Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-03-05

Yes-apd I sat down and wrote reply,
saving that would take the case. But
1 did not mail it at once. That night
put it under my pillow and slept over
it. and on the following morning l
threw it into the fire. 1 would not
make up my mind until | had seen other
parties-until l had been on the
grounds. And l wrote to Leban Sar-
furt to wait.
Two weeks later I harnessed my
horse to the wagon, and with my wife
and child started for Shireton. I had
been married two years, and our little
babe, a girl, was Just year old, our
pride, our pet, and our darling. Shire
ton was distance of about thirty miles.
We had been having rainy weather for
about week or so, and it had now
cleared off bright and beautiful. We
stopped and took dinner at a wayside
inn, four miles beyond which was a
stream which must be forded. The
innkeeper told me that the stream was
somewhat swollen from the late rains,
but that if my horse was trusty there
could he no danger.
Arrived at the stream. the Wampa-
tuck river, found the water indeed
risen and the current strong, but l saw
that others had recently gone over, and
l resolved to venture. knew my horse
and had faith in him. My wife was
anxious, but she trusted my judgment.
A third of the way across the water was
over the hub of the wheels. A little
more and it would have reached the
body of the wagon. I began to be
alarmed 1 feared had left the true
track. Presently my horse stumbled
and staggered, having evidently stepped
on moving stone. The wagon swayed
and tipped, and the flood poured in
upon US. My wife slipped, and in
moment more we were in the water.
With one hand grasped the harness
upon the horse, aud with the other l
held my wife. l was thus struggling
when a wild cry from her lips startled
the air. Our child was washed away.
80 my soul I cannot tell you what
1 suffered during those moments. 1
could not help our darling. If 1 left
my wife she was lost. chung to my
horse and chung to my shrieking wife
shrieking to God for mercy to her child.
In the distance, upon the bosom of the
surging flood, 1 could see our little
one, her white dress cleaning in the
sun, being borne swiftly away. A mo-
ment more, and l saw man plunge
from the bank into the river. saw
this much, and then an intervening
point of land shut out the scene. The
horse was now rapidly nearing the
shore, and ere long my wife and were
on dry land with the horse and wagon.
As soon as was sure my wife was safe,
left her to care for the horse, while
posted down the river in quest of the
swimmer and the child.
You may we'll understand that all
this time I was frantic. I was ma
chine being operated upon by surging
and agonizing emotion. How long or
how far I wandered I do not know, but
at length met q man, wet and drip
ping, with my darling in his arms-my
darling, safe and sound. He told me
that he had caught the child within a
few rods Of the falls, and that in land
ing he had cleared the abyss by not
more than two yards. He was young
man, not more than twenty five, hand
olLAC auu cbblWoIUs LILO 6hlu liz u9u
seen my wagon tip, and was coming to
my assistance when he saw the child
washed away.
GO threw my life into the balance, >
said he, with genial smile, and thank
God, both lives were saved i
II asked him how I should ever re-
pay him. He stopped me with an i'm
ploring gesture.
"' If you talk of more pay than
have already received, he said. If you
can rob me of the only solid reward
can claim, mercy if saving the life of
such cherub is not enough of reward
in itself, then hard is the heart that
Graves more And with moistened
eyes he told me that he had child of
his own at home-an only child, of
nearly the same age.
81 asked if he would tell me his
name. With smile lie answered that
his name did not matter, he was not
sure that he had name. l then asked
him if he knew me. He nodded and
said he thought might be Mr.. Lur.
lington, of Walbridge. When I told
him he was correct, he said he must
hurry home and with that he turned
away. I was too deeply moved to stop
him, and when he had disappeared I
started to rejoin my wife with dawn
ing impression that the man might be
slightly deranged. But my darling was
safe the broad, feecy cloak had Aoated
out and kept her head above water, and
l went on my way rejoicing, resolved
that the preserver of my child should
not be forgotten.
=" I will not tell you of the emotion
OF my wife when she held her child
once more in her arms. We reached
Shireton before night, and found quar-
ters at comfortable tavern.
On the following day Leban Sar-
furt called upon me and was about to
spread his evidence for my inspec ton,
when 1 interrupted him. told him 1
could not accept his confidence until
had made up my mind to take his case
in hand. Something seemed to whisper
that there was danger ahead. I did not
feel comfortable in that man presence.
l felt as though he was trying to buy
me. The court would sit in four DAYS.