Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-07-28

day for month past, but nothing IKE the
way they were doing now. Great black
masses that seemed to cover the sky,
would roll swiftly along and pile them
selves upon those already resting there,
and as often turned my head and
watched them, could not help thinking
of what the old Indian woman had said
the day before, Of the great storm which
was coming.
I hurried on, and reached the doctors,
who found was sick himself, and not
able to ride the distance he would have to
90 that night. / described as near as ]
could the symptoms Of fathers complaint,
and he fixed some medicine, which ne
gave me, with directions for using, and
then went out and mounted my horse to
return.
The doctor followed me to the door,
and we talked for minute or two OF the
strange appearance of the sky to the
northward. He was of the opinion that
we were going to have heavy storm,
and that, according to the looks Of the sky,
should get q good wetting before got
back to fathers. replied that would be
willing to take that, If we could only have
the rain we so much needed, and then
set out, leaving him standing in the door
way, with his eyes fixed upon the sky.
NV face was now towards the mountains,
and the great mass of clouds piled above
them and it almost made me tremble as
cazed upon them in their blackness, and
watched the lightning that every little
while darted out from their folds. ! had
lived among the mountains since I was
little child, but had never seen anything
like it before, and could not help think
ing that some fearful thing was about to
twas not more than half way back to
fathers, before the rain came down in tor
rents. It hardly seemed as though it could
be night, yet the darkness came with it,
and in little time, ] could not see rod
ahead, along the way was going. In less
than five minutes, / was wet to the skin,
and the water was dripping from me in
streams =
l made good use of the stick l carried,
and as the old mares head was towards
home, l made good time, and in the
course of an hour from the time it COM
menced to rain, reached fathers, as wet
as though had swan that distance in the
river / found him easier than when set
out, and giving mother the medicine /
had brought, and hastily eating some
supper she had prepared for me, set out
over the mountain for home, against the
advice of both-they declaring that |
could not keep the path in the storm and
darkness.
tknew that it would be hard work to
do so, for the rain came down as though
we were going to have another food
but had promised Mary that I would
come back that night, and l meant to
make my word good to her, if could do
80. And then l was afraid of the water.
If it continued to rain as it was doing
now, I was afraid that the water would
rise, and come SO near to the cabin, as
to give her alarm, and to put them in
danger.
l knew every step across the mountain
well, as had been over it many times,
both night and day; but found, as /
began to ascend, that had never un-
dertaken the job when it was 30 dark
before. To keep in the path, had to
20 slowly, sometimes feeling for the
track with my hands, when my feet were
at fault, and all the time the rain was
falling in such torrents as l had never
known before.
came to small brook about half way
up, which / had crossed that morning
upon its dry bed. Now it was toaming
torrent, ready to overflow its banks, and
crossed with difficulty; but got over by
holding fast to the bushes that grew upon
either side, and kept on toward the sum
nit, where l knew my greatest difficulty
lay, as it was destitute of trees, or even
bushes of any size, the path leading over
the bare rocks, with nothing to guide me
in the darkness, and prevent my losing
my way.
When at last came out of the woods
upon the rocks, l was completely at
stand still. In vain it was that tried to
sec through the darkness, the like of
which / had never seen before. l was
half mind to turn back to fathers, but
the thought of Mary alone with the baby,
waiting for me, urged me on, and / sd-
vanced blindly in the darkness, trusting
in my good luck to guide me Alright.
My luck failed me this time, for by the time
had got down to the woods upon the
other side, / found that had lost the
path, and had got into q tangled mass o,
fallen trees and bushes, through which I
could hardly force my way. Still ! did
not feel lost, for knew that had only to
work my way down the mountain to come
out somewhere in the valley near my
cabin, which could soon find, when once
~
longer to pick my way along, and there
would be greater danger of stumbling and
getting fall, than though had managed
to keep the path. But there was no help
for it now, as you might as well have
looked for needle in hay stack, as TO
have searched for it.
had got what thought was about
half way down the mountain, when / was
startled by terrible sound that came
from the mountains to the northward,
and which drowned the rush of the tenn
pest about me- 1t was rush and roar
mingled crash of earth and rocks, which
made even the ground beneath my feet
tremble. I knew not then what it could
be, but found afterward that it was the
first great slide which came down near
the Notch.
knew by the brooks which filled every
hollow which had to cross, that the riv-
er must be swollen to many times its
usual size, and that each moment was ad-
ding new streams TO II, TO cause 1t to over
fiow it's banks; and this, with the terrible
sound that had come from the mountains
above, filed me with alarm for the safety
Of my wife and child, and ! hurried of,