Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1878-05-30

| TO his surprise, the men listened
to him. whats yer idee, John
ny p VFrU ~
"The horse can help h imself bet
ter than all of you can drag him,
only give hi u a solid footing"
In five minutes the poor beast had
struggled out, with the help of two
or three phnks. S@ G
| He linped as he was led of. No
body noticed this but John.
stop moment" he cried, and
lifting the horses foot, he picked out
a Stone from it with little tool
which he took from bis pocket for
Johns pocket was filed with little
tools and queer tiny mechanical
cUntriyanceS.
@"Who made them, John ?" said
his teacher.
or did, SIR" = looking stupid
again.
| The next day, about dusk, Mr..
n :gle was in the ferry-boat which
crossed the river at that point. -Sev-
ei al of his pupils We're, on board,
coming back from match of base
bah among them Clarence and
John.
= When half way across the river,
there was alord explosion, aud lur.
Nagle found himself clinging to the
deck rail his legs in the water.
The boiler had burst with such
force thatth boat was shattered.
A portion of the deck had parted
from the hulk as. the latter sank to
the bottom of the river. There was
a frantic struggle for life. Then
the portion of the wreck he Was on
floated down stream.
About a dozen passengers Of the
crew clung to it. The night fell
fast. The shore was but a rast-re-
ceding dark line, with red twinkling
lights.
Upon the shattered deck cabin
hung single life-preserver. John
saw il, climbed ike a cat to where
it was, and brought it down.
"Give me that 2" sNrieked Clar-
ence- "Oh, give tito mel can't
swim r"t ....t e-...-.
''It'sfor this woman"
There was but one woman among |
them, and she was old and lame. /
'Give it to me, I say ? Help, help! |
We're drOwing - 4
He seized the life -preserver. John |
quietly took it from him, and but
toned it about tie o2d womau'S !
waist. 20 Sc 88#s=
Then Ire began to- drag out one
or two benches amt boxes that were !
in the cabin. Il
DIR. Nagle noticed how cool and
alert the boy was, in spite of his
deadly paleness aud trembling. --
1--WE had better tie ourselves to
these" he sai6. "This deck is so.
shattered it will go to pieces before
they see us from shore"
i Nr. Nagle, without word, fol-.
lowed his ADVICE. John was Lat.
mist and no poet, but Ire had one
quality which made him leader just
then. s-s....
A few moments later, the deck
broke up, and Mr. Nagle found him
self in the rushing current, but was
picked up by one of the boats which
we're out in search of the victims.
The banks were lined with pale,
terrified faces. As lie was lifted on
shore, he saw boy dragged out of
the water, and poor little woman
in black fly to him with wild cry.
"I'm all-ali right, mother" gas
ped John ; and then he cried on her
breast like the child that he was.
81 thought I'd never see you
again !" he sobbed.
Now there Lad been stranger on
board "a queer, wizened little man
with a foxy wig. This man, who
was among the saved, took up his
quarters at the village inn, and pre-
sently there arrived by express "a
mysterious engine or pump, directed
to him, which was placed III the
hallway Of the inn. "a.
1t seemed to have q, curious fas-
for JOHN. He spent half
bis leisure time pouring over it.
measuring the tubes with his inch
rule.
In front of the case there was a
square of plate-glass. Now it hap
pened that one day, while John was
his mird by a game of ball
in the street, he threw the ball
plump into this costly bit of glass.
The other boys ran, and John ran
too,-but only few steps. Then
he went to his saviugs-bank, and /
look out the money which was
meant for Christmas. He present
ri himself before the old man, who
was looking at his shattered glass
and taking snuff violently. !