The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-09-16

fire. So, wrapped in cOmIorters, the
- held each other close, not daring to go I
" bed. They crouched near one of the wiz
lows of which there were two in the LOT
one looking back on the hills, the Othe
in front on the river. .'.l
;. Their father did not come
i II was not dark night, and they coul
:, see that the waters spread over the mead
: Ows almost To the hills The barns an
. all the outhOuses stood surrounded. The
i could hear the geese gable in alarm, AM
the ducks quaCk, for they had been drive
- from their shelter,
! II was strange sight, and one well cal
culated TO fill them with fears, The!
spoke little as they sat Rugged together
except TO say "What Is that?" rs tn
, crcaking noise they had heard grew loud
or, Will, who had always been delicate
was dependent, loving, sympathizinl
boy, whose bravery was shown in bearing
he was accomplishing, but sympathetic
Sally, who had often kept the house fol
weeks together when her mother was III
and cooked her'iathcr's meals, and eveI
done the washing, was sturdy, and n littll
rough to others, but To Will she was al
ways tender, Now her heart aChed fol
the lad she held in her arms. H
} The little wooden clock on the mantle,
shelfstruck twoIand q moment after there
was great noise, as Of something tearing
awaV-a jArring and a jerking; the house
swayed to and fro, and, as ifstruck with
something, went down one side and up
the other With smoLhGrel cxGlama.
ton, the children covered up their heads
and chung closer To each other. A viO-
lent motion was followed by calm.
They looked up, There was q tearing
and pushing along the sides of tho house,
u violent tIump, the windOw.glAss ratified
as II broke and fell, and the opening was
darkenGd by branches Of trees. A mo.
mGnt more, and oil was quiet again.
They were still. Presently Sally stood up
and said, "Wo arc moving, Will; the
house Is moving y She ran To the front
window and looked ont. They were
atloat on the broad Ohio. Alone, with.
out help, in this old house, they were
moving down the surging stream. II
With wild scream Sally sprang across
the floor, and looked out at tho back win.
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 upFOOted, and in whose
branches logs and other debris lad caught,
wcTe swOying where thOhouse had stood,
apparently pinned by something remain.
ing there. Even rs she gaZed, the distance
between them and these familiar objects
increased, and she knew they were OnthG
broad swift current Of the river, helpless.
The boy saw the terror in her face, and,
Cllnging close to her, lie looked up, and
said, softly as big tear swelled from un.
der her I'D, and lUll upon his upturned
cheek, Don't cry, Sally God will help
u.s." Thcgirl, always more given to dc.
pend on herself than to seek higher aid,
clasped him, and relieved herself by n
loud burst Of sOBbing.
Awakened by noise, tho baby cried
and had to BIO taken up and fed; this
took the attention Of tho. children for
some moments from themselves and their
situation, which they could not fully real
izc. The raIt of trees md driftwood
coming against the old house, already
swAying in the water, had forced 1t from
Its foundations and swept 1t ont into the
open river bearing 1t past the great trees
on the bank, the boughs Of which had
broken the windows, and torn off some Of
the weather. boarding from the side.
Somewhat herself again, Sally laid the
baby down, and, drawing Will with her,
crcpt 10 The window, CrOuching, they
looked out. Just then the piece of candle |
hared up, sank again in the socket, flick.
cred and went out at will soon be
morning." tho boy said, in answer to Sal
ly's clasp, as they wero left In darkness.
"rhGn tho people will SEQ lis, and come
and take us away" was the reply.
The clock had struck four. KneGllng
there, they passed villages and high
blulls, 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 wafer. Dark objects went swiftly
by them, and every little while the house |
would dip and rock, as u log, or tree, or
other weighty object struck II.
Heavy rs their hearts were, they spoke |
TO each other OF the great flood, and lik-
enCd themselves TO Noah In the Ark.
They were IN the current, and went
swiftly on. Five o'clock struck, then six;
they began 10 see objects distinctly in the
dawning light. %. 5anI
"Sce" exclaimed VIII, there Is some.
thing on that bale Of hay, and there Is u
coop full Of chickens, toOw tlaW
"Look ut that sctte0 and those chairs
and there Is dog.house turned upside
down, and the poor dog Is Clinging 10 the
outside with his paws; he Is chained to
it, Sally pointed toward the spot.
Hay, straw, articles of furniture, bales
ofcoLlon, wood, and timber of all kinds,
strewcd the face Of the river. 4rt |
"OhW The house carcenCd as though |
going over, as some lalge object struck
against 1t, and the children were thrown
back upon the floor. II righted again,
and tremblingly they continued 10 watch |
tic winters, their thoughts diverted from
themselves by what they saw. "a
There was strange noise at the baCk |
window, scratching and clawing and
humping. They drew near to sec what
II was, and found that the cat, which had |
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 the
oldrain, also on the shed, and making
frantic efforts 10 reach the Same position
with puss, rs he felt his unsafe i0Oth0ld |
quivcr beneath him. Asle bounded up,
or climbed against the house, striving to
make his way with his horns, tho cat |
would draw back and spit and hiss nj |
him. Amused despite themselves, the |
children opened the window and the cat
bounded in, while the oil ram was left to
his fate.
With the light, all sally's resolutions
and energy came back TO her. .u
They passed towns and Villages. She
knew they must be nearing Cincinnati, of