From Farm House to the White House - 912 Freedom Library

Farm House to the White House, by William M. Thayer 83
who had already caught hold of one of the raft-logs. A severe but short struggle, and he was on the raft again.
"A cold bath," remarked Washington, as he stood upon the raft again, shaking the water from his drenched
clothes.
"It is a miracle that you were not drowned," replied Gist; "and you would have been if you were as nervous as
some people."
"I am cool enough now," said Washington, his wet clothes already beginning to stiffen on his back in the
wintry blast. "I shall not despair so long as I remember that one faithful saint is praying for me," referring to
the promise of his mother.
They made a desperate effort to keep their craft right side up in the floating ice, but failed in the attempt.
"No use!" exclaimed Gist. "We must quit the concern and make for that island."
"Yes; and that immediately, if we would save ourselves," responded Washington, as he leaped into the water,
followed by Gist. The island was but a few rods distant, and they reached it just at night, with the gloomy
prospect of remaining shelterless upon it until the next morning.
"Not much better off here than we were in the water," suggested Gist. "My fingers are frozen, and some of my
toes; and what is to prevent the freezing of the remainder of my body?"
"If we perish, we will perish trying to keep alive," remarked Washington. "We have plenty of room to
exercise ourselves here, and keep up a circulation, with no fear of being shot at by savages. It will not do to
sleep in this predicament."
"It will be our last sleep if we do," answered Gist. "The cold is rapidly increasing, and I hardly see how any
amount of exercise can save us."
"Be a little more hopeful, Gist. I have faith to believe that we shall be saved yet," said Washington. "This
increasing cold is providential, I think. It will freeze the river before morning, and thus provide a way for us to
escape from this island."
"Well, that is a hopeful view, I confess," replied Gist; "but how the biting cold can freeze the river without
freezing us is incomprehensible to me."
They made a remarkable night of it, and saved their lives by muscular exertion. They dashed about in the cold,
gathering hope and courage from hour to hour as the water of the stream congealed harder and harder. In the
morning they crossed the river on the ice, truly thankful to a kind Providence, which had delivered them from
what, to human view, was inevitable death.
Once upon the other side of the river, they made their way as speedily as possible to the house of Mr. Frazier,
a few miles distant, where they regaled themselves with fire and food to their hearts' content, recounting their
adventures, and causing all to wonder that they were still among the living.
Here Washington met twenty warriors, who were going to the southward to war, but had returned from Great
Kenhawa, because there they found a family of seven people killed and scalped.
"Why did you return?" inquired Washington of a chief.
"For fear the inhabitants might take us to be the murderers," the chief replied.