Year: 1860

"
para,ively open space Of water, and sur
rounded by numerous ice-islets.


could almost have echoed poor !: nnie s
cry Of agony when the certainty of our
position burst upon her, so fearful was it.
Alone at midnight, on fragment of ice,
floating down a rapid river whose future
course | knew not, while on each side
stretched tracts of crumbling ice, and be-
yond them rose banks of inaccessible steep
ness! What could exceed the desolation
Of such position, and what hope could
il leave lis of life? While, to complete
our misery. We had not even the power to
struggle against our fate, but must pas
sively await its coming.


How deeply pitied my young compan-
ion, as sic sat there weeping such bitter
tears! II was SO hard for her to part with
life, after sixteen years Of such bright and
joyous experience as hers had beef, hard
to lay it down thus suddenly and fearfully,
absent from all she loved; and yet harder
the unreasonable fears for her fathers aud
sisters safety which our own danger had
awakened. tried to utter words of con-
ISOLATION as wrapped the poor girl in the
buffalo robes from the chill night air that
our inaction rendered doubly cold. She
looked sad contrast to the bright creature
of the last few hours, whose joyous ballad
strains were. yet lingering in my ears. But
when the first shock was over, poor Annie
struggled bravely with her grief, and du-
ring the remainder of that long, dreary
night of peril she sat calmly by my side,
the most patient and resigned companion
man ever had in danger.


Meanwhile, the river was bearing us
swiftly on past rocky headlands, and dark
pine forests waving above lofty cliffs. on
TO yet wilder and sterner regions, where it
seemed even the red man would scarcely
pitch his wigwam. Sometimes the river
swept us smoothly along on its broad bo
som, at others il contracted into narrower
limits, and hurried on with quicker cur
rent; and as our frail raft was swayed
about by the broken water, We oft-times
thought either that it would part, or We be
swept from its slippery surface, while every
now aud then our poor horse beat the ice
wildly with his hoot, and, as he recognized
its unsoundness, his long, sbrill cries of
distress and terror rang far and wide over
the river, aud quivered through the dismal
woods beyond.


Day at length broke upon US, still float
ing down Tat lonely river, between its
frowning banks, and on our raft, whose
limits were now small indeed. Death
seemed close upon US in one of his most
repulsive forms, aud we no longer pretend
ed blindness to his coming, but spoke to-
gether as they should whose last hour was
at hand.


Suddenly the river took an abrupt bend,
and, aided by the waters of another river,
which here fell into it, spread almost 10
the dmesions of lake; but still it was
bordered by those monotouous, waIl-like
banks, shutting out every hope. At length
we sighted something like chasm divi-
ding the cliff down to the waters edge
l spraDg 10 my feel in moment. Here
was at least chance of life-the first that
during all those wretched hours had pre-
sented itself-and l resolved at once to
profit by it.


Without moments delay the horse was
cast loose from the shafts, and Annie was
tied securely to his back, then, with few
words of encouragement and hope to the
poor young girl, took the halter in my
hand, and sending the horse into the water,
leaped in myself, and then commenced
swimming to the shore.


But the struggle was long and arduous
one, for we were more an mile from
the land, and both the horse and were
cramped and stifFened th cold. Many
time l thought the effort was in vain, and
that neither the horse nor | would ev-
er reach the shore, but my wearyness
seemed to recede as we advanced. More
over, the current pressed strongly against
US, striving to sweep US down beyond our
goal, against the steep, rocky barrier that
lined the water. Fortunately, the hot
springs had raised the temperature of the
water, for poor Annie's girlish form was
almost hidden in it, as the waves gurgled
and surged around her, sometimes even
sweeping. above her head. But the young
girls courage rose with the occasion, and
she bore unmurmuringly this new phase of
suffering.


But they strive hard whose prize is life,
and after more than an hour OF hope and
doubt, and fear, we reached the land we
had never hoped to tread again. As We
emerged from the water the wintry wind
pierced through our saturated clothing
with an icy chill that threatened to freeze
them on US. Providenlially, in our need,
we found settlers house near at hand,
where we obtained dry clothes, refreshnent
and the loan of horse and sleigh, in
which we were soon speeding along the
road 10 Tircouaga. As We proceeded fresh
fears for her fathers and sisters fate as
sailed poor Annie, which were only set at
rest when she found herself in their arms.


Since then, the chances of soldiers
life have brought me through many adven-
lures, but none have left SO deep an iIn-
preston on my mind as that long and ter
rible night upon the ice; nor shall l ever
cease TO remember, with deep affection and
esteem, the young girl who was my gentle
and heroic companion in its suffering and
danger.


10 WHAT BASE USE DO WE COME AT