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Show TRAGEDY PREVENTED BY AN ELM BRANCH. YOUNG MAN'S NARROW E8CAPE FROM DEATH. SNAKE CAUSES RUNAWAY Frightened Team Dashes from Brldgo to Stream Below, But Driver Is Saved by Grasping Tree tn Nick of Time. Chicago. It happened in Missouri. warm midsummer day wns rapidly Jrawlng to a close. In company with tho other hay hands on a large plantation plan-tation 1 was working far pnBt the usual supper hour In order that all tho timothy cut nnd shocked might be securely stacked before tlarknesB and threatened rain overtook us. There wna ono more loatl to get, Juat u llttlo "Jag," and It fell to myself and another lad oven younger than I for I was only 17 to go nnd bring It In. Tho liny field wuh nearly u mile distant from the stack yard, ami, Inspired to hasten by healthy appetites, ap-petites, wo started off at n brisk trot with a team. About half tho distance hnd been covered when something happened. A lingo rnttlo snako crossed tho road Just ahead of the team. I was driving driv-ing and hnd turned to speak to my companion who sat near tho rear end of tho wagon, mid so did not notice tho snako until wo wero nlmostupon It. It colled rendy to spring, and gave forth Its warning rattle. When the horses heard tho rattlo they Jumped simultaneously and stnrted up tho road at n breakneck sliced. At this point tho road was rough, nnd thoro was quite un up grade, and I felt sure I could stop them beforo wo reached tho highest point and started start-ed down the other side. I held tho lines firmly and kept tho now thoroughly thor-oughly frightened animals In the center cen-ter of the rond. All was apparently going well. I thought I could feel myself getting control or them slowly but surely, when suddenly wo struck n good-sized bowlder. Wo went ovor It all right, but tho ladder or front piece of tho hay frnmo which wns supposed to Ho In the bottom of tho wagon when the frame wns empty, and which worked on a pivot hinge permitting It to bo raised Into nn upright position, hnd been left up. When wo struck the bowlder, the resulting Jolt sent this ladder Hying backwards, and It enmo down over my head nnd shoulders, knocking the lines out of my hands, thereby leaving tho team free to do their worst. Ileforo I could cxtrlcato myself from the ladder wo had started down grado at a terrific pace, and right ahead was "tho bad brldgo" across "Old Muddy creek," which wns no more than n deep gully In most places but sometimes turbulent stream winding wind-ing through it. Tho brldgo spanned a chasm CO feet In width and stood ovor 40 feet nbovo tho rocks nnd water below. Hut tho worst feature ot this brldgo was thnt it was built across tho chasm at an angle, tho road turning at this point nnd following the creek for somo tow rods, 1 know wo could nover got ncroBS that bridge, but wo wero upon It before I hud tlmo to Jump, nnd 1 doubt If I hnd tho necessary neces-sary courage to do so. The team attempted to make tho turn, tho wngon swerved, nnd wo wero going over tho edge of tho bridge It hnd no railing nnd I could feel tho wagon wa-gon swing out over tho chasm. I wns facing apparently curtain death. I could see the Jugged rocks below. Even If I wero fortunate enough to Btrlkc the water, I could I not Hwltn. The sight sickened me. I turned my eyes upward, nnd saw Just 1 nbovo mo a slender branch extending from nu overhanging limb of a great elm tree. I caught ut It, ami my i hands closed over It. So slender It wns that 1 wondered It held me. To me then It seemed strong uml safe. I hung there. Tho wagon had gone over, taking tho team with It, and I could seo these splendid horses struggling for their lives In the muddy stream. They wero unablo to brenk away I Caught the Slender Limb. from tho wagon, nnd thorcforo could not swim out. Their struggles lasted, It seemed to mo, an hour, In reality but a tow moments, nnd they sank out of sight. My companion was nowhere in sight. In my excitement I had forgotten for-gotten him. IIo now enmo running down tho road. IIo had managed to drop out ot the end of tho wagon soon after tho runaway started, and hnd escaped with only a few bruises. Ho saw my predicament and real- lzed tho seriousness of my position moro than I did myself. Tho branch I clung to wns too alight to permit mo to climb on It to tho limb nbovo. I could not hang In that position long. Already my nrms wero beginning begin-ning to pain mo. To drop meant to drown, for I hung directly oer tho pool, and just bofore me, somo 30 feot down, projected n Jagged rock. "Hang on," my companion shouted, "I'll bo bnck with a rope." Ho ran to a farm houso, which was fortunately fortu-nately near by, and camo back not only with n ropo but with two strong farmor lads ready to assist, and I was rescued. |