A DREADFUL, ALTERNATIVE.

Grey River Argus, Issue 87, 2 August 1866, Page 3

A DREADFUL, ALTERNATIVE.

(From " Land and V/ater.") , A lumberer, noted for his great stature, immense strength, and. firmness of character, was at work onefold day in Jan., in the forest alone ! He was engaged in" splitting open a long trunk of green hard wood, newly felled. For this purpose he used wedges of hardjwood, 'newly felled, driven in alternately so as to 'extend the rift of opening itviho- tenacious fibres of the tree. The monarch of the .forest thus laid low in its pride and prime (in obedience to certain physiological theories ascribing some degreelbf sensation even to tlwj vegetable kingdom 7 ) ' might b 3 supposed to be dying harf like some immense serpont or reptile ex+i'cm'ely- tenacious of life. Although the day -was bitterly cold, the woodman's exertions had caused him to -perspire freely. He paused for a minute to wipe the moishu'e from his brow. While turning to replace his 'handkerchief in the pocket of his coat, which hung on a stamp beside him, ; he did not notice' that the wedge which 'lield the tre3 open had been gradually loosening and working fits way out. ' In the. act of resuming his labor, his left foot, which had been resting on "the tree, sliptinto the cleft, and at' this" critical moment the wedge w:is. forced out with great violence, an^Tshooting high in the air, fell at some yards distance in the snow. Instantly the|^ialves of the tree ' united with such fearf^il force as. to crush and nianglte the ; imprispned foot. So intense was the agony "at fu-st that nature was'- overcome: Thb strong man became insensible- and fell against the stump,, which sustained him irr a nearly vertical posture. _ f.- - ,■'.' •. -."..' When he recovered consciousness an appalling alternative lay before him., All 'efforts to withdraw the bruised limb were fruitless. Night -was coming on. A few hours in his , pjesent position, with the temperature several degrees below freezing point, involved, certain death. '.A quarter of a mile distant a road wound through ' the forest. His only chance lay in reach- • ing that road, and being rescued by some chance passenger, or his companions returning from work to the "shanty" in .which they, camp 3d. .--... His resolution was soon, taken. The terrible 'expedient, oven if it failed," would only hasten Ms inevitable death by a'short period. Already he began to; feel the ■numbing* effects of the! cold deadening the pain in the shattered limb; the blood from which was freezing onythe log. Methodically thfe brave fellow 'removed his handkerchief, and bound it with all his force around the left ankle, so as to check and almost impede circulation. Then raising the heavy, keen, glittering axe high .above his head, he struck mercilessly, with the strength of despair,- below the ligature on his own flesh ■" oncej'f- . The trenchant "stroke divided nerve, jmuscle,' sinew, and bone ! The foot was severed. - He, was free ! ■ • v : j." In agony, and faint! with loss of. blood, he began, tb crawl origin's hand and one knee, dragging the wounded limb in the . direction whence succor might be : expected. His slow and painful progress was marked by crimson stains on the snow. Would he everreaph tpiat road ? Oh, how far off it seemed as ke< crawled on and on, growing weaker and weaker ! : Ovorpowered by a sickening sensation of feebleness which he. ■'believed to be the immediate •forerunner of death, the wrefched man l--sinks-Ulown~iTiH{ie'-siipw:"' ; He : is--'T?ithiii-thirty yards of the road, buf lie can 'gn lib further. His- consciousness is fast leaving him. He is on the point of falling into, that fatal slumber from which there will be no awakening in this world, when the faint tingle of "sleigh bells reaches Ms ears. The joyou3 sound grows more distinct. Those who might save him are approachin?. '■■" Now he can hear their voices in tie still frosty air — ye?, they 'are Ms cpmpani6ns ; they are talking" merrily,'anticipating the evening round the camp -lire — another niinute and it will be too la£e. He makes one mighty effort. Nature for an instant rallies all her energies: He utters one shrill piercing scream before he • falls into a dead faint. _' .Most fortunately the' horses were walking. The sledge glided noiselessly along and the jingle of the bells did not smother that startling cry of agony. In an instant active men are hurrying in the direction of the sound, and trampling hither and thither in the, deep sngw.' Suddenly one _of them shouts ; the others- rush to the spot, and gaze, on the traces of fresh warm blood. . They follow the trail till they discover the mangled sufferer. He is borne to the camp. - Brandy is poured down Ms tM-oat, and while a messenger is sent off at full speed for the. nearest doctor, the wound is tempbrarily dressed by one of the Inmberers, who has some rude Burgical skill . The ,doc ! 6. '-pronounces a favorable opinion; such a ghastly wound would have proved fatal to the dweller in our cities ; but the hardy woodsman's constitution enables him to rally; A contribution raised by the benevolent settled Mm in a small farm. He is still a'hale ,and hearty old man. ;