FOREST LIFE. 145 



rent had prevented the formation of ice of suitable thickness, we 

 were obliged to use much caution, passing from one side of the 

 river to the other to avoid suspicious places, making but little 

 progress in our serpentine path. In this way several miles had 

 been traveled without accident, which induced our pilot to ex- 

 ercise less vigilance, when suddenly the line was broken by the 

 disappearance of one team through the ice. The alarm passed 

 along the line, with the order to " Hold up ! a team in !" " Don't 

 close up ; we shall all be in together !" But teamsters are afraid 

 of ice over a running current ; indeed, there is imminent danger 

 to life under such circumstances. Some reined up ; others, tak- 

 ing alarm, made for the shore ; others put their horses into the 

 run and passed by ; while others, more cool and generous, came 

 to the rescue of the drowning team. It proved to be a pair of 

 our heaviest horses. The load consisted of thirteen barrels of 

 pork, with other lighter articles, the whole team and load weigh- 

 ing over three tons. It was the work of but a few moments to 

 extricate the horses, after disengaging them from their harness. 

 The barrels rolled from the sled, and sank in fifteen feet of wa- 

 ter. The most of the teamsters concurred in the opinion that 

 the barrels were not recoverable ; but, procuring a long pole, 

 with a sharp pike in the end, I ran it down and stuck it firmly 

 into one of the staves, and raised one barrel with perfect ease to 

 the surface. A rope was thrown around it, by which it was 

 rolled (mi upon the linn ice. Tims one after another was fished 



up, reloaded, and we were under way again in less than an hour. 

 About noon we slopped to [\-rd the horses and take some din- 

 ner on the Lee. Unloosing the Btraps which attached the h 

 to the pole, we proceeded to bait. While thus situated, a com- 

 pany of volunteers, returning from the bloodless boundary war 

 on the Aroostook, passed us, who, to amuse th< s, wantonly 



discharged a volley of musketry, which created a t re men dons pan- 

 ic among <>nr borses, causing them to upset several loads, break* 



(J 



