Year: 1860

l ---...,-. - - hAAAs18 0tOIys -
THE following is an occurrence: which
&C ually, took place in Vermont some forty
years ago. The facts are almost literally
related as follows:1 -
My brother Hiram liked the business
of Carrying the mail better than / did; and
50 went to work in o now clearing 1 had
commenced, about Es;le and half from
home, and not quite so far from the house
OF my brothcr.in-law. i used TO stay as
often at one place us the other 1t was q
bad arrangement, as; In case of accident
neither family would be alarmed or 20 10
look ont for me, if 1 should mt come home.
felt the force Of this in the course of the
winter, as you will see directly.
There had fallen one Of our old -fashiou.
ed northern New York SHOWS crusted over
hard enough to bear man. was getting
| on famously with my clearing, getting
ready to build house in the spring. L
was ambitious and worked early and late,
going without my dinner some days, when
the bread and meat 1 had brought in my
pocket was frozen so hard that I-could not
masticate it without taking up to much of
my time. One day It was intensely cold
with prosI ect of a storm that might |hir.
der my work the next day, and SO worke don
as long as ] could see, and after twilight I
telled tree, which, in is descent, lodged
against another I could not bear the idea
of leaving the job half finished; mounted
the almost PROSTATE body to cut limb to
let it down.


The bole of the tree forked, about forty
feet up, into two equal parts, with large
projecting limbs from both 1t was one of
these l had to cut away to bring the tree
to the ground. In my haste perhaps l was
not so careful as. should have been, at any
rate the first blow eased the lodgment, SO,
that the tree began to settle, and l was
just going to jump of, when the fork split,
and ns it did so one foot dropped into the
space SO that could not extricate il for,
the moment, but L felt no alarm, for knew
that could cut away the tree in minute,
or perhaps draw my foot out of the boot,
as the pressure Was not severe. At the
first blow Of the Ak the tree took another
start, rolled over, and the split closed with
all the force Of its giant strength, crushing
my foot till the very bones were fattened
and there hung suspended, just able to
touch the tips Of my fingers in the snow
"N's HSaiahS W fScs oPoh Aot u fhohiCht--
the air at zero and growing colder-thc
nearest house mile away, no friends to
feel alarmed at my absence, for one would
suppose me safe with the other.


My axe, in its flll, rested upon the snow
crust about ten feet of. did not think
how was to cut myself loose from the
body of that great tree, suspended as / was
head down and suffering from the rush of
disordered blood; but l thought in that
keen blade my only hope of life was fixed.
Just forward of me grew slim bush which
l thought if could obtain / would form
into hook by twisting the limbs together
and dra~the axe within reach


Although the bush was out of my reach
l Mt last succeeded in getting hold Of it by
means Of a loop which made by tying my
suspenders together. then drew it toward
me and cut it of with my pocketknifc--
one OF that sort known rs Barlow knives,
having a single blade about two and half
inches long and three. eights of an inch
wide, with equal form half its length iron
and horn; or bone. 1 succeeded admirably
IN fashioning my hook and almost felt the
handle of the axe within my grasp, so GER
tain was of success From the tree that
imprisoned me the ground descended rapid.
~ for dozen rods or more to q little creek


My axe lay upon the brow of the hill. The
first movement | made toward twisting the
loop of my stick around the handle of my
ax 50 as to draw it within my reach loosen
ed 1t from its icy rest, and away it went
down the hill crushing through the little
frost-bitten bushes down upon the ice ola
f.,r r,.la h.,lnuu nd Let into Al
frozen pool with gurgliug sound as If it
fell into the water, that seemed to send an
icy chill through every vein and artery of
my whole body.


Still had my knife True, it was
rough surgical instrument but hope and
the love of life gave me strength to climb
up by my fastened leg aud cut away the
boot and stocking, and then with that knife
| unjointed my ankle and fell to the ground
my left leg footless, bleeding stump
The intensity of the cold saved me from
bleeding to death. / tore off part of my
coat, and with my handkerchief and sus-
penders managed to bind my leg with a
handful Of snow and started to crawl home.
succeeded in getting within sight Of the
house, and then my strength utterly failed
we.


| tried my voice in vain, but l could


make no one hear. exerted myself once
| more and crawled toward the road that
knew Heman must come. 1t was painful
task, for beside my exhaustion from loss of
blood, | WAS perishius with cold. Just
then heard my brothers stage horn, and
the jingle ofthe bell. coming down the hill.
| strained my voice to the utmost pitch,
but he did not could not hear; butt there
was another friend--who did hear. Old
lIunter, the noble old dog, had insisted on
accompanying this trip, and brother said
Let him go; who knows what good may
come of it 2 Good did come of it, for his
ear was quicker than Hcman's and he
reused up at the first cry, and as the sec
ond reached his ear he leapea out, and in
a minute was at the spot where | lay upon
the snow. He smelled all round, and l