The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-05-04

very commissioning place, but tn
( children were delighted with it.
The long ride had given them all
good appetite. A rough table was mad,
( out of some boards laid across a coupl,
Of stumps, and the contents of the Bis
basket were soon placed upon it. Luncl
| finished, the farmer and his son begal
their investigations, while Mrs. Allei
and the children wandered about looking
for arbutus and gathering pine-cones
There was more to be looked aftel
about the mill that was expected, anC
it was two O'Clock before the job was
finished.
So busy had they all been that The
gradual clouding up of the sky had no
been noticed, and it was not until the
sudden pattering of rain began upor
the leaves that the little party began tC
look about them.
Its nothing but an April shower >
said Tom. " We shall have to get un.
der the shelter of the mill till it passes
over"
"Don't you believe it," returned the
farmer. " We've had rain hanging
round for week past, and we've gol
it now, sure enough. Do the best we
can, we shall be drenched. You run
on ahead, Tom, and put the horses in,
so as to be ready by the time we get
there. Wen be right after you"
0bedient to his fathers advice, Tom
hurried rapidly along the path leading
to the spot where the team had been
left, while the remainder of the party
followed after as fast as they could.
The place was reached at last. The
wagon was there, the two brides lay
Just where they were thrown, but the
horses were gone.
For moment the farmer stood dumb
founded. Then he began to examine
their tracks.
ats plain enough" at last he hur-
riedly said. "They've slipped the halt
er and have started back home. You'll
have to see il you can overtake 'em,
Tom. I'll take your mother and the
children back to the mill. The wind is
rising and it is setting in for cold, raw
storm"
The rain came faster and faster, and
by the time they had regained the shell
ter of the mill they were thoroughly wet
through. A fire was soon kindled in
the little cracked stove used by the
shingle-makers the winter before, and
the time spent in waiting for Toms re-
turn was employed in drying their
clothes.
An hour passed away. The storm
grew more and more furious. The rain
poured down in torrents, and the great
tops of the pine trees bent and writhed
in the terrible gusts, which became
more and more frequent. The river,
always rapid and strong, was now 2
fierce, turbulent stream, whose middle
current nothing could cross in safety.
At last Tom burst into the mill.
"It's of no use," he exclaimed.
L" We've got to stay here or swim home.
/ went clear to the main road, more
than five miles from here, and found
that the horses have turned the wrong
way, instead of going home. If they
had gone straight back, the men would
have known that something had hap.
pened and come for us; but there's no
chance for that now"
At this Harry and Jack begun to
cry, and even Mrs. Allen looked dis
mayed.
4" Staying here tonight is out of the
question" :" said Mr. Allen. "We must
Get home somehow. We haven't a
morsel to eat and every hour we stay
makes it worse. We're in for a long
storm and the road half the way from
here to the turnpike will be under water
within twelve hours"
"What shall we do, then?" asked
Tom, who was holding his dripping
coat before the blaze.
Mr.. Allen shook his head.
"If it was fair weather should know
what to do quick enough; and l don't
know but we shall be obliged to come
to it any way"
"Why, what do you mean, Fatherf''
inquired Mrs. Allen, anxiously.
He pointed to the river.
Z" should take the shingle-raft lying
there by the landing. 1t is staunch and
strong and just as safe as any boat that
ever floated on the st. Johns River y
Mrs. Allen had all woman's dread
of the water and her heart sank at once.
But the idea of being compelled to re-
main for two or three days in that DESC
late spot, without food or a chance to
sleep, was more dreadful yet, and she
felt almost like urging her husband to
carry out the desperate idea he had an
noVnced.
"We've got to decide upon something
very quick" continued the farmer.
9TH be dark in an hour and then we
shall have, no choice"
He went to the window and looked
out for a moment at the river. Then he
came back to the stove.
"It storms fearfully; but then we're
pretty nigh as wet as we can be now.
believe we can keep in-shore without
much trouble, and at the rate the stream
is running now we should reach Wood
stock in less than an hour. I've done
it in worse weather than this"
al shouldn't be afraid myself" said
Tom; "but then there's Mother and the
children to think of. -
I'm not afraid, Tom," said Mrs.
Allen. "And even if | were, | believe
it's the only thing we can do"
"We'l try it, then," said Mr.. Allen,
decidedly. "Come, Tom, we've no
time TO lose. See if there is rope
enough in the corner there for coil to
throw ashore when we get to the land
ing at Woodstock, and put the paddles
aboard. Let me take the baby, Moth
er. Now, boys, jump on. There's
room enough for regiment. You'll
have to make up your minds to stand a
good deal of water the next hour. Push
her off,"
The raft swung slowly round from its
fastenings, and in another minute struck
the shore current, which, though less
swift than that in the middle of the riv-
er, was yet so strong as to make safe
navigation a difficult task. The rain
came with such binding force that it
was almost impossible to see the shore,
and the increasing dusk threatened to
grow into total darkness be.o the end
of their perilous journey was reached.
It was barely three quarters of an
hour from the time they left their start
ing-point when the raft touched the
landing-place at Woodstock, and Tom,
rope in hand, jumped on shore, to throw
the loop over the post which had al