The Baraboo news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1884-1911, 1905-02-01
TER RIBE-
Fight With Ice King Near
KIIbourn.

SCNCICoI ICSIS Ol CuuuIduC dEc
experienced within short distance
of ones home and friends. A dan
gerous experience occurred to a
cousin of mine who lives only short
distance from Baraboo, perhaps
ten miles northeast.
One day in early winter he had
started out to set a few traps for
muskrats in the houses they had
built along the shores of a naworr
but very deep pond of water, known
among the near neighbors as Chap
mans lake. It was a bitter cold
day and althoughit was yet early
in the season the lake appeared to
be quite firmly frozen over, so my
cousin, after thoroughly testing
the ice at the shore, ventured out
upon the glairY surface. The water
was very clear and through the ice
he could see a number of small fish,
then he began throwing his hatchet
to see how far it would slide and
then running after it. This was
going very nicely until a vigorous
throw sent it spinning across the
lake nearly to the center and he,
running and sliding, attempted to
follow. AS he came within a few
rods of it and nearly to the center
the ice began suddenly to crack be-
meath him and realizing his danger
he whirled around and started to
run toward shore, but each step
weakened the ice and down he
went, and only by throwing out his
arms did he keep from going entirely
under water. Here was a situation
which would cause the strongest
heart to waver and hope to vanish
from their thoughts, and no wonder
this sixteen year old boy turned
blue with cold and fright as he
called Justify for help; but he knew
very we'll that there was no one
near enough to hear his cry or lend
him any assistance.
His first efforts we're in trying to
climb out onto the ice again but
this failed him as each time he
raised himself up on the ice the
edge would break off and let him
fall back into the water. Then he
began beating the ice with his fists
and as fast as he could break the
ice in front of him he wfiggled his
body along the narrow passage thus
made in the direction of the hatChet.
A few short minutes, which seemed
hours TO him, brought him in reach
of the innocent little instrument
which had been the cause of his
downfall, and thus armed he struck
out bravely for the shore, breaking
| ice in front of him with the hatChet
as he went; but his strength was
now fast falling from the exposure
to the icy wind and water, and the
exertion of keeping above water
and breaking ice at the same time.
Several times he became too ex-
hausted to raise his arm above the
ice, and each time he gave himself
u for lost, but as often as his head
would sink to the icy water he would
scramble at it again with a de-
termination to reach the shore.
He struggled forward inch by inch,
foot by foot, until a shout of JOY
rent the air, his foot had touched
the hard clay bottom and another
mighty struggle brought him in
reach of a large muskrat house
which he succeeded in foundering
over. Sick and exhausted he fell tc
the ground in a dead faint where
| he Law for several minutes till the
biting wind brought him to his
lsenses and he staggered TO his
| feet. Twice he fell heavily to the
ground but a third time he stag
| oered off in the direction of home
| How he reached the house mile
away he never knew. But an houl
later he staggered into the house
his clothes frozen stiff, his ears anC
nose frosted aud still grasping the
unruy hatchet-now frozen soliC
to his mitten-which had canSeC
him all his trouble and in turn ha(
helped to get him out of it.
It took several minutes to ge
him out of his frozen garments anC
into his bed where he spent severa
days in regaining his strength, an
| even now at certain time eacI
winter he is visited bv A sever
attack of rheumatism which last
from three to four weeks. A visi
, anv day to the home of H. B
: Porter in the town of Fairfield
Sauk county, will reveal TO YOU
very ordinary looking small hatch
let tied with pink ribbons hanQin
| on the wall as a memento of hi
once terrible fight with the "ic
king" Guy y. Giazier.