Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-09-14

aSse T. exclaimed VIII, "there is some
thing on that bale of hay, and there is
coop. full of chickens tool
Look at that settle and those chairs
and their Ia dog house turned upside
down. and the poor dog is clinging to the
outside with his paws; he Is chaiIea to H.
Sally poiuted towards the spot.
Hay. straw, articles Of furniture. bales
of cotton. wood, ard timber Of all KINDS,
strewed the face Of the river.
"Ohfp The house careened as though
going oyer. az some large object struck
AGAINST il. and the children were thrown
back upon the floor. 1t righted again, and
tremhlinply they continued TO watch the
waters. their thoughts diverted from them
selves from what they saw.
There was q strange noise at the back
window, q scratching and clawing snd
humping. They drew near to see VIVA,
ii was, and found that the cat, which had
probably been on the shed, that plank Dy
plank was falling away from the house,
had sought the refuge of the window-slll
without, where she was disturbed by the
old ram, also on the shed, and making
frantic efforts TO reach the same position
with puss, as he felt bis unsafe foothold
culver beneath him. AS he bounded up,
or climbed against the house, striving to
make away with his horns, the cat 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 the light, all Sallys resolution and
energy came back to her.
They passed towns and villages. She
knew they must be nearing Cincinnati OF
which she had heard, and there, she had
q vague idea, they would be rescued.
Taking the sheets of the bed. she fast.
tened them 10 couple Of Stats from the
beadstead, and put them out Of the win
dow, as she had seen persons do on the
river. bank when they wished to attract
attention and get steamboat TO stop.
After several attempts she succeeded IN
mailing the Stats TO the window sill.
Statfoning Will at one window, she
placed herself at the other, her heart PAL
plating with expectation.
The sun had now been up some time !;
she had q clear view Of the scene, and be-
gan TO realize the danger and TO shudder
at every creak Of the timbers Of the house
They passed a solitary dwelling half
immersed, then several, then town with
steamboats, at the landing, and skiffs aud
dugouls padding through the streets
They were sure that the men in them saw
the house--they pointed to it, and they
were talking of it.; but still no help.
On they went. The waters were more
turbulent, the surface Of the stream more
thickly studded with floating articles.
Now 1t spread out 30 wide it seemed
boundless, and again 1t would contract,
and on the high ground would be dwell
ings not yet reached by the the flood.
An hour passed. Sally was almost
frantic, and began to despair. Several
times she had seen people make signals to
them, but none came 10 help. The baby
fretted and cried, and viii took it up and
soothed and gave it milk.
EAT a bit,-Will, eat bit" said Sally,
who was herself almost exhausted through
want Of sleep and excitement. The lad
only shook his head and looked up. There
was an expression in his face beautiful TO
SET
1--WE are coming to town. This must
be Cincinnati See the houses!"
Sally leaned out Of the window and
wildly waved something she had snatched
up, raising her voice at the same time and
shrieking for aid.
"Put the baby down. viii, and come
and wave and holler," she said, looking in
at him, and viii obeyed.
"They see us! Why don't they help
usY" she exclaimed in wild excitement.
at is CINCINNATI Why don't they
come? See the boats!" She came
near falling out Of the window.
They passed the suburbs; people saw, and
shouted to them, but seemed TO have no
power to reach them They were coming
in front of the city, the lower part Of
which, with Covington and Newport lay
in the water The steamboats, appeared
to be away up in the town, and many
skiffs and other little crafts were plying
upon the river.
Now they were indeed seen, and their
shouts were answered, but the skiffs could
not get near them. The current Of the
river was strong. and there were too many
large objects on its surface Encouraged
by knowledged that they were seen, the
children increased their exertions Sally
brought the baby from the bed and held
il up. Presently large boat, which was
manned by men who were at work trying
to save some of the lumber of saw mill,
shot out and came towards them. Slowly
and steadily it moved in and out, avoiding
or pushing off the driftwood and other
articles floating by.
People who had been obliged TO retreat
to the second story Of their dwelling put
their heads out at the windows to see the
strange sight-a house afoat--and waved
and shouted and threw up their hands
when they saw that it had inmates, and
those inmates were children. Meantime
the house was floating on and the boat was
nearing it, A few lengths and 1t would be
at its side. Just then huge saw.log,
which had been lying ike great whale
on the surface Of the water, was struck by
something, and, changing its course,
dashed into the side OF the dwelling. A
startled shrek was given by the lockers
on, as, thrown down by the conclusion,
the children disappeared, and the water
dashed over the parted timbers.
While the frame turned and whirled in
the eddy, the log moved on Taking adj
vantage of the clearer space, the boat
gained by few clever strokes the side of
the ruin; then, while one of the crew sue
ceeded in making it fast, another climbed
to the window, where the children had
again appeared, aud lifted them out. A
moment more and the house fell over on
its side.
II thought God would take care of u.s."
whispered Will TO Sally, Is they we're