Year: 1871

At last the foot of the mountain was
reached, and against the dull sky | could


see the outlines of the great struggling


trees which had been scathed by the fire,


and which stood leafless about my clear


ing. Their dead branches oreaked be-


meath the fury of the tempest, making a


dismal, moaning sound, which seemed like


an omen of some terrible disaster i'm


pending over the valley. .l .. ....


l moved down among them, and in a


moment found myself to my middle In


water, and sprang back again, fearing


that the next step would carry me beyond


my depth Great Godi was the valley


flooded with water, and had my cabin and


its loved inmates been swept awayp


Sick at heart, and oppressed with this


terrible fear l asked myself the question,


as stood trying to pierce the darkness


which filled the valley before me, and to


comprehend the exact srot where / stood.


At last l decided the latter question by =


study of the dead trees before me, and


then moved slowly down the valley to


bring myself opposite to the spot where
had left my cabin standing in the MORN
ing. .ft- U1.l-t.F


beamed out through the darkness. For
a ~ IWaNClEhg 6bl bAiNh rOhA hNNA


brightly, and knew that as yet my cabin


had not been moved from the spot where


l had placed it; but the rays of the light


glimmered upon sea of dark water


which lay between it and the spot where
stood, and any moment it might float
away.


wondered why it was that the water
was so still, and not the rushing torrent
ahAtt1d hox thnnnht n would ho hann /.
but this was soon made plain as reflected
upon the subjsct. A short distance
down the valley the hills came close
down to the banks of the stream, and
here, owing to the amount of drift wood,
a jam had been FORMED which the force of
the water had not yet been able to break,
aud so had flowed it back, covering the
entire valley. How much longer the
drift-wood would bear the strain it WAS
impossible to tell, but it did not seem as
though it would for many minutes, as
could hear the rush and roar of the waters
as it battled with it from the spot where l
stood. ..


Suddenly shrek, full of mortal terror,
rang over the water. My heart stood still
IN my breast, fOI ISoosnisaA the vnica q
that of my wife, and knew that some
fearful danger menaced her and the child.
Again it was repeated, and sent back an
cry. A moment more, and /
stood mute with horror and dismay. The
light soas DsoUing sIOtolg doton othe bottom Of
ne clearing, telling as plainly as. words
could have done, that the cabin was
!fOGt. --a-


For few moments it seemed as though
were chained to the spot where stood.
The light, as it floated downward, pos
Co. and nnt1l1
not take my eyes from it it would. l
could seem TO see its timbcrs falling
lsunder, and the pale faces of my wife
md child sinking into the black, turbulent
waters. The horror of that moment 1
shall never forget so long as live.


Another horrible crash among the
TO the northward-a sound as
f huge cliff had been hurled downward,
broke the terrible spell that bound me to
he spot, and reused me to an effort to try
md effect the escape of my loved ones.
An2thsE 9a GB1f eTB e. fesRsF YRch 5a Gsscae9


doubted if l was heard, the cabin was
10 near to the rushing current OF the
liver and then hurried along the edge
If the clearing, which was the boundary
If the lake, toward the spot where the
liver broke through the hills, and where
he jam had been formed which flowed
he waters back.


Steadily the light glided down the
waters OF the little lake, and fromIts mo-
ion judged that it had not as yet float
ID into the current of the river, and
,reathed a silent prayer in my heart that
{ would not be so, for then all hope would
,e gone. If the cabin would but hold to-
,ether and keep out Of the current of the
iver, it would lodge among the trees at
he foot of the clearing, where would be
eady to bear them from it to place of
afety.


liver was difficult to get over in the dark.
less, but / accomplished it much sooner
han had expected, and by the time the
abin had floated half the distance from
is site to the spot where now stood.
3ut the light was moving faster now,
70 ,,ioss ones WouId De decided. .


Upon the jam piled high in the river,
With the foaming waters breaking
hroRgh and over it, their lives depended |
Jould it resist the force of the water but
few minutes longer they would be
aved but did it break, the fierce flow of
he waters would bring it into the
tream, where it would at once be hurled |
o pieces. This much 1 saw and COM
in the darkness, and you can
imagine, stranger, with what fearful in
crest watched the jam and the fast ap-
light upon the water.


Nearer and nearer came the cabin, and |
horter grew the rays of light which
treaked. out between it and the spot
where / stood / called to Mary at the
op Of my voice, but if any answer came
,ack it was drowned by the roar of the
am. Two minutes more, and if it kept |
IN its course it would glide in among the
rees where l could reach it and bear
hem off in safety. e. l.LGlI


At this moment, when my heart beat
high with the hope that they would be
Ipared to me, with mighty roar and
rash the jam gave way, and the surging
waters madly followed. In moment |
t, and moved towards the centre of the |
tream. II was moment of fearful sus-
,ense to me, but it was soon over. To |
ny great Joy 1t lodged for minute |
.gainst the trees, upon the bank, and in |
hat time / had my vile and child in my |
rms, and had borne them to the solid |
iarth. Then their frail bark surged into |
he stream, and in a moment after was
orn apart, and its timbers foated singly |
Iown the stream.


We found q shelter beneath some over
hanging rocks, s,where we staid until morn
ng, when we made our way over the
to fathers, thankful for the es.
ape we had had from the tempest, which
would not be forgotten to our dying day,


On the morrow came the sad news
rom the Notch, and as Mary andI lisi
ened to the story, we shuddered as we
hought of our own peril amid the waters.


MR.. EASY keeps hotel, taking both
ransient and permanent boarders, as they
nay offer. Some time since he had a
oung married couple among his guests,