Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1871-09-14
VOLUME ~.

hr, ad and a crock nf milk tor the baby.
They then took refuge there themselves.
While thvy were thus engaged they
frequently f,lt the house Quivtr.
1t was cold. They had Il light, but no
fire 81, wrapped in cnmfurters, they
held each Other close, not daring to go to
bld. They Gro ched near one of the win
,ows, of which there were twoin the loft,
one looking b,ck ON the hills, the otner in
front on the river.
Their father did not come.
1t was not d.rk nignt, and they could
see that the water spread over the
meadows almost to the hills. The bar s
AMI all the mt hnns s stood surrounded.
, they could hear the geese gahble i'll alarm,
and the 'iu>ss Quack, !or they had been
uliven from ill., ii shelter.
! II WAS strange si.ht, ard orc well cal
culs:cd to fill them with lars. Ihe1
; spoke little a. th''T sat Rugged together,
except to Say, "What is that" as the
. creaking noise they hal heard grew lou'l-
~. " ill., who hHd always hc delicate
| was dependent. loving, sympathlZng
! coy, whose bravery was shown in bear
i ins-h" was accomplishing but sympathe t.
| ic Sally, who had often kept the house
for weeks together when her mother was
| Ill, anu 60 IkCU uCE lttlilSi Jut tlS, uAO
even doie the washing, was sturdy, and q
little rough to others, but to =" Ill she was
always tcns,er Now her heart ached for
the lau she hrll in her arms
The little wooden clock on the mantcl-
self b.. low struck two, and moment af5tl
there was great noise, as Of something
t"aring away-a jlrring and jerk
ing; the hous, swayed to and
fro, and, as ii struck with some,
thing, went down on, side, and up the
other. With a smothered exclamation
the children covered up their heads and
clung closer to each other. A violent
motion was followed by calm. They
looked up. There was tearing and
pushing along the sides of the house, a
! violent thump, the win low glass ratified as
vt broke and fell, and the opening was
! darkcned by Branches of trees. A moment
more, aud all was quiet again. They were
still Presently Sally stood up and SAID,
I'VE are moving, Will the house is NOV
ing!" She ran to the front window and
looked out. They were atloat on the
broad Ohio. Alone, without help, in this
old house, they were moving down the
surginy stream
With wild scream Sally sprang across
the floor, and looked out at the back win
dow. Sn" saw the barn and the wood.
house and the tops Of the fences, with
chickens roosting on them. Great trees
which had been uprooted, and in whose
branches wood and logs and other debris
had caught were aying where the house
had stood. apparently pinned by some
/ thing remaining there. Eg'n as she gazed,
the distance between them and tn, se fa-
miliar objects increased, and she knew they
80 <lo
river, helpless.
The boy saw the terror in her face, and,
clinging close to her, he looked up and
saius softly, as a Dig tear swelled from
under her lid and fell upon his upturned
cheek, Don't cry, Sally; God will help
U.s." The girl, Always more given to de.
pend upon herself than to seek higher aid,
clasped him, and relieved herself by a
loud burst of sobbing.
Awakened by the noise, the baby cried,
and had to be taken up and ttd; this took
the attention of the children for some
moments from themselves and their siua
zion, which they could not fully realize
The raft Oi trees and driftWOOd coming
against the old house, already sWaying in
the water, had forced it from its founda-
tons and swept it out into the open liver,
bearing it past the great trees on the bank,
the !oughs of which had broken the win
dows and tore off some Of the weather
boarding from tn side.
Somewhat herself again, Sally laid the
baby down, and, drawing Will with her,
crept to the window. Crouching, they
looked out Just then the piece Of candle
hared up sank again in the socket, flick
cred and went out. "lt will soon be
morning. tie boy said, in answer to Sal
lys clasp as they were left in darkness
Then the people will see US and come
and take us away" was her reply.
The clock hal struck four Kueeling
there, they passed villages and high Bluffs,
and saw distant towns, all Of which
seemed submerged, for there were lishls
cleaning from upper story windows in the
the water Dark objects went swiftly by
them, aud every li''lc while tho house
would dip and rock, as o log or tree or
other weighty object struck it.
Heavy a> their hearts were. they spoke
to each other OF the great flood and
tikcned themselves TO Noah in tho AK.
They were in the current and went swiftly
on. Five O'Clock struck, then six; they
began to see objects distinctly in the
dawning light.
"See !" exclaimed Will, "thcre is some
thing on that bale Of hay, and there is =
coop full of chickens too!'
Look ut that settle and those chairs
and their is dog house turned upside
down, and the poor dog is clinging to the
outside with his paws; he is cbaineutO it.
5 'llY pointed towards, the SPOT.
Hay, straw, articles cf furniture, bales
of CO tton, wood, aid timber of all kinds,
streWed the face of the river.
"Oh" The house careened ss though
going over, as some large object struck
against it, and the children were thrown
back upon the floor. 1t righted again. and
tremblinrlv thy continued to watch the
waters, their thoughts diverted from them
sclv,s from what they saw.
There was q strange noise at the back
window, scratching and clawing and
humping. They drew near to see what
it was, q, d found that the cat, which had
probably been on the shed, that plank by
plark was f.l|ing away from the house,
had sought the refuge Of the window sill
wi hout, where she was disturbed by the
old ram, also on the shed, and making
frantic efforts to reach the same position
With pnsa, as he felt his unsafe fOothOld
culver ben. ath him AS he bounded up
"r eli nbi Il uCni,lst the house, striving to
make away with bis horns, the CIT would
draw back and spit and hiss at him.
Amused despite themselves, the children
opened the window and the cat bounded
in, while the old ram was left to his fate
With tie light, all Sally's resolution and
energy came back to her.
They passed towns and villages. She
knew they must be nearing Cincinnati, Of
which she had hcar.i, HnN there, she had
a vague idea, they would be rescued
Taking the sheets off the bed, she fast
tened them to couple of Stats from the
beadstead, and put them out of the win
dow, as she had seen persons do on the
river bnnk " hen they wished to attract
att ntion and get q steamboat to stop
Alter several att mpta sh, succeeded in
mailing the Stats to the window sill.
S'aioning viii at one window, che
placed herself at the other, her heart pal.
plating with expectation.
The sun had now been up some time ;
she had clear view Of the SCI ne, and be-.
gan to rtaliZe the danger and to shudder
at e7 ry cr,ak of the timbrrs Of the house
They pissed solitary dwelling half
immersed, then several, then town with
steamboats, at the landing, and skilfs and
dugOu padding through the streets
They were sure that the men in them saw
the hOusc-thry pointed to it, and they
were talking ni it; hut still no hrlo.
On they went. The waters were more
t trbulent, the surface Of the stream more
'hickly studded with floating articles.
Now it spread out so wide it seemed