Year: 1877




of the day indoors, there was new sensa-
tion then yet in store for me; and I was
a little disappointed to find, when early
the following afternoon a lull in the
weather enabled me to 60 down to my
favorite rocky haunt, that there was very
little perceptible difference in the volume
of water coming over the fall.


So here I sat, [ suppose, for more
than an hour in my accustomed state OF
placid indolent enjoyment. With eyes
half shut was saying over to myself the
first few lines of Southey's "Lodore, !"
and trying to make "the music of the
waters fit into them as an accompani-
ment, when there suddenly sounded in
my ears q roar so loud, and increasing so
rapidly in volume, that I started, and
looking up perceived that nowindeed the
fall had become grandly augmented. It
was swollen at least to twice the size it
had been ten minutes before; it looked
mas nifcent. I turned toward the step
ping stones by which I always regained
the precipitous bank of the river. To my
horror they had all disappeared, and in
their place boiling, bubbling ferment
of brown water and frothy foam was
sweeping along at tremendous pace.
Then in an instant knew that the river
was rising rapidly. Anyone but fool
would have forseen this as the natural
consequence of the increase in the water
fall. Right and left and all around the
river had now become boiling caldron
of broken water; was cut off from all
hope of retreat, and should be washed
away like fly, I knew.


Helpless and scared, stood irresolute
yet moment longer.


Irecollect in this dire emergency sud-
denly observing q still further increase
in the volume of the fall, and almost
simultaneously with it feeling my legs
slip from under me as the brown water
gurgled in my ears and glistened in my
eyes. Then there was choking, help.
less, tumbling pressure forward, several
sharp blows upon my legs and arms, an
effort to strike out, met by coming IN
contact with more rocks, and then whirl
and twirl and spinning round as If l had
been q cork.


The swimmers instinct, however, was
of sone use after all, for, in the first
place, it enabled me to retain little pres
ence of mind, and, in the second, to
bring my head up to the surface after the
first plunge. / saw I was already long
way from the upper fall, and an addi-
tional pAng was given to my sensations
by the recollection that was being hur-
RED Oh toward the lower, over which if l
was carried I must inevitably be drown.
cd. Fortunately, just now l was carried
by current close in under one of these
sheer-down sides, and for the fiftieth
time sent spinning round In the eddy
like cork.


I made helpless grab at the smooth
and slippery surface, much as the drown
ing man catches at the proverbial straw,
for was by this time getting exhausted
and suffocated by the constant rolling
over which the torrent gave me. 1 did
Just manage to get a fnger-hold In a
crack, and to steady myself somewhat;
but the water was very deep just here,
and I could not lift much more than my
chin above it, whilst foothold of any
sort was out of the question.


Yet to remain where I was much longer
was impossible. Gould I but have raised
myself some two feet I should have been
able to reach an overhanging bough of
one of the thickly growing young ash
saphngs, the roots of which projected
from the earthly top of the rock a yard or
two above.


Oh, how I longed for giants arm, that
i might touch that bough! Twice 1
made futile effort to spring out of the
water at it, but only exhausted myself,
and had the greatest difficulty in retain
ing my support.


Was T sinking and losing conscious
ness? and is this to be the end, /
thought, with that music still in my ears ?
And, 10 what vision is that which I be-
hold? Surely an angels face looking
down from amidst the leafy roof above
me Yes; my life must be passing away
in a dream of beautiful sights and sounds.
For moment or two more such was the
vague conclusion floating through my
dazed mind, nor was it at once dispelled
by perfectly audible and silvery voice
saying:


"Try to reach it now; I think you can;
quick, try !!


This can be no illusion; this is no
phantom born of a drowning mans
fancy; this is a sweet reality; and in
that bending branch, now steadily de-
scending to within my grip, I see my
life restored to me and my hopes re-
newed.


I have the delicate end of the bough
in my hand; yes, automatically I have
seized it, and already it helps to lift me
higher out of the water.


"Be very cautious" says the voice
once more. "Take great care, or it will
snap. There, wait SO, whilst pull this
strong one down, and that will hold your
weight better; now, so;" and in another
minute I have grasped this stronger one;
manage to raise myself by it little,
and to put the tips of my toes into
the fissure of the rock by which I had
so long held with the tips of my fingers.


Then a soft, firm hand is held out to
me, and taking it [ finally, by one su-
preme effort, pull myself well mp among
the underwood and twisted roots at the
top of the cliff.


Too exhausted to speak or think, I
threw myself down upon the steep hill
side among the long grass and ferns be-
tween the trees. Then think 1 did
really lose consciousness for a while,
for do not remember seeing the pretty,
graceful girl who had saved my Life until
I found her kneeling at my side, en-