The Rangers

t, bright boundi

ice, and sheds a

dations on th

inter load the

river near its western banks, thus describing in its course a right angle, at the point of which, resting on the river, stood the store of Stephen Greenleaf, the first, and, for a while, the only merchant in Vermont; whose buildings, with those perhaps of one or two dependants, constituted the then unpromising nucleus around which has since grown up the wealthy and populous village of East Brattleborough. Such being the course of the travelled route, it will readily be seen, that the main object of our

sed on the ice by the winter road, which, owing to the failure of the rude bridge near the mouth of the stream, and the difficulty of descending the bank in its immediate vi

two dark, turbid streams, over the surface of the ice, beneath the opposite banks, where it was still too strongly confined to the roots and frozen earth to permit of its rising; while the uplifting mass, in the middle of the river, had nearly attained the level of the surrounding meadows. And, although the main body still remained unbroken, yet the deep, dull reports that rose in quic

ng spruce pole from a neighboring fence, and, shooting it forward through the first stream of water, passed over upon it to the uncovered ice; and then, d

suming, a slight trembling of the ground began occasionally to be perceptible; while unusual sounds seemed to come mingling from a distance, with th

gh that crevice yonder! Then hear that swift, lumbering rush of the stream beneath! The whole river, indeed, seems fairly to groan, like some huge animal confined down by an insupportable bur

ndeed! Why, the ice is more than three feet thick, and as sound and solid as

he different portents to which we have alluded. "I don't know about the ice staying here twenty hours, or

ld not think the water high enough as y

nd, like this, to increase the motion, as it does either by outward pressure, or by forcing the air through the chinks in under the ice, I have

named as indications that such an even

you name are not the only ones which tell that story, as I will

ny to pause and place themse

the Connecticut, and within a few furlongs from the spot where they now stood, rose, half concealed in its "misty shroud," like some huge battlement, to the

quite dis

ere of the roar of the river above us; that of course must be open, having already broken up and got the ice in motion somewhere. But

Sure enough, the ice in the river above us is o

ng down upon us with the speed of a race-horse! Let us all to t

ce up the stream, as well as one of a considerable reach of the more distant Connecticut, both of which views were obstructed, at th

e rivers by a winter flood; when the ice, in its full strength, enormous thickness, and rock-like solidity, is rent asunder, with loud, crashing explosions, and hurled up into ragged mountains, and borne onward before the raging torrent with incon

d with the din and tumult of an army of chariots rushing together in battle. Here, tall trees on the bank were beaten down and overwhelmed, or, wrenched off at the roots and thrown upwards, were whirled along on the top of the rushing volume, like feathers on the tossing wave. There, the changing mass was seen swelling up into mountain-like elevations, to roll onward a while, and, then gradually sinking

t been witnessing. Through the whole visible reach of the Connecticut, a long, white, glittering column of ice, with its ridgy and bristling top towering high above the adjacent banks, was sweeping by and onward, like the serried lines of an army advancing to the charge;

own the river before them, with increasing impetus, was now within three hundred yards of the pass, to which those in the sleigh were hastening, with the evident design of crossing. And though the latter, owing to a point of woods that intervened at a bend in the stream a short distance above, could not see the coming ice, yet they seemed aware of its dangerous proximity; for, as they now drove

o spare, but enough, I think, if he instantly improves it, to get safely over. He

g them on the ice, soon effected his passage in safety, and drove rapidly down the road, leading along the northern bank of the stream to Co

n witnessing the rather hazardous passage of their friends,-"there, the colonel is well

t," said one of the company, pointing across the river, where a covered double sle

Let the enemy take care of themselves!" were the exclamations which burst

y reached the bend, and unless it stops there, that path across the stream, within five minutes, will be as traceless as the ocean! Run down to the bank, and hail them!" he continued, turni

a sense of former injuries; "ay, and interfere, too, to save su

n, also, that he may hang the innocent a

e court which will soon hang or rob the whol

Woodburn, turning hastily from the spot, and making his way dow

around, he called on Peters, who was already urging his reluctant and snorting horses down the opposite bank into the water, war

me suspicious, as the latter had feared, that the warning was but a ruse to prevent him from going on that n

le and Peters, no less frightened than the rest, suddenly checked the horses, with the half-formed design of turning and attempting to regain the shore he had just left. But on glancing round, he beheld, to his dismay, the ice burst upward from its winter moorings along the shore, leaving between them and the bank a dark chasm of whirling waters, over which it were madness to think of repassing. At that instant, with a deep and startling report, the broad sheet of ice confining the agitated river burst asunder parted, and was afloat in a hundred pieces around them. Another piercing cry of terror and distress issued from the devoted sleigh and Miss Haviland, with an involuntary

f the sleigh among the company, who, with horror-stricken looks, stood on the bank mutely gazing on the fast recedi

block, on which she had alighted, and on which she continued still to retain her stand, was, by the submerged and rising masses beneath, gradually and evenly forced upwards to the top of the column, with which it was moving swiftly down the current. And there she stood, like a marble statue on its pedestal, sculptured for some

at length burst convulsively from Miss McR

no one save her?" add

ome of you get on to the ice there, and bring her off? Five guineas to the man who will do it; yes, ten! Quick

to show him that she still retained her footing on the same block of ice, which still continued to be borne on with the surrounding mass, yet he could perceive no way of reaching her-no earthly means by which she could be snatched from the terrible doom that seemed so certainly to await her; for along the whole extent of the moving ice, and even many rods in advance of it, the water, dammed up, and forced from the choked channel, was gushing over the banks, and sweeping down by their sides in a stream that nothing could withstand. And, to add to the almost utter hopelessness with which he was compelled to view her situation, he now soon began

emaining beams or string-pieces of the old bridge still extended across the river a short distance below. "If she reaches that place alive, a

finding the path leading on to the bridge obstructed by the water. And it had glanced through his mind, as he descried this forgotten spot, and saw the remains of the bridge still standing, that the maiden might here be assisted to escape on to the bank, or be drawn up by a cord, or some other implement, to the top of the bridge, which, being

urn, pointing to the scene of trouble, as soon as he

e found the settler and his wife eagerly running out the rope of their bedstead, which had been hastily stripped of the bed and clothing, and the fastenings cut, for the purpose. The instant the rope was disengaged, was seized by the young man, who, bidding the other to follow,

dburn, as he ran out on to the partially covered beams of the b

t hideous jam, but, if not drawn up here, will be the next moment lost amo

rope for her to catch?" said the se

ng the two ends of the cord round his body. "Now stand by me, my friend. Brace yourself back firmly on

th up-" replied the other, hesitating a

pid young man, "My friends will be here in a mom

ry of joy escapes her lips, and her hands are extended towards the proffered aid. And now, riding high on the billowy column, she is borne on nearer and nearer towards those who wait, in breathless silence, for her approach. And now she comes-she is here! She is caught in the eager grasp of the brave youth; and, the next instant, by the giant effort of the strong man above them, they are together drawn up within a few feet of the bending and tottering bridge. But

cried a loud voice on the right, where a tall, mu

uick!" exclaimed the settler, throwing an anguished an

to escape, before it was swept away, with a loud crash, and borne off on the top of the mighty torrent. They were met on the bank by the companions of Woodburn, and the friends of the re