The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1883-11-30

The yard. Tho Wagon vas noe there.
and now she eaw that only Q part Of The
harness WAS ON the horse, and that was
trailing on the ground.
Before this feeling In her heart had time
to take shape, Dear opened the stable
door and let Fan In, and, carefully closing
the door, ran for the street. The road over
tho hill lay, like three narrow foot
paths, with straisht ridges Of turf be-
tween, and along these marrow paths
Dear sped with flying feet, streaming her
eyes to csc she dared not think what.
At the brew Of the hill she paused and
looked down. The road wound like .
brook down the long hillside, turning
to tho right and TO the left with here
and there steep pitches and many bars,
till It was lost IN the darkness far down
toward the valley. AZ for g her eyes
could reach there was nothing unusual
to {. be seen; but q her eS feet lay e broken
come, and down that road Dear must 70.
On and on, over bars and pitches,
scarcely touching the ground, loose
stones hit by her feet flying before her,
till, suddenly, halfway down the steep.
est pitch, she came to aplace In the
road where the stones and the gravel
had been plowed up as II by the plung-
ing of q horse.
Here lay the wagon-seat. A little far.
Their on lay two or three planks across
the road, and ct tho foot of the steep
pitch lay, on its side, q wrecked lumber
wagon. which had run backward till it
capslxed; and across the steep gutter by
the roadside lay load Of plank which
had slipped from the wagon % 1t
went over. Here was part Of the bro
ken reins, belonging to the harness
with the ends under the load of plank.
The wagon was her fathers. Dear
knew that; but where was her father?
She stood and looked on either side, up
the hill and down into the valley. Moth.
ing moved; there was not even wind
enough to bend the tall dead grasses by
the roadside, and no sound was to be
heard in all the still night but the gurg-
ling and babbling of the little brooks
that had quilted deep channels in the
waterways on either side of the road.
Dear could bear this silence no longer.
wild cry went up the hillside and down
into the valley bringing no answer.
20 papa, papa, what shall I do?" she
called again, and az she listened with
straining ears, she heard, or thought
she heard, low moan near her. She
dropped on her knees. Papa, papa,
are you fhere?" 1t was a prayer now!
Surely she heard sound as if in answer
and it seemed to come from the plank
that had slid over the gutter.
In an instant Dear was ever there.
peering among the planks. She could
see nothing but she could hear sound
plainly now. She tried with frantic
haste to raise the planks, but there was
not strength enough in her small arms
for that, and almost without thought
she darted, not up the hill to her moth
er. but down into the black valley at the
foot of the hill, where acart-path leading
from the woods intersected the road.
Along this dark path, overgrown with
alders, she went till she came to q low
shanty built between two trees, and,
bursting open the door, she cried:
20 Biddy Mccoy! come quick some :
hill.S
"WhAt list yer sayin'?" said the star
tied Biddy, starting from her seat, but
as Dear was already out of doors, she
added, suitin9 the action to the words;
"Here, Bridget, take the baby, and you
Nike" to stupid boy by the fire, s'get
yer lanthern ana come along" and with
she followed Dear.
The child was already out Of sight. but
Biddy went on at sounding gallop till
she came to the foot of the hill. There
she saw the small figure flying before
her and reckoning her on.
"Shure, ah' something dreadful has
happened" said the breathless Biddy,
crossing herself as she Game up to the
wrecked wagon. "Is any one hurted?"
as Dear called her to help.
"I'm afraid-I'm afraid there's some
one under the planks," gasped Dear,
trying single. handed to lift the load.
"Here CURL, that's no way to warruk,
tax the top one first. Mike, We lazy
sowl, get along wild yer lanthern!" and
her voice went down the hillside like the
blast OF a trumpet, starting even the
slow Mike into run.
'There. hou!d that" said she, hand
ing the lantern to Dear, and with Bid.
dy's stout arms at one end and Mikes
at the other, the planks were flung over
into the road. Dear held her breath,
and before the planks were all off they
/
in the bed Of the gutter. The planks
were over him like roof. or the cover
Of a box, and, when the last ono was
of. Dear saw her fathers face, still
and white, but she could not utter a
sound.
:Howly Mother, help u.s." calculated
Biddy. ''Take his feet, Mike, and help
get him out Of the wather. He'll be
drowned intirely If he's no kit already. !"
For as he lay damming up the narrow
channel, the choked water had risen
and spread around him in an ever-risinR
pool.
Az they took him up and laid him
down in the road, the motion seemed to
rouse him to life, for Biddy, stopping
over him with the lantern, saw his eyes
suddenly open. He looked about him
in 9 bewildered way, and then clutched
at the reins that were still in his hands,
shouting: "Whoa, Fan, whoa" Then
he slowly raised himself on his elbow,
and seaing the planks scattered
about him muttered: "Why! she's got
away" CIV
"Are ye much hurted, SURF" asked
Biddy, concernedly, taking his arm as if
she would help him to his feet
Il don't know, I'm cold" said he
eIOWly.
can we'll ye might be lynn in all that
Wather," and she told them how they
found him lying in the gutter, with the
planks over him, but not on him, and
the water around him.
us that you, Dear? and has the horse
gone home?" asked he after moment.
seeing the little, shaking figure beside
him. -s
eyes. papa" and all at once the con-
yuls We sobs leaped beyond her control.
and che fell on her knees, quite unable
to say or do anything but sob.
The sight and the sound of her sobs
did more than anything else to restore
her father to himself. With Biddv's
help he slowly rose from tae ground,
and. alter standing moment, he said,
steadily: II believe am all right, only
cold and little confused. The fall must
have stunned me, but for your help, nv
good woman, should have been dead
man soon."
ut was yer little girl tould us. We
shouldn't have known"
He held his hand to Dear, and she
caught it and held it under her chin still
unable to speak.
"Doye think ye could, walk sur? We've
no right to be standin' here wild yer wet
clothes" WV
Thus admonished they began to move.
Biddy and Mike and the "lanthern"
went with them to the ton of the hill