Year: 1870




| should go for the doctor. was no


long in making ready The horse was i
the pasture close at hand, and 1t took bu
few moments to catch II, and throw oi
the saddle and Bride. lost little time Il


the house, and then set out on q swft
gallop.


/ had ten miles to go over q rough road
before reaching the doctors, and / knew
that unless made good time, should no
get back till after nightfalL, and then


should have to cross the mountain to IN,
own cabin, which would make me lat
Fhome. Il had promised Mary that


would return, and knew that she woult
pass a sleepless night, if did not, as sh
had never yet remained alone through thu
night.


Long before 1 reached Conway, my eye
were fixed upon the clouds which seemed
TO be gathering from all directions, ant
piling themselves upon the mountains be
hind me, until the sky in that direction
| had the appearance of the deepest mid
night. They had gathered there every
dayfor month past, but nothing like tn,
way they were doing now Great blacl
masses that seemed to cover the sky
would roll swiftly along and pile them
selves upon those already resting there
and as 1 often turned my head anC
watched them, / could not help thinking
of what the old Indian woman had safe
the day before, of the great storm which
was coming.


/ hurried on, and reached the doctors
who found was sick himself, aud MOI
able to ride the distance he would have &c
go that night. / described as near as
| could the symptoms of fathers complaint
and he fixed some medicine, which he
gave me, with directions for usiL : and
then went out and mounted my horse tC
return. ...........


The doctor followed me to the door
and we talked for Q minute or two OF the
strange appearance Of the sky to the
northward. He was of the opinion that
we were going to have a heavy storm,
and that, according to the looks of thes sky,
should get q good wettiDg before got
back to fathers Ireplied that would be
willing to take that, If we could only have
the rain we 50 much needed, and then
set out, leaving him standing in the door
way, with his eyes fixed upon the sky.


My face was now towards the mountains,
and the great mass of clouds piled above
them; and it almost made me tremble as
gazed upon them in their blackness, and
watched the lightning that every little
while darted out from their folds. had
lived among the mountains since | was u
little child, but had never seen anything
like il before, and l could not help think
ing that some fearful thing was about to
happen. Aa- p 4 "a ID p


I was not more than halfway back to
fathers before the rain came do wn in tor
rents. It hardly seemed as though it could
be nightly the darkness came with it,
and in little time, j could not see rod
ahead, along the way was going. In tess
than five minutes, 1 was wet to the skin,
and the water was dripping from me in
streams. HE FL ~
. j made good use of the stick carried,
and as the old mares head was towards
home, | made good time, and in the
course of an hour from the time it COM
menced to rain, l reached fathers, as wet
as though had SWAN that distance in the
river. 1 found him easier than when set
out, and giving mother the medicine l
had brought, and hastily eating some
supper she had prepared for me, set out
over the mountain for home, against the
advice OF both they declaring that
could not keep the path in the storm and
darkness. 49,


knew that it would be hard work to
do so, for the rain came down as though
we were going to. have another food );
but had promised Mary that l would
come back that night, and meant to
make my word good to her, if could do
so. And then l was afraid of the water.
If it continued to rain as it was doing
now, L was afraid that the water would
rise, and come so near to the cabin, as
to give her alarm, and to put them in
danger.


knew every step across the mountain
well, Us had been over it many times,
both night and day but l found, as
began to ascend, that l had never un-
dertaken the job when it was so dark
before To keep in the path, had to
go slowly, sometimes feeling for the
track with my hands, when my feet were
at fault, and all the time the rain was
falling in such torrents as l had never
known before. ~ u


came to a small brook about half way
up, which l had crossed that morning
upon its dry bed. Now it was a toaming
torrent, ready to overflow its banks, and
crossed with difficulty but | got over by
holding fast to the bushes that grew upon
either side, and kept on toward the sum
init, where l knew my greatest difficulty
lay, as it was destitute of trees, or even'
bushes of any size, the path leading over
the bare rocks, with nothing TO guide me
in the darkness, and prevent my losing
my way. -1-. ~.


When at last came out of the woods
upon the rocks, was completely at
standstil In vain it was that / tried TO
see through the darkness, the like OF
which / had never seen before. was
half mind to turn back to fathers, but
the thought of Mary alone with the baby,
waiting for me, urged me on, and l adj
vanced bhndly in the darkness, trusting
in my good luck to guide me Alright.


My luck failedme this time, for by the time
1 had got down TO the woods upon the
other side, found that / had lost the
path, and had got into tangled mass OF
fallen trees and bushes, through which |
could hardly force my way. Still did
not feel lost, for l knew that had only to
work my way down the mountain tocome
out somewhere in the valley near my
cabin, which | could soon ind, when once
on level ground. But it would take me
longer 10 pick my way along, and there
would be greater danger of stumbl. -gand
getting fall, than though ! had managed
10 keep the path. But there was no help
for il now, as you might as well have
looked for needle in lhay'stack, as TO
have searched for it. u A..
( had got what 1 thought was about
half way down the mountain, when I was
startled by terrible sound that came
frOm the mountains to the northward,
and which drowned the rush of the tenn
pest about me. 1t was rush and roar
a mingled crash of earth and rocks, which
made even the ground beneath my feet
tremhle. knew not then what it could
be, but I found afterward that it was the
fret great slide which came down near
the Notch.


Iknew by the brooks which filled every
hollow which had to cross, that the riv-
er must be swollen to many times its
usual size, and that each moment was ad-
ding new streams to it, to causeit to over
flow its banks; and this, with the terrible
sound that had come from the mountains
above, filed me with alarm for tho safety
of my wife and child, and l hurried off,
catching more than one fall in my haste,
which tore my clothes and covered me
with bruises. f.H-f- --..r


Az last knew that must be pretty
well down towards the valley, and eager
ly gazed through the trees for the light