Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1906-05-19

lowland bordering the creek the road
had been graded to n height OF fifty
feet, and the embankmcnt was mar
row, steep and dangerous. \ railing
on each side hcdgcd In the roadway.
Tonight nothing was visible below
that railing \ mist. white and soft
as cotton wool. rose from the Swampy
low ground and rolled in nOiseleSs bill
lows to the height of the road. The
advance Of the Gathering wagon and
Its occupants into this hcHving white
silence seemed almost uncanny. 1t
was as sea which might rise and
engulf them.
The others were similarly impressed,
ii would SEEM for th" talk was some
what quictcr The team after three
miles Of brisk movement WAS getting
warmed up and danced Spirtcdly. The
driver took Il fresh grip of the reinS,
for careful work was needed. especial
ly ut night. in crossing Beaver creek
flats He pulled strongly to bring the
horses to a walk. then lungrd back
ward suddenly The right rein had
broken near his hand.
What followed for the first paralyzcd
moment was like II scene from Il horrid
dream to Gormlcy There was Il con-
fusion of ShoNtS and ShrickS from the
wagon box behind. The horses were
crowded to the left of the road by the
pull of the one sound rein to which
the driver still clung Stup,lly. They
plunged into the railing: it cracked,
then gave way beneath their weight.
The nigh horse was partially off the
road, SCrambling desperately with its
hind foot on the trCaChCrOuS side of the
embankmcnt And still the relentless
rein. dragging at the frrnZirl animals
bits. imprllcd them over the edge of
the road.
In II fash Gormlcy SAW the only
course that would save them, the girl
he loved and the others. There WAS
no time to get down and reach the
bits He mi-ht save himself by jump
ing but Sylvia. wrdGcd in the box,
would be rolling over and over to pit
eouS liSi"urcmcnt or death. drop
It," he shouted hcrccly at the driver,
and the latter inStinctively looSened
his grasp on the line.
Gormlry scrambled over the foot
board and ON to the tongue of the
wagon. He threw himself aStridc the
off horse \ we'll directed lun%e with
his right hand secured the broken rein,
and the same movement wrenchcd the
animals head sharply to the right.
Leaning far out, he seized the other
strugglin" animal by the bits with his
left hand and pulled with all his
strength The hoofS of the frantic
horse struck fire from the embank-
ment edge. For an instant the whole
outfit trrmhlcd toward destruction. but
the pull to the right never slackened.
the nigh horse secured fOOthold at
last. and the danger was over
How did you ever think so quick
ly:" asked Hob pAr,.cr when the eX-
citem"nt had died down Il little and
the rein was brin" mcnGcd.
1T wasn't thought ut all: just in
Stinct." replied Gormley "YOu see.
the trick Of ridin" one horse bareback
and guiding another is part of the cav
amy hi'IN'N hIlli' 'Hlll'u IL years
ago when | waS boy"
Bur''csS holds Clement in bitter hat
red since that ni'.ht for it was Clement
who insisted on changing seats with
Gormlcy. ami that brought Gormley
into Il place beside Miss GcrriSh. The
cnTa""mrnt was announced next day.
all us Il result of the ride home after
he dance
The hetrothal kiss. given when the
waning moon WAS Smothercd by a
rlohd. was doubly sweet to Gormlcy,
for BURGESS was scarce n yard away.