Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-09-07

| 1ner tatner did not come.
1t was not a dark night, and they could
see that the water spread over the
meadows 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
driven from their shelter.
| 1t was strange sight, and one well cal
culated to fill them with fears. They
spoke little as they sat hugged together,
except to say, "What is that?" rs the
creaking noise they had heard grew loud
er. Viii, who had always been delicate,
was dependent, loving, sympathizng
boy, whose bravery was shown in bear
ing-he was accomplishing but sympathet-
| ic Sally, who bad 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 Will she was
always tender. Now her heart ached for
the lad she held in her arms.
The little wooden clock on the mantel--
shelf below struck two, and a moment after
there was great noise, as of something
tearing sway-a jarring and jerk,
! ing; the housa swayed to and
fro, and, as if struck with some
thing, went down one side, and up the
other. With q smothered exclamation,
l>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 window glass 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,
"We are moving, Will the house is NOV
ing!" She ran to the front window and
looked out. They were afleat on the
broad Ohio Alone, without help, in this
old house, they were moving down the
surging Stream. W. snrane across
Uis2 2 wlla scream sa,As win
the floor, and looked out st the Pas. .
! dow. She 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 swaying where the house
had stood, apparently pinned by some
thing remaining there. Even as she gazed,
| the distance between them and these ia
miliaf objects increased, and she knew they
were on the broad, swift current of the
river, helpless.
The boy saw the terror in her face, and,
ClOSC W HC 1OOhCo up anu
said, softly, as a big 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
loud burst of 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 situa-
ton, which they could not fully realize.
| The raft of trees and driftwOod coming
against the old house, already swaying in
the water, had forced it from its founda-
tions and swept it out into the open river,
bearing it past the great trees on the bank,
the boughs of which had broken the win
dows and tore off some of the weather
boarding from the side.
| Somewhat herself again, Sally laid the
baby down, and, drawing viii with her,
crept to the window. Crouching, they
looked out. Just then the piece of candle
fared up, sank again in the socket, flick
| cred and went out. cit will soon be
| morning" tie boy said, in answer to Sal
1y's clasp as they were left in darkness.
"Then the people will see us and come
and take US away" was her reply:
The clock had struck four. Kneeling
|
and saw distant towns, all of which
seemed submerged, for there were lights
cleaning from upper story windows 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 log or tree or
other weighty object struck it.
Heavy as their hearts were. they spoke
to each other Of the great flood and
likened themselves to Noah in the Ark.
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, "there is some
thing on that bale of hay, and there is a
coop, full of chickens too"
"Look at 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 chained to it. u
Sally pointed towards the spot.
HAY, straw, articles of furniture, bales
of cotton, wood, and timber of all kinds,
strewed the face of the river.
"Oh!" The house careened as though
going 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
, | WAtGIS, tQ6lT GuUuSutS 1tNi 11O-A l41Shi
selves from what they saw.
There was a strange noise at the back
, window, a scratching and clawing anC
, humping. They drew near to see what
it was, and found that the cat, which hac
probably been on the shed, that plank by
: plank was falling away from the house
had sought the refuge of the window sill
without, where she was disturbed by tht
I old ram, also on the shed, and making
y frantic efforts to reach the same position
WITH puss, as he felt his unsafe footholt
. culver beneath him. AS he bounded up
or climbed against the house, striving t.
: make away with his horns, the cat woult
9 draw back and spit and hiss at him
$ Amused despite themselves, the children
opened the window and the cat boundet
s in, while the old ram was left to his fate
!, With the light, all Sally's resolution ant
energy came back to her.
They passed towns and villages. Sh
e knew they must be nearing Cincinnati, @
e which she had heard, and there, she ha
y a vague idea, they would be rescued.
K Taking the sheets off the bed. she fas
}! tened them to a couple of Stats from tn
n beadstead, and put them out of the wiz
3S ! dow, as she had seen persons do on til
l. river-bank when they wished to attrat
s. attention and get a steamboat to sto1
N | A1lcr several aLbSIuptS Sue SUCCtoueu ]
III mailing the Stats to the window-sill.
VI Stationing Will at one window, 81
9 placed herself at the other, her heart pa
VI plating with expectation.
:, The sun had now been up some tim
Ill she had clear view of the scene, and b
gan to realize the danger and to shudd
D. at every creak of the timbers of the hous
q, They passed solitary dwelling ha
ne immersed, then several, then town wi
e steamboats, at the landing, and skiffs al
us dugouts padding through the stree
They were sure that the men in them SO
is the house-they pointed to it., and tn
ne were talking of it; but still no help.
On they went. The waters were mo
Sc. turbulent, the surface of the stream mo
lly thickly studded with floating articl
ed Now it spread out so wide it seem
Ill boundless, and again it would contra
and on the high ground would be DIVE
ne ings not yet reached by the the flood.