The Bossier banner., 1877-08-09
Certainly, if YOU desire it.

visit the sluices again we were startled
by vivid flash of lightning, which had
hardly passed when the rocks rang out
with thousand thunder echoes, ar.
This was the signal. The windows of
heaven opened, and a perfect tleluge
descended upon the devoted valley.
The little brooks leaped up, and danced
down the, yMll-sides, in white array.
Tiny waterfalls swelled themselves into
cataracts, and foamed down to the
strealns. .aifL2iL yf5ugr-.5fs as.,-f,
But still the men worked hard amid
the gathering gloom and thunder by
lantern-light, and Nature rested not
that liVelong night. -' b'af5NI
But turned in'and got some sleep in
defiance of the elemental war without.
Atlfive o. clock in the morning, as the
gray light was. struggling into. life,
MeCausland came, fully dressed, into
my room. / started ups .gf1"wt,sF s.
g Dress yourself as quickly as you
can, and come down stairs" "lhe said. |
began to ask questions. = close, no time,
there's a good fellow; | want your
assistance. He left the room. 'ijoi
jumped up at once, hurried to the
window and looked out Day was just
breaking through the misty sky, and all
the world was raining.
Ever an anon Sharp snap denoted a
bough torn from its place and whirled to
the soaking earth.
dressed quickly and joined McCaus-
land in the little parlor He was study
ing private copy of the railroad time
tables, which as an official he always
carried.
"Will you take the horse and ride
down to oAmmering Junctionwith mes
sagepn
His collected manner assured me.
Was this ALP, A ride through the rain
| was not much ssOf course, will go
He grasped my hand firmly. - Are
you nervous?''' he said, as he held it in
his own steady grasp. : = T,l
Nonsense,n | replied, laughing !;
"I'll be ready in five minutes if it's I'M
\ portant. Is the horse here?" igsB@
ran up for my waterproofs. When
came down the horse was at the door,
and McCauslandl inspecting him. |
mounted. "Now,n | said, "for this
great message, if you please.n7 McCaus-
lands tone had something very solemn
in it, as he replied:
~ "Tell the station-master at Ammer-
ing Junction, and any people you see,
4 that the South Reservoir will not last
three hours. 1t will burst down, the
valley ,and will destroy the Apps Viaduct
and carry away the bridges on the
D Holmesdale Branch. Stop the traffic
and save the passengers. God bless you
| do fCY II fa /
fire the signal cannon as warning
Goodbye" ''.'- l' = =
Ammering Junction was some miles
away. My route lay. through an un
J known country, across moorland inter
sected by flooded streams and swept by
, the fierce wind and rain.
| must do it, thought, as my hors'
picked his cautious way amid the, loos
: stones down the steep by-road we hat
: assembled the previous day. | shoul'
7 need all my strength, though, to exc
| cute my task, SO Ipressed on A Avalaa
e BILE. slice out, of my time had been ex
e pended when l reached the broad high
: way and urged myshorse to speed.
had to turn off again, | knew, but
/ fanciedi 7 should easily find the path
Besides, was there not ii sign -pest?o9
/ l Ireached the turning and pulled u
to read the direction / shonld take.
nearly tainted, with horror as / read
The fatal finger pointed up the cross
: road l was purs,Iing TO Holmesdal
and Seaham. The opposite indie
V pointed. TO Ruddall and Ammering.
could eareeicredit my senses aSurely
?. Twas right. We had come up. tn
d previous day, and up the hill to tn
reservoirs. I~had merely to reverse th
l. route we had travelled. This was Il tel
e rible mistake. It was now past 81
: o'clock. One of the three precious honl
had elapsed, and | was further fro,
It Ayumering than when I started. Wa
| seized with despair; 4whateyer could
O do now? Two hours remained; and
l. had three uphill milestosride, and the
e about seven more across the moor b'
fore I could reach the junction, and b
/, fore that the trains might have started
s II burst out into D cold perspiration
d the, thought, and then desperate, an
n only half conscious, I rode msdly bae
y to the Ammering road, and up the hi
g again r ID. s..,---r,,.. o1r k.gs.,,.r.,
The SUBMITS of the neighboring hil
r. were shrouded in a veil OF mist, but I;
d in advance, on the level, could tra(
ieF the railroad line From the elevate
d at which l stood, nTs could, trace Il
channel of the, Apps River down tt
II valley, and could guess the spot
which the flood would strike the raj
% road, and the branch line over the spl
of the Hill. / could just distinguish Il
/ Junction in the middle distance.
-. AL 49, ,,,,,oa,oJ 10 ba ,.iSinU fro