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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 hoy hasn't so much as a shingle to steer with, and the flood's

full of drift, and there's eddies and shoals-if other, pointing to the vast sheet of water he should strike a shoal now, and capsize!-sweeping before them, urged that to proceed 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 !"

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 to depend, was powerless; blinded by the darkness and without even a setting-pole, he could not change the direction of his little vessel an inch from the course which the stream pursued, and all relied on the hope that chance might throw them within reach of some jutting promontory or even the branch of an overhanging tree, to which they might cling and effect a landing. To have known their danger would therefore have been but the signal of despair.

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

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 assistance 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. Numbers 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 prospect of our friends was most cheerless. The route they wished to pursue in search of the boat was cut off, and rendered utterly impassable, so that a circuit of several miles on foot seemed inevitable, during which it was quite probable they might pass the object of their search, and be still left in uncertainty as to their fate. No other alternative appeared, and they set forth, not, however, until they had discovered that the cottage of Hanford had 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.

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 directly 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 revelation 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 m

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 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

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 gulch, and again place them on terra firma, by clambering up the steep, where Hanford and his friends had descended. This was 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.

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 apprehended, viz., "an upset." He saw the 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

Annie; and in case he could not find bottom, it was agreed that they should hold on to the boat together, and trust to providence for deliverance. After giving these directions, he seated himself in the group with little Annie between his feet, and both hands employed, reaching from side to side, in hopes of falling in with some object to seize upon. Occasionally they were borne with the speed of the wind down a gentle declivity, and again carried noiselessly away in what appeared to be an eddy, or over a level plain. They knew when they were passing a wood patch, by the rushing sound of the wind amid the trees, but nothing could be seen. Joe said he "couldn't tell how long they went on in this way, but it seemed to him like a week since he left neighbor Hanford's cottage, when all 'twonst, when they was sailin' along smooth as clover, bump, and over went the old skiff, spillin' 'em all out in shoal water."

"Yes," said Mrs. Hanford, and such a scream as I and Annie give then!"

"I didn't hear no scream," said Joe; "all I know is, that when I found we was overboard where there was bottom, I clinched both on ye, and let the skiff look out for herself."

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in water, and which way to go to find a drier spot I couldn't tell. Hows'ever, I thought best not to stan' there all night, so I told the folks to keep still a minit, and I'd feel round and take a prospect. I wasn't long a findin' there was deep water on both sides of me, so I tried the middle, and found which way the land lay, but we hadn't gone more than twenty steps when I herd that etarnal fall pourin' over there. Then I was scart-I knew where I was then; and tho' we wasn't quite out of water yet, I didn't dare go a step furder till daylight. And then we wasn't much better off; the old stump was the only thing out of water, and it looked mighty ticklish gettin' to it, but I was afraid we'd all catch our death in the water, so I tried it and found it was solid. and there we all staid till you come."

Hanford and his family found a present shelter in the cottage of their neighbor, Barnard Bradley, the blacksmith; and ten years after the events of that frightful night in September, Joe Bradley, the thriftiest farmer of western Pennsylvania was made the happiest man on earth, (as all bridegrooms are,) by leading to the altar of Hymen the person of the once "little Annie," but now a full blown rose of a woman, with a dowry equal to his own estate. Joe never forgot the fortitude with which his infant charge bore the vicissitudes of that perilous voyage, and somehow, from that time forward she became his especial favorite. If she was not then, as in the words of her father, "of the size for him," she became so in good time, and, if history tells the truth, he has, indeed, "made her a good husband."

THE TEST.

BY THE REV. RALPH HOYT.

In thy early prime, when thy heart is gay,
And a merry voice calleth,-up! away!
Away, and partake of the choicest things

The world in its folly around thee flings;
Pluck every flower of ill delight

That poisons the heart, and deceives the sight;
If thou hast a friend, who a friend would prove,
He will chide thy course, though he lose thy love.

When the sign of manhood comes on thy brow,
And ambition pilots thy daring prow;
Though thy way be over the smoothest sea,
And the prize of fame seemeth just a-lee,
Or thy eager hand be already laid

On the glorious goal thy desires have made;
When thou dreamest not of an hour of care,

True friendship will counsel thee still,-prepare!

And when that the trial is come, and all
Thy stateliest fancyings fade and fall;
When the car of envy hath heard thy fame,
And the blight of slander is on thy name;
When fortune's propitious breezes fail,

And adversity shatters thy silken sail,
And roaring surges thy bark o'erwhelm,

If thou hast a friend, he will sieze the helm.

When hope's last sun is adown the west,
And shadows darken thy lonely breast;
When the bursting bosom can hold no more,
And the fount of sorrow is running o'er;
And the writhing heart, in its burning cell,
Conceives a thought it were sin to tell;
Oh, then, for the true and enduring love,
And the mightiest Friend, look,-look above!

NIGHT HUNTING IN ELK COUNTY.

BY JOHN OF YORK.

THE sun was within an hour's travel of the western horizon, when Tom W-—, Hank SDill G-, and Brooks, started from Ridgway for the Five Mile Lick, in a canoe, not over nineteen feet long, and so narrow and rocky that all had to sit quietly on the bottom of the frail vessel, or run a pretty sure chance of being upset. On each side of the Clarion, (or Stump Creek, or Big Toby-the stream has three names,) high, thickly wooded hills rose up around us, and the banks were closely stocked with gigantic pines, the present wealth of that wild region. The crows and ravens were slowly wending their ways to their homes in the depths of the forest, and some of the night birds had begun to pipe their organs, preparatory to the monotonous concert, which was about to come off.

How gloriously quiet is the hour of nightfall, in those grand old woods! Not a breath of air moved to ripple the clear water of the river, in whose depths, even in the twilight, we could see trout, bass, and other delicious sport-rewarders, enjoying their evening meals upon the silly insects who continually threw themselves upon the surface of the water, as if for the very purpose of being devoured by the finnies. The only annoyance was the armies of punkies, (gnats,) that swarmed about us and kept hands and cigars tolerably busy in the work of self defence.

"What time does the moon rise?" asked Dill, raising his dripping paddle out of the water, and leaning upon it, the very lifepicture of the hunter and river man.

"Not 'fore two in the mornin'," replied Brooks, the man addressed; "have you any

tobacker ?"

"Yes, (pitching him a quid,) and I'll bet you a quart that I'll fetch a six year old before moonrise; will you bet ?”

every city boy kin pink a buck like old longshot there, with the paddle."

"Well, a quart that I kill the first critter to-night; mind, I kill one before you do; if neither kills, it's a draw bet."

The bet was made, and silence grew over the party. We had just passed Mill Creek Mouth, when something resembling footsteps were heard upon the bank above, but some rods ahead of us. The stream had been dammed below, and ran very slow and we rode upon its dark surface as still as night itself. Dill, whose quick ear never mistook a wood sound, noiselessly turned the canoe into an eddy, and all sat in breathless silence, waiting for the enemy. Presently, the footsteps were again heard, and approached nearer and nearer the edge of the water.

"An old he one," said Dill, in a scarcely audible whisper, at the same time cocking his rifle without a click.

The deer came on, evidently for the purpose of drinking, and stopped on the low bluff, as if to reconnoitre. We could just see his form against the dusky sky, but in the deep shade below, he could not discover us. Dill, who had not moved from his kneeling position in the bottom of the canoe, now slightly raised his tall figure, drew his rifle to his eye, and brought the muzzle to bear upon the obscure object above him. We all held our breaths.

A low, sharp whistle from the hunter caused the buck to start, and two glaring eyes were turned towards the place whence the sound proceeded. Crack! went the rifle, and a heavy plunge into the water followed. But to our astonishment, the buck rose and struck out for the opposite side of the river.

And now the fun began. The shot, instead of being, as we guessed, in the buck's head, had lodged in his shoulder, and he was not going to give up for that.

"Pull away, boys," shouted Dill, at the same time grasping a setting pole, and forcing the canoe across the stream with astonishing velocity. The deer snorted and plunged, in his

"Well, I don't mind the cost of the licker," said Brooks, "but bet with John, there; he's up here on the new county business, and they that thar's 'brads' about. How's that, ld Sceldelfy?" "Oh, agreed; I'll take Dill's bet, and make agony, and was fast losing ground until he

do

say

you another."

got into deep water. We were five rods above "Come on-plank your sentiments. 'Taint him when the pursued and the pursuer reached

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