Year: 1874

|
} more so. because there was one in
that little group Of startled maid
ems for whose generous regard be
would have sacrificed all but hon.
or.


1t was, perhaps, half an hour
after this unpleasant occurrence,
tha: Logan, whose heart still
burned with an unforgiving spirit,
encountered Wilson under circum.
stances that left him free 10 re-
peat his insulting language, with
out disturbing the rest of the party,
who were amusing themselves at
some distance, aud beyond the
range Of observation. He did not
succeed in obtaining Is personal
encounter, as he had desired.


Edward Wilson had been for
some time sitting alone with his
unhappy thoughts, when he was
aroused by sudden cries of alarm,
he tone of which told his heart
too plainly that some imminent
danger impended. Springing to
his feet he ran in the direction Of
the cries, and quickly aaw the
cause of excitement. Recent
heavy rains had swollen the noun
tain stream, the turbid waters Of
which were sweeping down with
great velocity. Two young girls,
who had been amusing themselves
at some distance above in boat
, that was attached to the shore by
a long rope, had, through some &C.
cident, got the fastening loose, and
! were now gliding down, far out in
; the current, with u fearfully increas.
ing speed, toward the breast of a
mill-dam some hundreds of yards
below, from which the water was
laundering down a height Of over
twenty feet. Pale with terror,
the poor young creatures were
stretching out their hands toward
their companions on the shore.
and uttering heart-rending cries
for succor.


Instant action WAS necessary, or
all would be lost. The position of
tho young girls had been discover
ed while they were yet some dis
tance above, and there happening
to be another boat on the milldam,
and that nigh at hand, Logan and
Two other young men had loosed
it from the shore. But, the dan
ger Of being carried over the dam,
should any Que venture out in this
boat, seemed so inevitable, that
none Of them dared to encounter
hazard. Now screaming and
wringing their hands, and now
urging these men to try and save
their companions, stood the young
msidens of the party on the shore,
when Wilson dashed through them,
and springing into the boat, cried
out:


"Quick, Logan! Take an oar, or
all is lost"


But, instead ofthis, Logan STEP
ped back pace or two from the
boat, while his face grew pale with
fear. Not an instant more was
wasted. At glance Wilson saw
that if the girls were saved it must
be by the strength Of his own
arm. Bravely he pushed from the
shore, and, with giant strength,
born Of the moment and for the
occasion, from his high, unselfsh
purpose, he dashed the boat out
into the current, and, bending to
the oars, took direction at 40
angle with the other boat, toward
the point where the water was
sweeping over the dam. At ev-
cry stroke the light skitf sprung
forward o dozen feet, and scarcely
half q minute elapsed ere Wilson
was beside the other boat.


Both were now within twenty
yards of the fall, and the water
bearing them down with q veloci-
ty that strong rover, with every
advantage on his side, could scarce
ly have contended against success
fully. To transfer the frightened
girls from one boat to the other,
in the few moments of time left
ere the down-sweeping current
would bear their frail vessel to the
edge of the dam, and still to retain
an advantage, was for Wilson, i'm
possible. To let his own boat 60
and manage theirs he saw to be
equally impossible.


A cry Of despair reached the
young mans ears as the oars drop
ped from his grasp into the water.
1t Was evident to the spectators Of
the fearful scene that be had lost
his presence of mind, and that now
all was over. Not SO, however.
In the next instant he had sprung
into the water, which, near the
breast of the dam, was not more
than two feet deep. AS he did so
bo ,,rocraI ~ othon hat opS