Gambar halaman
PDF
ePub

as well as others, and, he knew as well as any one, at what time the cows should be sought for in the woods, and brought in for milking. This was one of his principal vocations, and he very seldom failed to have them at the door, together with the pigs, in due season. At this time, however, his hour had not arrived, but like his master, he had seen the indications of the approaching storm, and was even then hastening homeward.

On hearing her husband's voice, Mrs. Hanford came to the door of the hut, and saw in the distance the fast approaching storm. Far as the eye could reach the lofty peaks and ridges of the Alleghanies were clad in the dense mist as in a shroud, and with the rapidity of the winds the dark clouds were stretching away over the valley. Though all was yet calm in their low retreat-the sound of the rushing storm was distinctly heard, as it came pouring like a flood over the high summits, and through the gorges, and down the rough mountain sides, in the direction of their dwelling. These indications were too well understood to be neglected, but storms from the mountains were not unusual occurrences, and, therefore, created no serious apprehension. The skiff which Hanford used on the river, was drawn upon the bank, to be out of the reach of the freshet that was expected as a matter of course, at every rain; the horses were put under the hovel, and such other precautions taken as were necessary. Meanwhile, large fields of fleecy scud, like winged pioneers, were passing over in whirling eddies high above the cottage, and the sides of the distant mountains became obscured in the gathering mists. The groaning of the forest, as the winds whirled through the close branches and foliage, grew more and more loud and near, resembling, to the unpracticed ear, the roar of a vast and ceaseless waterfall; and already, though scarce a leaf was stirred by the wind in their immediate vicinity, Hanford and his wife could see afar the lofty monarchs of the forest bowing and swaying their proud heads to the resistless blast. Our mountaineer gazed upon the fierce gathering tumult of the elements with a contracted brow, and the face of his wife became pallid with apprehension. They saw plainly that no ordinary storm was approaching, and they awaited the onslaught with fear. At this crisis, the truant dog came panting home, and crouched exhausted at the feet of his master; and, when ordered to perform his accustomed duty, instead of obeying, he slunk away into

a corner of the cottage, and with a look of seeming supplication, laid himself down. The instinct of the brute taught him that there was danger abroad, and his master partook so much of the same feeling that the order was not repeated. By this time the thick, dark clouds had completely overcast the earth, and shrouded the face of nature in a mantle of gloom, broken only by occasional flashes of lightning,— fierce gusts of wind swept howling by the cottage,--and in a few moments the hurricane in all its fury burst upon them, in a deluge of rain-uprooting trees, and whirling their rifted branches aloft into the very clouds. The cottage in which the family were gathered was saved from instant destruction only through the shelter afforded by a thick forest, lying a few rods east, which broke the force of wind; but the old oak over their heads swayed and bowed so low before the storm as to excite an apprehension that it would yield and crush them in its fall.-Darkness came on, but with it came no cessation of the elemental strife.

The eloquent storm, pouring its wild voices On the night, grand, sublime, and terrible, And the electric blazon of the clouds, And the vibrations of the affrighted earth, As peak and vale answered the thunder-shock, produced a combination of appalling grandeur, and contrasted strangely with the quiet scene within the cottage. From infancy to mature age, Jared Hanford and his excellent wife had been taught to regard regular family worship as one of the paramount duties of life; and amid all their vicissitudes and privations, they had never neglected to acknowledge, morning and evening, their dependence upon their Creator; to pour out before Him, the grateful emotions of their hearts for any blessing conferred, and to ask with humility, through the name of the Mediator, a continuation of his blessings here, and wisdom to prepare for a glorious immortality hereafter. The usual hour of their devotions had arrived, a chapter in the Holy Scripture had been read by the wife, and now the deep, earnest, and manly voice of the husband mingled in solemn prayer with the confused tumult of the elements. Though all without was at war. all within was at peace, and although the hearts of the husband and wife may have beat quicker than usual at the imminence of the danger that surrounded them as they knelt with little Annie between them, at the family altar, yet their devotional exercise was not the result of impulse or immediate fear; it was the customary outpouring of a

sense of religious duty, the daily appeal of that little family, for divine interposition and protection.

The family had scarcely risen from their attitude of prayer, when they heard, mingling with the howl of the storm, the sound of a human voice. A loud and prolonged hallo, from some person near at hand, was clearly distinguished, and although there was nothing peculiar in the voice itself, yet the sound at that particular moment was startling. Hanford and his wife paused an instant to listen, and again the hallo was heard. Their first impression was that it came from some traveller, lost and benighted in the storm, seeking a shelter, and the first impulse was to receive, and make him welcome. Hanford opened the door of his hut and answered the hallo, while his wife brought the candle to the closed window as a beacon to guide the steps of the stranger. The rain still poured down in torrents, and by the occasional flashes of lightning our friend saw that the whole earth seemed to have been converted into a lake; the waters were on every hand.

"Halloa! Hanford!" was now distinctly heard from a prominence about fifty yards east of the house.

in anticipation of his neighbour's distress, and now came to offer his best efforts in their service. Hanford started for his skiff, and fortunate it was that his attention had been called to that direction, the water was already flooding up about the cottage, and nearly kneedeep at the spot where the boat had been left, a few moments more and it would, doubtless, have been broken from its mooring, and carried away by the swift-flowing current. It was plain, too, that the prediction of his neighbor was likely to prove a truth, for the rain was still pouring down, and Hanford well knew that if the storm had been as severe in the mountains as it was in their vicinity, the rise must continue for several hours after the rain was over. It was necessary, therefore, to take instant measures for the safety of his family, and such of his limited household effects as could be taken care of. The first movement was to "pole" the boat across a hollow, now filled with water, which ran like a river, to the spot where the lad had been waiting, and bring him to the house. Hanford next went to the hovel and detached the halters from the heads of the two horses, in order that they might be free to take care of themselves in case the flood should drive them from their

"Hallo," again shouted Hanford, "Who are shelter, while his wife got the clothing togeyou?" ther, and tied it up in bundles, ready for a start.

"A neighbour,” was the reply, and then followed the enquiry, "Where's your boat?"

"All handy," answered Hanford, "I drew her up before the storm-she is here by the

ash tree."

"Make haste and get her then-the Conemaugh's over the banks, and your house 'll be flooded before you can say Jack Robinson."

"But Joe, lad, what brings you here?" inquired Hanford, as he recognized the voice of a neighbor's son, "the storm's enough to drown such a stripling as you, without waiting for the Conemaugh to run over."

Why, I come down to lend you a hand. Your land's so low, father said he was afraid you'd be washed away 'fore mornin', and as he had to stay home and take care of our folks. I come to help you if you want it; I can't git no furder though, without you bring the boat; it's too dark to swim this current."

This act of disinterested kindness, though not uncommon among the pioneers of the west, was touching to the heart of our cottager. The lad was not over sixteen years of age, yet he had risked his life, wading through the forest a distance of half a mile on that terrific night

About nine o'clock, the force of the hurricane had passed away to the westward, and the deep-toned thunder was heard only in the distance, or in prolonged reverberations, as its heavy sound came back in rumbling echoes from the successive mountain peaks; but the rain continued to fall from the dense masses of clouds above, and the whole earth was shrouded in the very "blackness of darkness;" so that not an object could be discerned at the distance of a single yard. This fixed and impenetrable solidity of darkness was, if possible, more fearful than had been the storm itself, in its worst fury; for now the waters were gathering around them, and the thought of being driven from shelter in a poor, frail skiff, on such a night, and thus left to the mercy of the winds and the flood, was truly terrible. "My children," exclaimed Mrs. Hanford, clasping them closely to her heart,-"God must be your protection!"

poor

All, at length, were gathered in the hut, waiting with deep anxiety the result of the flood. There was no upper story to the building to which the family could retire in case the

same current that bore them away. But they were already lost in the gloom far beyond the reach of his sight, he heard their voices however, and swam with almost superhuman effort to overtake them. The course on which the current carried them was not towards, but directly from the river; the flood having reached such a height as to form numerous new channels or outlets in various directions, one of them had taken the skiff on its bosom, and bore it in the direction of the very spot which they wished to reach. Hanford was therefore in hopes that they would succeed in effecting a landing; but when he had reached the place he heard their voices far beyond, and being himself nearly exhausted, was fain to give up the pursuit and seek for personal safety while it was yet within his reach. He accordingly made for the shore, which he reached; then shouting to announce his safety, he was answered by the lad, who told him, in confiding terms, to make himself easy, for he would take good care of the boat and its company.

water should reach the ground floor, nor to "Get aboard, Joe," said Mr. Hanford, as he stow away any articles which their little boat went to a corner of the cottage to get a pair would be unable to carry; such things, there- of oars. Joe did as directed, but no sooner had fore, as could not be taken away, were hung he done so, than it was discovered that the upon pegs against the walls, and the party was hide-rope, by which the boat had been fastened, reduced to the alternative of trusting to the had, by some means, been cast loose; the boat skiff at any moment when the flood should swung round, and being struck by the current, reach the apartment. The two children had was wafted rapidly away. The shout of the been soothed to sleep by the solicitous care of youth, and the sudden shriek from Mrs. Hanthe mother; but these were the only ones who ford, brought the husband to the door, only in ventured to seek repose. The brave youth time to see a faint glimpse of the fast receding who had volunteered to share their dangers, boat, bearing with it all that was dear to him had thrown off his saturated coat, and placed on earth. It was not a moment for reflection, himself near the fire to dry his remaining gar--he sprang into the flood, and swam with the ments. Ever and anon, the husband would approach the door, in the vain hope of finding a cessation of the rise; but the flood was still swelling, and each examination showed its nearer and rapid approach. About midnight, the rain ceased falling, but the wind continued to blow with much force, and the darkness continued. Another examination revealed the long-expected and dreaded event-the water was at the sill of the cottage, and came trickling across the floor! To depart or to delay, seemed alike fruitful of danger; destruction seemed lying on either hand; but a dawn of light passed across the sky, indicative of a breaking up of the clouds;—and in that single ray, each heart seemed to have imbibed a new existence. They felt, for the moment, that the Being to whom their prayers had been offered up, had not been wholly deaf to their supplications; they had hope. Again they looked toward the heavens; again the light of the moon, which had risen, forced its way faintly through the floating masses of heavy vapor which overhung them; the storm was evidently giving way, and with light to guide them, they cared not for the flood or the winds. The spot which they desired to reach was not more than a hundred yards from the cottage, and preparations were at once made to depart. The skiff was already at the door, under the lea of the house, and Hanford and the lad proceeded to deposit on board such movables as had been selected, while Mrs. Hanford prepared her children and herself for their voyage. The rush of the current against the rear of the frail building also told plainly that longer delay would be perilous, and as the light continued to increase, no time was lost. In a few minutes, the mother, with her children, were placed beside their chattels, in the boat. The load was a heavy one for so small a bark, yet the freight was not completed.

"That's a nice lad," murmured Hanford, as he heard the youth soothing the fears of those in his charge. "A nice lad; an' ef I'd a girl of the size for him, he'd be the one 'ud make her a good husband,-God give him strength for this turn, and land 'em all safely."—In this mood he sat down upon a stone ledge to recover his own strength, and be ready to start in pursuit, as soon as light, sufficient to enable him to distinguish between land and water, should appear. He listened with intense anxiety to the voices of the party, as they grew fainter and fainter in the distance, until at last the cheering "hallo" of the lad was lost in the sound of the rushing waters, and he remained alone, in the vast solitude of night in the wilderness. "They're gone!" said Hanford, musingly, "they're gone, and that boy hasn't so much as a shingle to steer with, and the flood's

full of drift, and there's eddies and sheals-if he should strike a shoal now, and capsize!— the skiff's but an egg-shell at the best, and wi' four living, human souls aboard! and its so dark too! God grant the stream take them not to the Pine-gulch-they are all lost if it does !"

[ocr errors]

other, pointing to the vast sheet of water
sweeping before them, urged that to proceed
further before daylight would be an act of
madness, that would perhaps cost the lives of
some, or it might be, all of them, and that too,
without the possibility of lending any assis-
tance to their friends. "If evil is to come to
them this night," said he, "it has come ere
now, and it is out of our way to help it. Wait
'till we can see our footing, and then, with
God's blessing, we'll find 'em safe." This
was agreed to; but as the clouds broke away,
and the light of the moon flitted at intervals
through to the earth, their prospect seemed
more and more hopeless and dreary. As far
as the sight could discover, all below them was
a vast lake, studded here and there with islands
formed by the hilly nature of the country, and
freighted with drifting logs and trees. Num-
bers of wild deer and other animals, driven by
the flood from their accustomed haunts, were
seeking safety on the high grounds; there
was scarce a hillock above water that had not
more or less of these transient tenants, and as
the day dawned, they were seen moving in all
directions, some over the land, and others
swimming for their lives through the rapid
and whirling eddies.

The Pine-gulch, so called, was a deep ravine or chasm, about two miles south-west of Hanford's hut, extended through the hills a distance of half a mile, and bore the appearance of having been formed by a violent convulsion of the earth at some former period. The depth of the chasm, at its upper, or eastern end, was about fifty feet, which gradually lessened as the surface of the earth declined westward. Its width varied from twenty to seventy-five feet, and its rocky sides were studded with small pines and shrubbery, which found sustenance in the small portions of earth that were carried by the rains and lodged in the numerous crevices and fissures. Into this chasm the waters of the flood were at that moment pouring forming a cataract second only to that of the Niagara, and the current which bore the little skiff with its precious freight was riding swiftly towards it. Fortunate was it for all parties they knew not the danger which threatened them. The youth, on whose energy all seemed The prospect of our friends was most cheerto depend, was powerless; blinded by the dark-less. The route they wished to pursue in search ness and without even a setting-pole, he could | of the boat was cut off, and rendered utterly not change the direction of his little vessel an impassable, so that a circuit of several miles inch from the course which the stream pursued, on foot seemed inevitable, during which it was and all relied on the hope that chance might quite probable they might pass the object of throw them within reach of some jutting pro- their search, and be still left in uncertainty as montory or even the branch of an overhanging to their fate. No other alternative appeared, tree, to which they might cling and effect a and they set forth, not, however, until they landing. To have known their danger would had discovered that the cottage of Hanford had therefore have been but the signal of despair. become a part of the general wreck; the spot it had occupied a few hours before, was vacant when the day dawned, and the old oak stood alone, spreading his wide branches above the waste of waters.

Hanford had remained at the spot where we left him, about half an hour, in a state of feverish anxiety, watching the gradual breaking of the clouds, and the slow approach of light, when he was aroused by another call from the direction of the woods. His two neighbors, after the danger to their own families and habitations had passed, had come forth to his assistance, and never was the voice of man more welcome. Their call was answered with a hearty hallo, and in a few moments the three were together. Hanford related in few words the events of the night, and alarm for the safety of the party in the boat became general. The father of the youth, in the intensity of his fears, proposed to depart immediately in search of the lost ones; but the

The sun was high in the heavens; the wind had subsided to a perfect calm, and save a few misty remnants hanging still about the loftiest peaks of the Alleghanies, not a cloud was visible, when the three mountaineers, wearied, wet, and almost exhausted with apprehension, arrived near the head of the " Pine-gulch," on the eastern side. Not a spot of ground above water had escaped their scrutiny, during their tedious journey of some ten miles; sometimes wading, sometimes swimming, and sometimes clambering over rocks and precipices; but as yet not a trace of the lost party had they dis

covered. The particular current that bore the
skiff away was carefully and easily traced, by
the drift-wood that followed its course, and to
their dismay, they discovered that it led di-
rectly toward the "Gulch.” This they had
followed, and when they had almost reached
the beetling brink, and heard the roar of the
falling cataract, with yet no sign or trace of
their friends-hope forsook them, and the
conviction that they had been borne over the
precipice, forced itself, with agonizing effect,
upon their minds.
Hanford, half frantic,
raved and wept, yet his longing eyes, drowned
as they were with tears, roved restlessly in
every direction to which hope pointed with a
possibility of finding the dear objects of his
heart. Suddenly he paused, and with a
glare, gazed intently upon a small tuft of earth
which hung above the precipice, in the very
midst of the torrent. His penetrating look
had discerned a moving object there, and he
gazed in trembling fear for a further revela-
tion of new-born hope. It moved again-it
was a human figure, and with a half-suffocated
shriek, pointing at the same instant to the
spot, he exclaimed, "There !—there!—they are
there!

from this place, by like means, they were enabled to ascend directly beneath the spot where the little group were perched, almost to them. This was done, yet until they had reached within some twelve or fifteen feet, they had not been seen by the party above. There Hanford saw all his precious ones, alive, and so far safe, and his neighbor saw the athletic form of his brave boy, all lingering, as it were, upon the verge of death, and yet, not only living, but within the reach of rescue. To describe the outburst of joy from the stranded party, on discovering the approach of the deliverers. is impossible. Mrs. Hanford wept tears of thankfulness. Young Joe laughed like a maniac, and little Annie joined her mother, while the babe, "Bobby," shrieked and clapped his hands with glee.

The lost were found, but they were not yet delivered from danger. This task was yet to be accomplished. The skiff had been carried over the fall. and was seen half way down the crag, where it was caught in its descent, and so securely jammed among the rocks that the whole force of the torrent was not sufficient to displace it. The only plan of relief, therefore, that presented itself, was to bring the family down from their critical position, into the guleh, and again place them on terra firma, by clambering up the steep. where Hanford and his friends had descended. finally accomplished, after great labor, and the building of two or three rude bridges; and Jared Hanford once more clasped in safety to his heart, the beloved sharers of his rugged life. In that moment of pure joy, all else, save the felicity of re-union, was forgotten; their losses were unthought of, and the memory of past privations and dangers were absorbed in an overpowering sense of thankfulness to the protecting hand, that had brought them again together.

This was

They were indeed there. The form that he had seen was that of the youth, who had raised himself upon the stump of an old pine tree, which had hung for half a century over the abyss, and, with a rock or two, formed a nucleus, around which a little mound of earth | had gathered. The youth was looking about intently, apparently seeking some mode of escape from their perilous position. To attempt to reach them by crossing the stream above the fall. would have been an act involving almost certain death; for no man could stem the current, and a single false movement or miscalculation of the swimmer, would send him headlong down the cataract. The party shouted loudly to attract their attention, but in vain; the incessant roar of the falling sheet of water drowned their voices; and it was long before they could determine what course to pursue. At length, Hanford suggested that, as they could not reach them from above. they must endeavor to do so from below; accordingly, by moving further down, and approach-apprehended, viz., "an upset." He saw the ing the edge of the gulch, they discovered that a footing might be obtained, so as to reach within a few feet of the spot, without danger. The rough, rocky precipice, and shrubbery afforded the means of descending to a part of the chasm which the flood did not reach, and

The brave-hearted Joe proceeded to relate, in terms far more circumstantially than my readers would like to peruse, the chances of their perilous voyage. As soon as he found that they were fairly adrift and at the mercy of the flood, he proceeded to prepare for that which appeared to him the only danger to be

mother and children grouped together in as small a compass as could be possibly acquired, and then gave directions to Mrs. Hanford, in case they should go over, to hold fast to Bobby with one hand and the boat with the other, while he "sounded bottom,” and took care of

« SebelumnyaLanjutkan »