The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1883-01-19


house must soon be swept away if the
water continued TO rise, and almost
fiercely wiping away b S tears, he tried
to think of some means by which he
might save his little sisters and himself
Through the kitchen window he saw
the trunk of the great elm beneath
which stood the grindstone, only few
feet from the broad doorsteps-a huge
tree, four or five feet in diameter. The
waters we're dashing against its massive
trunk. That, at least, seemed proof
against their utmost strength.
The old elm! The old elmr' he cried.
!" If we could only get up among the
big limbsr And then he formed his
heroic plan and proceeded to put it Into
execution.
The elm had great outstretching
branches, one of the largest of which
extended across a corner OF the kitchen
roof, which was nearly fiat and easy of
access from window in the second
story of the house. Henry had often
climbed out there and mounted the
branch, from which he could ascend
nearly to the top of the tree "a dizzy
height, however. which he seldom at
tempted.
Tho food can't dig the old elm
out, = he thought. ''It's stood there too
long"
But little Izah and Jennie! he feared
for them. 1t was as much as he himself
dared do to climb the tree, and he
feared the little girls would grow dizzy
and fall into the rushing water beneath.
The brave boy thought of all this, and
solved the problem in a manner that
speaks well both for his courage and
his invention.
Wading through the water on the
kitchen floor, he reached the wood
shed and there procured his mothers
clothes-line, also coil of larger rope
and an old door, besides a number of
loose boards which stood in a corner.
Carrying these upstairs, where the lit
tie girls stood crying and calling for
papa and mamma" he put them out
on the kitchen roof
Stop crying, girls" he exclaimed,
cheerily; "stop your crying. Pa and
ma will be here as soon as they can get a
boat, and I'll take care of you till they
come. We're going to get up in the
big elm and build us house up there
and take up victuals. The water never
will take that old tree away, and we
can live up there like squirrels.
The energetic lad now sped about the
house to complete his preparation for
their strange change of abode. Even
little Jennie, the younger. sister, caught
something of his courage; and both the
girls ran about helping in whatever way
they could.
Some loaves Of bread, a bucket Of
doughnuts, together with dried beef, a
smoked ham, and several wooden
blankets were laid out on the kitchen
roof. Then Henry bound the clothes
line about his waist and climbed on the
great branch, and thence up to the
large limbs above, to a height of some
twenty feet above the rushing waters.
Selecting a spot where two limbs
branched of parallel with each other,
he now lowered one end of his rope to
the sisters, for the old door and boards.
Before climbing up he had instructed
them what to do and how to do it; and
in very short time the boards, the
door and the coils of rope were hauled
up one after another, and securely
fastened.
Tie door and boards were then placed
on the parallel branches and tied with
the rope; and in this manner a small
floor, or platform, six or eight feet
square, was laid, large enough for all
three to sit or lie on.
1t did not take long now to draw up
the food and blankets; but there still re-
manned for the lad the harder and more
perilous task of hosting up the little
girls to his airy platform.
He had reserved the longest and strong
est rope for this purpose, AMI looping
it in the middle over limb and letting
the two ends fall to the roof, he de-
scended and tied an end firmly beneath
the arms of both Izah and Jennie in
turn.
TO climb back to his old position was
but the work of a moment. Then came
the real work. Izah was a plump little
girl, and Jennie was still heavier,
though not as old. They were fris ht-
ened and screamed considerably, but he
hauled them up, one after the other,
safely on to the platform.
Meanwhile the wild rushing waters
were steadily rising and had now nearly
reached the kitchen window sills Still
larger cakes of ice were driving ponder
ously along among the trees; OCCASION
ally one ground against the elm, giving
it heavy, iarring bump, or struck the
walls of the house with a force that
made the timbers crack.
The little girls trembled with fear;
and now that the excitement OF climb
ing into the tree was over, despair
again seized upon them. In vain Henry
tried to quiet their fears. Great sobs
would well up in spite of their childish
efforts to be brave.
1t was in truth an appalling situation.
Fasterpoured the ever-rising flood; and
now the ice-cakes and great drift.logs
were smashing in the lower windows.
Nothing was left of the stock-yards,
sheds and barn; but here and there
some of the Nretched cattle still kept
their heads above water; and more d S.
heartening than everything else were
the poor creatures mournful lowings.
There was no help for them. Their
drowning was but the question of an
hour or two; everything was going
down beneath the black rolling torrent.
And well might the children feel thank
full if even the great elm withstood the
battering of the ponderous ice-cakes
which came grinding in among the
scattered trees of the grove.
Henry's heart almost failed him. IT
required his best efforts to keep from
breaking completely down and giving
way to his fright and grief But mas.
tering these terrors at length, he
earnestly set to work to make every
thing upon the platform secure. He
felt, too. that he ought to save the bed
ding and the most valuable of the
/ household furniture; for he saw that the
most Of it might be hung upon the limbs
Of the elm, if only he had dared to de-
scend after it into the shattered and
rocking building.
But the creaking and groaning of the
timbers, commingling with the hoarse
gurglings of the water, appalled, him.
The house seemed on the point of being
swept away; and sadly he watched It
heave and sway as each fresh mass OF
ice came plunging against it.
Fearing to trust the little sisters upon
the frail platform unsupported, he tied
them securely to limbs above, leaving
tho 4.onac slool- anourk To o1lox,y - : ~ =; ).