The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-12-20

my morse away, ana l. sat GOWN De-
fore the fire.
4 good supper WAS soon smoking be-
fore me, though ever and anon my host
css pccred out through the small win
dow, evidently greatly worried Mt the
approaching storm.
Jonas returned from his trip to the
barn, and taking mp the seat opposite
mlnc, challenge lne to n friendly game
Of checkers. II was by no means q
poor player, Il we were deeply en-
gagged N what we called the "rubber,
when we were all startled by strange,
roaring noise.
a cyclone screamed the hostess
iranticaIly, lifting trap door and disap-
rear,ng in the cellar; "come down for
your lives
Even as her head went down out of
sight, the roof OF the house was lifted
up, and we were caught by some terri
Die power and carried whirling away,
with terrific force.
Boards, stones and trees, and every
conceivable thing went grinding and
whrling through the air with us.
How long this lasted L never could
tell Gasping and struggling for
breath, my first sensation was that of
drowning; then in an almost scnseless
condition my body was suddenly dashed
with stunning force to the earth and
left there. DWing all this time there
was n irightful roaring noise, and a
rushing together of two great bodies,
as OF two vast armies struggling fOr a
. |
Groaning with agony, | realized what
had befallcn me. To be caught up in
Il Kansas cyclone was fully as danger
GUS as 10 lie caughti in chasing Kansas
moOnshUcr TO cover.
The storm, however, did not stop for
any comments Of mine, but went on
over the hills, shreking and whirlng
and crashing through the forests, leav-
ing havoc and dcsoiatlon III its track.
| was wcdged into n tree top, and here,
shivering IN the cold and wet, | waited
for morning. The sun came mp ut last,
warm and bright, riding the heavens as
serencly as though nothing unusual had
happened. Picking my way along rs
best ] could, | went to Il barn not far
away, which, having been located ont
side the tract Of the cyclone, was stand
ing III good order. Here was my horse,
and here, too, was Jonas, who, with a
broken leg, had managed TO crawl in
side upon the hay.
"Mornin' pardner, said he feebly, as
stood before him scratched and
bruised and wet to the skin, though
otherwise all right. An yer actually
alive yet, Amt ye, b gosh"
Nv here's the woman, Jonas" said !,
wrapping horse blanket round my
shivering body.
%, I guess she's bowed clean
away. Leastways, I've seen nor heard
nothin' of her"
We'll, I'll 60 and hunt over the
fields, and see il she can be found, -
sad l. preparing to 60. Before !
started, however, Jonas, who noticed
mo shiyering in my wet clothes, whis-
percd slyly M my ear;
"Wouldn't suthin' hot taste pooty
good this mornin', pardner?"
1T would indeed, " replied /, instant
ly on the alert, but where's it to be
hai?"
III tell We, pardner," he went on
cautiously. "1e see as we've been
blowed up together in this here storm,
and as we've come out'n together, I'm
blcst if ! let We start out tins molnin' d
huntin' up the missis without yer wet
tin yer whistle little afore We go. But
don't We tell a Twin soul-here It's"
With that he paved away the hay in
one of the managers, and there lay a good
sized demi Ohm. Well, [ took pull at
the contents, Of course.
Its the clear quill said l coolly.
DO You know where It's made?"
Jonas laughed queer tile laugh
Now, look here said he, earnestly,
"In course | know where that stuff is
made. An since we've been partners
in misfortin, | don't mind takin' We in
parducr in prosperity" And he pulled
away more of tle hay-disclosing what
looked like a plank wall at the back of
the manager. "Ye open this here little
door here" sui,inG the &C ion to the
word. AN here's the entrance to
cave. Right in here we make al the
bulge them pesky revenue officers are
huntin' for, but they'll never catch on
to this trap; never" And he smiled a
satisfied smile and pulled the hay back
again into it's place.
For moment | was staggered, but
had sense enough left to conceal my
exultation at the opportune discovery.
"The bossll be back to-day" con-
tinued Jonas, going on with his reyela
tions. Hes been off putin old
Foxy on an old scent. Old Foxy, YOU
know, is the fellow the Government has
sent down here to run us under. The
boss is hand and glove with him, and
makes him think the moons made Of
green cheese, and all the time wc'uns
IRE laughing in our sleeves to see old
Foxy fooled"
Now, Foxy" meant me. Instantly
| saw through the duplicity that had
been prarticed upon me, and there and
then vowed a speedy and sweet retribu-
ton.
Under pretense Of looking for the
woman. | left Jonas and reconnoitered
The stable was built on hillside,
and every detail had been so cleverly
arranged that, but for Jonas confession,
the place would have passed the closest
scrutiny without exciting the least sus-
picion. Luckily, 1 found my hostess
still in the cellar, though more dead