk in his cabin is horn
handled jack-knife with both blades
broken. This he preserves as care
fully as a veteran of g. war might
treasure some object that had stop
ped the bullet aimed at his heart
Youths Companion.