The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-04-26

SPAR. Then she remembered the wag-
| oner. All this had happened In less
than q minute, and perhaps he was not
out of reach She ran along the road
he had taken with her utmost speed.
Run. Agnes, run, that dreadful water is
tearing away at the rock, and Frank Is
getting exhausted. Round the crook in
the road Agnes saw the wagoner slowly
ascending little hill at some distance.
Her little feet flew along the ground.
She called out, s.Stopi -Stopn but her
voice was faint, and she could notmake
him hear. Hurry, Agnes, hurry! Franks
strength is almost gone. The WAGNER
is almost at the top of the hill, and then
his horse will begin to trot again, and
there viii be no more hope of overtaking
him.
Isabella had said that very afternoon
that Agnes was stupid thing; but how
ever that may be at this moment a bright
idea came to her. She had little rub
Der ball in her pocket. The scholars
had a fashion of playing ball at recess,
and Agnes was quite skillful. Aim
steadily, Agnes. 1t is for life and death!
She gathered all her strength and aimed
the ball straight at the wagoner's back.
1t did not hurt him much, but he looked
round with sudden exclamation, and
he saw the girl waving her arms in such
distress that he turned his horse and
trotted back to her.
well, little girl, what nowp'' said he.
They're drowningr' Agnes white
lips could barely form the words, but
the WAGNER understood her in an in
slant, and seizing her with one hand he
swung her over the wheel to place be-
side him, and then drove his horse at a
pace that must have astonished that so
Der animal.
He passed the crook in the road and
saw the boy clinging to the rock.
s.Quick, children!" he called. .'Shawls,
tippets, handkerchiefs, everything! Tie
them togetherr' And in the meantime
he cut the reins and tied them to the
line the children made. / suppose SO
many knots were never tied before in
five seconds. and then they had a line
long enough to reach the rock. The
man tied one end round his waist, and
telling all the children to hold hard at
A few strong strokes brought him to the
rock. 'sGive me the boy and put your
hand on my shoulder said the man to
Frank, who, with his ewes rigid and set,
seemed not to hear. Franks hand had
stifened in its hold of Jamie, so that
the man had to wrench it Off He placed
it himself on his own shoulder, and in
five minutes more they were all on shore.
s.Wet, isn't it now?' said Jamie, smil-
ing and staring at his clothes.
1t was some time before Frank could
speak.
well Them said the man rather
gruffiy, perhaps to hide his feeling,
''you've had what they call a hair
breadth escape. Surprising l hadn't
been here! You We're an idiot yourself
not to drop that idiot-boy, who's no ac-
count to anybody. You couldn't save
both, but what was the use of both
drowning2 Tell me that
II thought of that said Frank, rath-
er feebly, land l kept thinking that
when couldn't hold him any longer a
save myself But then kept thinking
if he wasn't of much account that his
mother thought the world of him, and l
couldn't let GO"
Now this happens to be true story,
and | hope you will all agree, as the
scholars did, that though Frank did not
display any military skill he was a
very good little knight-errant.-O our
Continent.