Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-05-31


great jerk, and sank out of sight.
"WilI, VIII" cried Dolly, excitedlv.
you've got bite. Quick! quick! he's
running away with the rod"
VIII ran down the bank and sprang
forward to seize his rod. In his eager
ness his foot slipped upon the wet rock,
and the next instant he fell forward
upon his face into the water. Before
he could make one effort to save himself
he was caught in the eddy and whirled
round and round like cork.
Dolly gave a piercing scream as she
saw his mishap. She stood painting on
the bank an instant as her brother was
drawn more and more swiftly toward
the center of the stream; then she few
down the bank, and upon the plank
next the wheel.
"They told me not to cross it." she
thought, ''but must. If VIII is
drowned, [ don't care whether I fall in
or not"
wills basket had fallen in with him.
and, being lighter than he, had been
drawn into the current FIRST, and was
swept down toward her like a rocket.
1t passed beneath her feet, struck the
wheel, and was dashed high in the air.
| She nearly tainted as she thought that
this was what must happen to Will.
Not two minutes after his fall Wills
body came driving down the race
| toward her. She uttered another cry.
and crouehed down, holding on to the
plank with one hand and extending the
other toward him. The brave girl
never thought that even if she could
| catch her brother, the force Of his
motion would be nearly certain to drag
her in with him.
On he came, striking now one side of
the race and then the other, until he
shot directly toward her. As he was
passing, she succeeded in catching him
by the hair with one hand, while she
chung to the framework with the other.
OF course her strength was not sufi-
eient to have held him up for moment.
But the tug she gave him directed his
course toward the side Of the race, and
the very instant he was about to be
flung upon the wheel his arm caught
in the framework upon which Dolly
stood, and he was wedged fast. The
water tugged and ierked at him, but
now its power only fastened him frmer
in the framework. His jacket was torn
oil, his hat was gone, his upturned face
was cut and bleeding, and his eyes were
closed.
Dolly clasped her hands and looked
round for help. She sprang from the
plank and ran toward the mill. The
sawyer and his man were near the front
of the mill on an upper floor. She
screamed to them, but the saw was go
ing, and they never heard her. She
thought Of climbing the high bank and
running around to the front to alarm
them. But would there be time? Any
moment VIII might be torn loose, and
then help would be too late.
AS she ran wildly along the bank her
foot struck the rope which held the
gate in place, She stopped and looked
up at it. She knew that if the gate
were closed VIII would be saved, be-
cause no more water could get into the
race, and the wheel must stop.
She caught hold of the rope and
tried her strength upon It. She could
not stir the gate; it took the strength Of
the sawyer and his man to raise or lower
the heavy planks, and what could the
strength of one poor, half -fainting little
creature do with such weight! IF she
could unite the knot which held the
rope, the gate would drop. of its own
accord. She tore at the knot until her
fingers bled, but it would cot be united
She arose and looked around again.
Will was still hanging IN the frame
work. Perhaps there would be time to
climb the hill and warn the sawyer.
She started at the top of her speed, but
suddenly turned aside with cry Of joy,
and sprang toward the fiat rock where
they had been fishing. The knife with
which she had been cutting up her
bread still lay there; its CLEAN had
caught her eye. TWAS very sharp, and
she thought she might cut the rope
with it.
She seized it and ran back to the
gate. STOPPING down she pressed the
blade against the tightly-strained rope
with all her might. There was a sharp
swapping sound, then the rope parted
with o dull report, and the gate
splashed heavily into the water.