The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1883-12-20

roaring nOisr.
"A cyclnne,' screamed tho hostess
frantically, lifting trap door and disap-
pcaring in tho cellar; "come down for
your lives!'
But there was no time for escape.
Even rs her head went down out of
sight, the roof OF tho house was lifted
up, and we were caught by snma terri.
hle power and casriBd Nhirling away,
will, terrific force.
Boards, stones and trees, and every
conceivable thing went grinding and
whirling through tho air with us.
How long this lasted never could
tell. Gasping nhd struggling fo,
breath, my first sensation was TINT of
drowning; then in MI rlmost senscless
condition my body was suddenly dashed
with stunning force to tho earth and
left there. During all this time there
was n frightful roaring noise, and
rushing together Of two great bodies,
as Of two vast armies struggling for 4
VI tory. II was ai nwf.l moment.
Gfoahing with agony, l realized what
had befallen me. To be caught up in
n Kansas cyclone was fully as danger
Gus as to be caught in chasing n Kansas
moonshiner to cover,
The storm, hewevar, did not stop for
any comments Of mine, but went on
over the hills, shr;cking and whirling
and crashing through tie forests, leay-
ing havoc and dcsolatlon in its track.
| was wedged into n tree top, and here,
shivering in the cold and wet, l waited
for morning. The sun came up at last,
warm and bright, riding the heavens rs
serehely as though nothing unusual had
happened. Picking my way along as
best could, l went to a barn not far
away, which, having been located out.
side the tract Of the cyclone, was stand
ing in 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 feeblv, as
stood before him scratched and
bruised anu wet to the skin, though
otherwise all right. AN yer actually
alive yet, aint We, b gosh!"
where's the woman, Jonas" said ],
wrapping horse blanket round my
shivering body.
20, / guess she's blowed clean
away. Leastways, I've seen nor heard
nothin' of her."
"Well, I'll go and hunt over the
fields, and see If she can be found"
said /, preparing to 60. Before |
started, however, Jonas. who noticed
me shivering in my wet clothes, whis.
pered slyly in my ear:
Wouldn't suthin' hot taste rooty
good this mornin', pardncr?"
ly on the alert, "bat where's ii to he
had?"
I'm tell We. pardner," he went OH
cautiously. "Ae see rs we've been
hlowed up together in this here storm,
and as we've come out'n together, I'm
blest if let We start out this mornin' a
huntin' up the missis without yer Wet
tin yer whistle little afore We 20. But
don't We tell livin' soul-here it's"
With that he paved away the hay in
one Of the managers, and there lay n good
sized demi. Ohm. Well, l 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,
an course l know where that stuff is
made. An since we've been pardners
in m;sfcrtin, don't mind takin' ye in
pardner in prosperity" And he pulled
away more of the hay disclosing what
looked like plank wall ut the back OF
the manger. "Ye open this here little
door here" sui,ing the action to the
word. AN here's the entrance to n
cave. Right in here we make all the
'budge' them pcsky revenue officers are
huntin' for, but they'll never catch on
to this trap: never" And he smiled n
satisfied smile and pulled the hay back
again into it's place,
For n moment was staggered, hut
had sense enough left to conceal my
exultation at the opportune discovery.
"The boss'll he back to-day" con-
tinuea Jonas, going on with his reycla-
tions. Hes been of 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 we'uns
are laughing in our sleeves to SEQ old
Foxy fooled"
Now, Foxy" meant mo. Instantly
/ saw through the duplicity that had
been pract;ced upon me, and there and
then vowed speedy and sweet retribu-
tion.
Under pretsnse cf looking for the
:, woman, i left Jonas and reeonnoitered.
The stable was built on hillside.
and every detail had been so cleyerly
arranged that, but for Jonas confession,
the place would have passed the closest
scrutiny without exciting the least sus-
picion. Luckily, / found my hostess
still in tie cellar. though more dead
than alive, with fright, and getting her
out of the debris that surrounded her.
fer the house had been completely de-
molished, got. on my horse and rode
away to summon help.
1t is not to be supposed that grass
grew to any very great height between
my departure and my return.
| Luckily my men were stationed nj no
great distance otf, and, rallying them
| together, We visited the scene Of the
| storm.
When got back the owner of the
place had just returned to what was
left Of his home. With his wife, ho
was surveying the ruins as | rode up
and accostcd him. Ii didn't take me
two seconds to recognize my quonlam
friend and informant, and the recogni-
tion Was mutual, though h. had no idea
of what was in store for him.
"iou haven't got those fellows We, ?"
said he. rs drew rein beside him.
NO" said l calmly, hut thanks to
Your hired man, soon will have them, "
and quicker than lightning my men
gathered round him, aud before he
| fairly realized what had happened VI
had tho handouts Oh his wrists Before
going into the harm where the hirel
man still lay on the lay, l purposely
put ON my badge in IA conspicuous place
! I'm orlar ia watch the ,4tta.t II uauI,l