Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-06-29
iowa las! last week on asssdnf TING s.,1tae

60t Jul VI LAe WY. II lell FdCTOSS my
body, bearing him backward and pin
ming him down upon the mud.
The plight in which the young own
er SO Unexpectedly found himself was
both painful and dangerous. There
he lay, fiat on his back, covered from
the tips of his toes almost to his
shoulders by slab of ice weighing
several hundred pounds.
The under side was rough with ir-
regular bosses, and these, pressing
down upon the mud, held up the cake
from his body; otherwise his life
would surely have been crushed out in
a short time.
So far as he could tell, no bones
had been broken, but his body and
lower limbs were fastened into abso-
lutte immobility. His arms, however,
were free, and he could breathe with
no great difficulty. Pressing his
hands strongly against the edge Of the
slab, he attempted to drag himself
from under it. But struggle as hard
as he might, he found to his great
alarm that he could not work him
self backward the fraction of an inch.
He began to shout for aid:
Hi! Hi! Hi! Help!"
The narrow dock resoundsd with
his cries. From the opposite shore
of the river faint echo rolled back.
How could they help hearing him in
the village, half mile below? He
became silent and waited Surely
rescue would soon come. But at the
end OF ten minutes no approaching
footstep had gladdened his ears.
Again he sent forth shout after shout;
but still there was no response. The
dock was in an unfrequented spot,
under high bank, and the wharves
that hemmed 1t in prevented his voice
from being heard. Evidently it was
useless to count on assistance from
others.
Duncan turned his head and looked
out across the level river. 1t was a
beautiful afternoon. The Penobscot
seemed rejoicing in its freedom from
tho chains of winter. No breeze rip
pied the surface visible between the
wharf-ends. An occasional ice-cake,
drifting slowly by, was the only thing
that broke the monotony of the
smooth. blue current.
The pressure upon the prisoners
body was becoming heavier and more
painful, chilling it and checking the
circulation. He could just breathe,
and that was all. Pull and strain as
he might, he could not extricate him
self Then sudden fear struck him
as he noted the progress Of the tide.
1t had already crept up several
inches!
He was near the lowar end Of the
slab. The bottom of q. 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 a strong,
active body and clear brain. He
fully appreciated his peril, but saw
that it 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, aud
he at once dismissed it from his
thoughts.
But one resource remained. In the
pocket Of his coat, few feet behind
him. was small jack-lnife. Stretch.
ing his arms backward at full length
he touched sleeve and very carefully
drew Y toward him. IN q moment