The Penn's Grove record., 1882-06-17

10 secure.
Alter assisting Mrs. Lane and he
family in their fight and securing hi
own valuables the young mastei
turned his attention to his own safety
but only to ind that the food hat
widened and shut out all of the valley
leading to the beacon OF safety-thai
the only way to gain it was along Q
dangerous cliff, and which, after q
toilsome journey, would bring him to
the sch ,ol house from the other side
of the mountain.
The morning was just dawning as
he had accomplished the most danger
GUS part OF his TASK, and lie paused to
rest and glance back upon the scene OF
awful destruction. Every where ran
lih lie muddy rills from snowy heights
to join the madly rushing torrent of
water which tore through the narrow
gorge and bearing on its foaming
bosom all that opposed its way. Huge
boulders, logs and uprooted trees all
went down together in the boiling
vortex until it reached the broader
valley and there became a lake of
seething foam as it engulfed the little
| village.
As he stood thus In the chill gray
morning, both awed and fascinated by
the scene, his ears were startled by q
peculiar, prolonged cry like that of
some suffering bird. 1t came from the
other side of q jutting cliff, where lay
his Path, and swelled out even above
the roaring of the waters below. Then
and almost instantly it changed to the
warbllng notes of q blue birds song
then again to that of the wood thrush
and The cat bird, and ended in the
low, plaintivs cry of the whippoorwill.
Amazed, he stood and questioned.
Could some poor, storm-beaten, es-
capped nocking bird be stranded In al
evergreen. thicket and thus utter its
plant?
With the thought he fastened
around the point and beheld to his in.
finite surprise Lola Danforth clinging
to a tree that swayei in dangerous
proximity above . yawnlng precIpics.
A faded scarlet hooded mantle hung
loosely upon her shoulders, her thick
raven hair was dishevelled and the
sport Of the wind.
At the instant again the birds song
was repeated in wonderful variety,
and could come only from the scarlet
lips Of the young girl. Lola" he
exclaimed, reaching out and snatch
ing her back from her dangerous pesi.
sien, what is the matter? Do you
not know that all who can have
sought shelter in the school house
Come with me. Every step is danger
ous, and you will only be safe there"
my brother!" gssped che, strug.
Cling away jm~petuously. "They told
me he had gone to the school house,
but be is not there, and I came back
to seek him."
"And 1t was to him you were send
ing forth such strange calls. 1t was
wonderful. Who taught you, Lola? ?"
81 do not know. unless the BIRDS"
she answered, smiling and showing
her maeniiee.t teeth. "Robby says
they were born In my throat. But 1
must go back in search of him."
"You! WHY, child, he cannot be
down there. Do you not see that even
the cattle have climbed the hills for
safety, and he would not remain ?"
"Then something has happened to
him." she faltered. tuning back a ter
rified and pallid face.
The next moment she slid from his
grasp and darted downward, clinging
to q sapling here and a shrub there,
sliding, leaping falling, down she
went, her companion following, until
they stood almost upon the bank OF
the foamipg cataract. And there, |
amid the debris of dead wood and the
bodies Of dead animals, they at last
caught sight of little hand clinging
to a timber, and a moment later Leslie
was periling his " life for the safety
of the little wait, Robby. Presently
he struggled out Of the flood, spent
and bruised, with his helpless and
limp bur len clasped In his arms.
For q brief time the earth seemed to
spin about him. Then he recovered
his senses as the girl caught and
pressed the dead face of her brother to
her heart with one long wall OF an
guish.
Together they chafed the cold limbs,
endeavoring to bring back life, while
Lola wound her scarlet mantle around
poor r ,bby to give warmth. Failing
In this, they struggled up the noun
tains under their CHASTITY burden.
But at last they were compelled to
pause under q thicket OF evergreens
and lay the poor dead boy down upon
. bed Of soft pine needles. Then Lola
sank down by his side with a burst of
tears that told she also had given up
all Of no pc.
AZ must 70 for help" said Leslie,
tenderly raisiDg her up. Come with
me. Nothing more can harm him.
He Ia beyond all floods. all tempests,
all tears, and where sorrow can never
more come"
Clinging to him and weeping As II
her heart would break, he bore her up
to the villagers, who tended, com-
forted and did all in their power for
her, and when at last the flood a
subsidized they placed the poor dead
bow BY the side OF his parents in the
churchyord, and shortly afterward
there came q stranger who claimed
Lola to take her away to . foreign
home.
Alone that night, in the little school