The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1882-06-15

"Shall we go back, Amy?' asked
Fletcher. as they both came to a halt;
and then he added: But no, we
haven't time; so we must keep on.'
"Al right; but you don't think there
are any snakes under these stones, do
you, Flet?' ,-... ~.
Then they went on down again, but
the way grew ever rougher and rough
Ell, and the stones slipped from under
their tired feet more and more fire.
quently. ..s
80 dear! amt we most there?' half
sobbed Amy, as she stubbed her toe
against rock in front of her, while a
stone rolled down on her heel from be-
hind.
- guess so. Shall I try to lift you
over this place? See, there must have
been brook here in the spring." and
Fletcher pointed out a shallow ravine
that crossed their path obliquely, and
which was choked with stones and
brush-wood.
Without waiting for an answer, the
kind-hearted boy threw his alpenstock
across, and then picking Amy up in his
arms. started over himself. He reached
the opposite side in safety, and was
about to step up to level ground again
when his foot caught under stone, and
in trying to keep his sister from being
harmed by his iall, he left no hand free
with which to save himself.
80, Flet, are you hurt?" cried Amy,
as she quickly scrambled to her feet.
mot much; only my ankle" But
the mot much proved to be sprain
serious enough to prevent his walking a
step, and after attempting to do so once
or twice, the brave little fellow was
forced to fall back upon the rocks, with
an expression of pain which he could
not repress.
And now the children's situation be-
came quite grave one. They were as
yet, as well as they could judge. mile
or more above the town, the sun had
already vanished behind the snowy
peaks opposite, the autumn twilight!was
rapidly closing in, and, worse than all,
Fletcher could not and Amy would not
move.
How can 60 away and leave you
here?" she would say when urged to
hurry back, so that father should not
worry.
But I'm all right as long as 1 sit
still,' her brother would reply. BE
sides, the sooner you go and tell them
at the hotel, the quicker they can send
somebody up for me-
At length, convinced that under the
circumstances this was the wisest thing
to do, Amy set bravely out, but had not
proceeded more than twenty feet before
she came screaming back, declaring she
had seen a snake, and that she could
never, never 90 on through the dreadful
woods alone.
LET me stay with you, Flet," she
begged I'm sure when papa misses
us he'll come ri ht up here;' and her
brother. seeing she had no doubts on
this point, thought it best not to remind
her that it was just as natural to sup
pose that he would look in dozen 9TH
er directions for them first.
So the two sat together there on the
mountain side, watching the stars come
out, and wondering if this was their pun
ishment for being naughty.
But presently Amy's eyelids grew
heavy again, and leaning her head
against Fletcher, she asked him to wake
her ''as soon as papa comes" when
suddenly reddish glare flashed forth
out of the darkness beneath them; por-
tions of mountain and lake appeared
distinctly as by day, while trees and
rocks and bushes stood revealed in start
ling vividness
90, what is it, Flet?" cried Amy,
hiding her face in terror
Don't be afraid" he answered. II
h,,,t - :
Still the boy had dreadful visions of
earthquakes and volcanoes, which he
somehow imagined were much more
common in Europe than in America.
And now the red light had changed
to green, this in turn to blue, then back
to red again and so on. until the brother
and sister became completely mystitied.
On sudden, while the red glare lit
up everything around, there was a
sound of rolling stones, mans voice
exclaimed: "Thank God for St.
Jacquesn' The next instant Mr.. Han
ways strong arms were about both his
children.
80, papa, 1 knew you'd comeH'
cried Amy, joyously. "But now you
must put me down, and carry Flet,
cause was naughty, and he's hurt, and
all from 'sisting me- =
Then the situation was explained.
Two young gentlemen from the hotel
tendcrly raised the helpless boy and
carried him between them, and thus,
the happy father still retaining his little
girl, they started down the hill again,
guided by the strange lights safely to
the town.
Fletcher soon recognized in his bear
ers two members of the party from the
mountain-top that had been so enthu-
siastic at dinner, and they furthermore
told him that it was at their suggestion
that Mr.. Hanway had first, directed his
steps to the hillside, for" said one,
eve noticed how eagerly your little
sister listened to my Cousins descrip-
ton of the wild flowers
"And did you have those funny
lights lit SOS you could see us?" asked
the boy.
"Not exactly" was the laughing
response. THAT is the illumination
in honor of st. Jacques, whose several
hundred-and-something- or other birth.
day it is to-day, believe ...,
DuI now 90 Cney make the lights,
and who is St. Jacques?" pursued
Fletcher.
"They have different colored fires,'
as the preparations are called, which
are touched off at the same instant at
various points about the lake; and as
for St. Jacques, that is the same as
St. James in English"
That's what papa's queer speech
meant, then, when he found u.s.
land say Amen to it, returned
the young man, huskily, "for l believe
we'd have gone right on past you both
if it had not been for that scarlet glow
from the fete of St. Jacques. ''-Harper's
YonDu peOrIp