Richland beacon., 1878-09-28


been skeerce lately, and what there
was bal all been used for cleaning
the gold.
sot on q bit of rock. wringing that
water out Of my hair-leastwise. no, it
was some one else like who sot there,
chaps kncwed, you see-and there
was the water rushing down twenty
or thirty feet deep, With everything
swept before it-mrles, and tents. and
shanties, and stores, and dead bodies
by the dozen.
"Unlucky for tbem," / says; and
Just then 1 hears q wild sorter shrek,
and. looking down, see chap half
swimming. half-s&ept along by the
torrent, trying hard to get at a tree
that stood t'Other side.
"Wbs, it's you. is it, Hez?' SAYS
to myself, as i looked at bis wild eyes
aud strained face, on which the SUI
sbone full. You're a gone coon.
Hez, lad so you may just as well
fold yer arms, say amen, and 60 down
like q man. How l could put yOn
now, lad, if Id got a sbooting.iron ;
put you out o misery like. You'll!
drown, lad"
He made q dash, and tried for a
branch hanging down, but missed it
and got swept against the rocks,
where lie showed his arm between two
big bits; but the water gave him a
wrench, the bone went crack, aud As
| sat still there l see him swept dowo
lower and lower till he clutched at n
bush with bis len hand, and hung on
like grim death to dead niger.
"Sarve you right" says, cooily.
"Why shouldn't you die like The
rest? I'D he'd any 60 in me should
have plugged you long ago"
"Holloa! !" l cried then, giving a
start. ut ain't-'tis-taruation Ii
can't be!'
But it was
There, on t'other side. fifty yards
lower down, on bit of shelf o
earth that kept crumbling away as the
water washed it, was Jael. kneelina
down with her young 'un and. as
looked. something seemed to give my
heart a jigg, just as If some coon hat
pulled string.
well, he's bout gone" says
"and they can't hold out three min
utes then they'll all drown together
and she can take old Hez his las
baby to nuss. cuss 'em! I'm saf'
enough, What's it got to do with me
| shan't move"
/ took out my wet cake of 'batca
and whitfield off bit, showed it 10 m.
cheek. shut my kDife with click. ant
sot thar wa,chin' of 'em-:ather an,
mother and BARN.
You've been happy, you have"
says, out loud not as they coult
hear it, for the noise of the waters
Now you'll he sorry for other people
Drown, darn yer! stock and lock au'
barrel: I'm safe"
Just then. as l sot and cbawed, tel
ling myself as a chap would be ma
to try and save bis friends out of sue
a food, let alone bis enemies, darn M
if Jael did't put that there it'll
squeaier's handa together. and hol
them up, as If she was making it sa.
II. prayers-a born fool when tina
. thar string seemed to be pulled insid
me like. agin my heart F; and. couldn
| help it, jumped up.
"say, Dab" ! says to myself. don
you be fool. You hate that lot lik
| pyson, you do. Don't you 50 an
, drown yourself"
was bout mad, you know, an
couldn't do as liked. for, if ] didn
, begin to rip off my things. wet au
hanging TO me. Cuss me how the
, did stick but cleared half on 'e'
= of. and then. like a mad fool, | mad
3 a run aud a jump, and was 6ghtin
8 hard with the water to get across
;, Hez's wife and child.
. 1t was bit of 6ght. Down
a went and up I went, aud the wstt
;. twisted me like leaf; but got OF
!, of the roar and thunder. on to the b
e of q shelf where Jael kuelt ; when,
Il the silly thing didn't begin to hold u
TO me fer child. and her lips, poor da
= ling, said, dumbly, Save i, OBJ. sa'
(, it!"
o In the midst of that rush and roa
p as I saw tba, poor gal, white, bor1
e Ged, and With ber yallcr hair clingir
d round her. all my old love for b
3, comes back, and l swore big GA
d I'd save her for myself or die.
e I tore her dress into ribbons.
4. there warn't q moment to lose, aud
IN bound that bairn somehow on to q
10 shoulders, she watching me the wb
t, and then, With my heart beating ma
m ", I caught bef fn NY arms. she cliu
I'd log tightly to me in her fear. and
. stood up. thinking how / could {
e. back, and make ready to leap.
pit The food hadn't waited for Ii
thought. In q moment there was
q quiver of the bank, and it went frt
ne t-7a-!' - :. y - -" 49,
J. -