Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1882-01-20

Traveller, bear that travelled all night |
with n man in q stage-coach.
'"' This is very warm cont you have |
on, /" droncd Paris, emphasizing every |
word.
"Pap amt comm" said Betsey, draw
ing his attention to the fact that the road
was clear rs far rs they could see. Dusk
was sitting thick around them. One
could not be sure that tall stump was
not another Silent Traveller. The foli-
age looked thin yet, for no leaf was the
broad and open hand IL would be n
month later; but loamy smells, with now
u tincture of pennyroyal and now n
breath Of sycamore, came TO their nos
trils. afa uJ .
ado you think mothers scairtP" I'M
quired Betsey, us they pursued the turns
of the wood-road in which their fathers
wagon-whcels had left deep cuts.
'.Holn secuted Paris. r -.t .ra
"But she said he ought to be home,n
quivercd Bctscy, on whom the humid
evening was not without its effect. u
"Wcll, an amt he comin'P" said
Paris "Yonder's the wagon now. i
can beat you to it!'
Bctscy grasped her skirts and accepted
the challenge.
The spatting of their feet in the soft
road might have startled the farm horses
to faster gait than n walk, for no hand
held the lines which were wrapped
around one of the standards, and no
father was to be discovered on the load
or hidden anywhere among its knots
and sticks, though Betsey craned her
neck in such search.
"Whoa" cried Paris, when this fact
struck him.
The horses stood still, and untying a
hitching strap, Paris turned them out of
the road and tied the near horse to a
| tree. .J | ai.a...
Betsey began to cry Not in loud
and helpless manner, but as If the sturdy
heart under her straight waist was
startled.
40 Paris, where's papp"
81 don't know" replied Paris, qua
vering. "We've got to hunt him. ~
~ know he's fell in the crcekr'
"He could swim out. He can swim
in the deepest hole that ever was!" ~
"a snakes bit him! Mebby he
chopped II tree down and it fell on
1 him!' 90"
"Mcbby he did," quavercd Paris. rs
/ they ran Let's look where he was
choppin'."
When they came to the cleared place,
painting, the scant light showed n num-
Der of stumps with glaring white tops
in the general dimness, and piles of
brush, and n log or two yet unsubdued
/ by the AK. But there was no lately-felled
tree, and no father anywhere.
Down the slope, cross-laced by inter-
vening limbs, they could see Mud Greek
! Bayou, which the freshet had expanded
i to lake. Away on the other side, half
screened by islandcd trees, was Mud
Creek proper, the milldam, and Milford.
The bayou had the gurgle of running
water. In some places it was swift as
n mill-race. Whenever Mud Greek rose,
it made this bayou a broad yellow flood,
and loosened half the trees in the bot
tom-land.
81 tell you,n said Paris as they
paused staring Mt this expansive stain
"rll go along beside the by-o; you go
look t'other side of the road"
~ heard something" whispered Bet
sey; "listen!" tSAT laI-4#
'It's Just q screech.owl.
1t sounded mournfully indeed; pro-
| longed " oo-oo--ooW f.a.{ 2. itp.4
/ "S-somebody yellin'r' said Betsey.
She clinched upon the bottom of Paris
short coat. They've got pap down
poundin' him to deathv'
This was n dreadful state of affairs.
In what remote spot hey had him OF
who they might be, Brtsey in her terror
took no time to conjecture. Gigantic
figures, tall as the trees, swarmeo
through her mind, and she remembered
that Joseph's own brethren put him into
pit!
The children ran toward the caller
Paris was unmindful of Betsey, and wher
she fell over log or stuck fast in ,
brier thicket, pulled her up or out ant
, dragged her ahead. Their rough littl,
hands stuck fast together. l-
; (Which way are youP" called Paris
when the voice stopped, and they stoo,
bewildered in lonesome dark plac,
near the bayou.
Directly in front of them.they heard
croaking exclamation for hep. .-.
Help! Will somebody help me out P'
But Just here the children pauset
longest. That voice sounded strange
| The minute was so silent they hear'
! only the breathing of the water and tina
/ other respiration peculiar to woods a
, night.
, "Paris! Are you up there? Didn't
hear you?'
To atone for his hesitation, Pari
+ plunged down slope, and Betsey, hang
ing to him like faithful Gill, wen
plunging after.
4 Watch out there! Don't you com
any nearer!' shouted their father
+, 'Don't you take another stepm
1t was quite dusky in that hollow, bu
a when they were few yards away fror
a him they could see him standing down i
the ground and looking like a map VIII
had only waist, shoulders and head. Hi
q hat was gone, his wamus unfastened
n and his hair and bushy beard made hi
n face look like pale blur.
30 pap!' walled Betsey. stl
r "It's well you come" said the settler
d "I'm sinking fast Paris, get rail; &C
q it as quick as you can" r'a
The nearest rail was probably NOR
n than mile away. Paris thoughts fie'
II to the stable, but while he went an
Il returned dragging a heavy rail, his fatl
n er might sink out of sight in that hole
!. which seemed to remain in a gull
4 that had contributed all its water to til
Is bayou.
. ia limb of a trees higher, said Pa
Il is, trembling.
= sect somethin' quick. I'm goir
v down so fast Idon't know whether / ca
: pull myself out at all or not"
,. The children ran around on the SLOPE
n Paris started for the clearing, but on til
way he tripped across a small log, ant
II jumping up unconscious that he ha
q broken finger nail in the fall, dragge
n it, and shouted to Betsey to come an
= help. N. .s,tt,5.l tls1st,g
> Betsey had thrown her father som
i chunks on which he was trying to pro
a his elbows. She came and tugged.
r was well for the Lane family that the'
/" two children were used to eXertiol
!. Their stout muscles Slrlined and tens