Nebraska advertiser. [volume] (Brownville, Nemaha County, N.T. [Neb.]) 1856-1882, 1858-09-02

less something happens to Jacob.
Thus permitted and enjoined, Frank
started off for the mill-dam, which was a
quarter of mile distant, in a lonely val
ley, surrounded by woods and hills. He
walked along rapidly, for the idea that
Jacob Green might fall into the water at
any moment having taken possession of
his mind, he felt anxious to reach the
neighborhood of the dam as quickly as
possible. On gaining the wooded hill
that rose steeply above the point where
the water, swollen by late rains, leapeG
roaring over the dam, Frank searched
with his eyes, hurriedly along the shore,
up and down, for Jacob Green. But the
lad was nowhere to be seen. He would
have shouted his name, but a secret sense
a disobedience, and fear of discovery by
his hasty-tempered father, who might
hear his voice, kept him silent. Descend
ing as near to the edge of the dam as he
deemed it prudent, under the circumstans
ces, to 90, he examined every point in the
range of vision with the most careful sCru.
tiny.
A svdden fear now seized upon the
boys heart. Jacob must have fallen into
the water and been swept over the dam!
His heart beat like a hammer in his
breast; respiration became difficult; he
felt choking sensation in his throat. For
some moments he stood bewildered. But
anxiety for the little boys safety became
- Ill otbor O,,,OtiOpc
He may have fallen in near the head
gate be said to himself. And then, as
the image of Jacob, clinging to some frail
support, amid the whirling, sucking ed
dies, presented itself to his mind, Frank
sprung TO the spot where the water from
the dam flowed into the mill-race. Hold
ing on to piece of wood, he leaned over
the brink of high stone wall or pier,
and as he looked down into the water that
seethed and struggled above the open
gate, he held his breath in momentary
suspense. But no sign of the lad was vi
sible. Frank drew himself up, taking a
deep inspiration, and stood for some mo-
ments bewildered and at fault. Then he
stepped lightly over a narrow plank that
had been thrown across the sluice into
which the head-gate opened, and standing
on one of the abutments of the dam, lean
ed his body over and looked down a dis
tance of some twenty feet into the mad
whirlpool of waters that lay beneath. His
head swan; and he lifted himself up and
moved back with feeling of terror in
his heart. If he were to fall headlOng
there, no power on earth could save him!
A little while Frank stood on the abut-
ment that Jared to the heavy fall of wa
ter. Then he stepped carefully across
the narrow bridge that separated him
from the land, and took long breath as
he felt himself in a position of safety
Slowly and anxiously were his eyes now
thrown around him, and every point with
in their range searched with the most
careful scrutiny. But the search was en-
tirely fruitless. Ascending the hill that
rose above the dam, Frank now ran along
its brow for some distance, up the stream,
letting his gaze fall upon every part of
the shore. Suddenly he stopped with an
exclamation of relief, for Jacob had come
into full view, setting upon a rock that
projected far into the dam, holding his
fshing-rod above the water, and watch
ing the scarlet-topped cork that lay mo-
tionless in a quiet eddy.
Frank did not call to the boy, nor by
any sign made known his proximity. He
had come, in disobedIence to his father
to watch over and protect him from harm
and the fear of hasty misjudgment on the
part of his father, when the fact of diso-
bedience became known, sobered his feel
ings, and made him prefer solitude tC
Companionship. Sohe sat down, conceal
ing himself among the trunks of three OF
four large trees; yet keeping his head in
a position to see Jacob through a small
opening between them. Nearly half an
hour passed, when Jacob, tired of watch
ing his immovable cork, drew up his line
and moved down the bank to a position
nearer the point where the swollen water
went rushing over the dam. As he threw
his line again, Frank arose and walked
along the hill above him, until he came
nearly opposite the laundering waterfall
and then sat down again to watch the
lonely boy-himself more lonely.
The clearing at which Mr.. Lloyd was
at work with his men lay about a quarter
of mile from the mill-dam. The father
had just leveled an immense sycamore
and stood gazing at the white trunk, with
It's giant limbs, when a neighbor, emerg.
ing from the wood behind him, came W
and said:
Good day, Mr.. Lloydn
'Ah! Good day to you, Maxwell /!
} responded the farmer, in hearty tone
Splendid land this said the other
but heavily timbered.'
"A year or two will show its quality,
Mr.. Lloyd remarked.
Heavy freshet.'
Yes; you can hear the dam roaring
even here, when the wind sets this way
Dangerous place for boys, l should
think said Maxwell, in a tone that made
the farmer look at him with a sobereC
aspect. 4 saw your boy there as l came
along
What Tie axe dropped from Mr.
Lloyd's hand, while a dark shadow fel
over his countenance.
4 saw your boy there, skipping abou
the head-gate, with as little concern as il
L L / L. q