The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1871-09-21

''He will get boat and come
Finding the water was covering the
floor, they carried to the loft all the ar
ticles they could move, not forgetting
some bread and crock of milk for the
baby, They then took refuge there them
selves
While they were thus engaged they
| frequently felt the house culver
1t was cold. They had light, but no
fire. So, wrapped in comforters, they
held each other close, not daring to go to
bed. They crouched near one ofthe win
dows, of which there were two in the loft,
one looking back on the bills, the other in
front on the river.
Their father did not come.
1t was not dark night and they could
see that the water spread over the mead
ows almost to the hills. The barns and
all the out houses stood surrounded They
could hear the geese gable In alarm, and
the ducks quack, for they had been driv-
en- from their shelter.
1t was a strange sight, and one well
calculated to fill them with fear. They
| spoke little as they sat Rugged together,
except to say, ''What is that p as the
creaklng noise that they had heard grew
louder. Will, who had always been deli
cate, was a dependent, loving, sympa-
thizing boy, whose bravery was shown
In bearing, was accomplishing but
sympathetic. Sally. who had often kept
the house for weeks together when her
mother was i'll, and cooked her fathers
meals. and even done the washing, was
sturdy and little rough to others, but
to Win she was always tender. Now
| her heart ached for the lad she held In
her arms.
The little wooden clock on the mantle
shelf below struck two, and moment
after there was a great noise, as of some
thing tearing away-a Earring and jerk
ing; the house swayed to and fro, and
as II struck with something, went down
one side and up the other With a
| smothered exclamation, the children COW
cred up their heads and chung closer to
each other. A violent motion was fol-
lowed by calm. They looked up. There
was t. airing and pushing along the sides
OF the house. . violent thump, the win
| dowglass ratified as it broke and fell and
the opening was darkened by branches of
| trees. A moment more, and all was quiet
/ again. They were still. Presently Sally
stood up and said, I'VE are moving,
Will, the house is moving - she ran
to the front window and looked . out
They were ahoat on the broad Ohio
| Alone, without help, in this old house,
they were moving down the surging
| stream.
With wild scream Sally sprang across
| the floor and looked out at the back WIN
| dow. She saw the barn and the wood
house and the tops of the fences, with
the chickens roosting on them. Great
trees which had been uprooted, and in
whose branches wood and logs and other
debris had caught, were swaying where
the house had stood, apparently pinned
by something remaining there. Even as
she gazed the distance between them and
| these familiar objects increased, and she
knew they were on the broad, swift cur
| rent OF the river, helpless.
The boy saw the terror in her face,
and, clinging close to her, he looked up,
and said, softly, as big tear swelled
from under her lid and fell upon his up
turned cheek. Don't cry Sally God
will help us. - The girl always more
given to depend upon herself than to
herself by loud sobbing.
Awakened by the noise, the baby cried,
and had to be taken up and fed this
took the attention of the children for
some moments from themselves and their
situation, which they could not fully real.
Tize. The raft of trees and driftwood
coming against the old house already
swaying in the water, had forced it from
Its foundations and swept it out into the
open river, bearing it past the great trees
on the bank, the boughs of which had
broken the windows and tore eff some
of the weather boarding from the side.
Somewhat herself again, Sally laid the
baby down, aud, drawing VIII with her,
crept 10 the window. Crouching, they
looked out. Just then the piece of cam
| die Haired up, sank again in the socket,
Pickering, and went out ''It will soon
be morning" the boy said in answer to
Sally S clasp as they were left In the dark
ness.
Then the people will see us and
come and take US away, was the re-
ply.
The clock had just struck four. Kneel-
ing there, they passed villages and high
bluffs, and saw distant towns, all of which
seemed to be surmeged, for there were
E-hts cleaning from upper story win
dovs In the houses, and moving about
as though on the water. Dark objects
went swiftly by them, and every little
while the house would dip and rock, as a
log or tree or other weighty object struck
it.
Heavy as their hearts were, they smoke
to each other of the great flood and IL
kened themselves to Noah in the Ark.
They were IL the current and went swiftly
on. Five clock struck, then six; they
began to see objects distinctly in the
dawning light.
See - exclaimed VIII, ''there is
something on that bale of hay, and there
Is coop, full of chickens too p
Look at that settle and those chairs
and there is dog house turned INSIDE
down, and the poor dog is clinging to
the outside with his paws; he is chain
ed to It. Sally pointed toward, the
spot.
Hay, straw, articles of furniture bales
OF cotton, wood, and timber of all kinds,
strewed the face of the river.
oh j. The house careened as though
gong over, as some large object struck
against it, and the children were thrown
back upon the floor 1t righted again,
and tremblingly they continued to watch
the waters, their thoughts diverted from
themselves 10y what they saw.
There was strange noise at the back
window, scratching and clawing and
humping. They drew near to see what
1t was, and found that the cat, which had
piooaoiS peeu on the Sneu, that plank by
plank was falling away from the house.
had sought the refuge of the window still
without, where she was disturbed by the
old ram, also on the shed. and mak;ng
frantic efforts to reach the same position
with puss, as he felt his unsafe foothold
culver beneath him. As he bounded up.
or climbed aginst the house, striving to
make way with his horns, the cat would
draw back aad spit and hiss at him.
Amused despite themselves, the child
rem opened thu window and the cat
bounded In, while the old ram was left
to his fate.