The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-08-30
THE lNUNDATION.
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Boats were moving hither and thither in
lower-lying streets, and out in the open coun-
try field after field was changed to a lake.
From amid the waters rose solitary farm
house. black against darkening sky. The
surging flow heaved and tossed and struck
heavily upon it. Here was no languidly
spreading expanse, but the hurry OF the
swollen river rushing impatiently forward
and rising in its impatience higher and ever
higher. At an upper window six persons
were gathered, watching the motions Of a
light that came and went slowly, and seemed
to be drawing nearer by degrees. The group
was made up of the farmer, his wife, three
children, and a young man who was the
eldest daughters lover. The light was mani
festly approaching, the dark shape Of a boat
become distinct. they heard the dip and
splash Of the oars; at last the boat paused In
the lee Of the house, and their rescue was
secure It could be seen now, in the light OF
the lantern, that there were several persons
In the boat and that one of them was wo-
man.
A voice called upward to those within:
"How many are youl"
And voice called downward In reply:
"Six."
To that answer followed moment of
silence
Then, amid the sound Of the water, came
up the words, ave have only room for four. ;"
@Shall You be able to come back for the
otEers9" askei the farmer.
Again followed a pause, brief, but sufficient
to foreshadow the coming negative.
No, hardly, it was getting too dark and
too dangerous
Within were quick questionings and de-
niais. half heard debate, caught and lost
again between the ominous beating Of the
rising floods. By daybreak the housetop
would scarcely be left above water, even if
the walls should be strong enough to hold out
so long.
"Jack and will stay,' said the farmer at
last.
"If Jack stays, so will l." answered the
clear voice of his daughter.
Then a man rose i'll the boat and said:
"There is no woman who would say that for
me. so let me stay"
The others in the boat looked at him as he
stood leaning one hand against the wall He
was a stranger who had reached Wendell
thorpe only that afternoon, and had volun-
teered his services at the starting of the
boat.
The woman sitting in the stern moved a
little and SAID: u will stay, too" and all eyes
turned back to her. Her they knew. She
was the new mistress OF the village school, a
grave young woman, and reported eccentric.
There was no remonstrance from the boat,
only slow, Eliminating surprise; from above,
indeed, came protests, but faint and quickly
overruled.
A window was opened in lower story; the
two entered upon landing that was already
flooded onA rs,,;OIlv- I'd
broken thanks met them and eager promises
of return in the first hours of dawn Then,
from the upper window, the two watched the
embarkation Of the six, heard their shouts of
thanks and Of farewell, then the dip of the
oars, and felt at their hearts sudden blank.
They stood side by side, watching the waver-
ing progress of the departure and the waver-
ing reflection of the shaken light At last,
when the boat was far away and no dim echo
reached them of its sounds, they turned to-
wards each other and toward the inner room.
The room had, in the interval, grown nearly
dark, and as they turned this way they heard
the flap Of the water like step, on the stair
! case
"Have you any hope of their coming bac..
in time2" asked the woman
Her companion answered, "No;r and she
| saw through the darkness that he shook his
head.
"Nor have l." said she.
They stood aimlessly looking into the fast.
darkening room. They had no occupation
but to await the coming up of the water
and they were strangers who had never
so much as beheld each others face
by full daylight. The wind and the
water went sweeping by outside, and in the
house were gbostly sounds of doors and win
dows stealthily tried and shaken.
"Had we not better go up to the attic while
we can" asked the man by and by.
She assented. and they went inward IL
the dark core of the house. The inky soil
tude below was full of creakings and rust
lings, above shone square of yellow light
revealing steep ladder. A lighted Lantern
had been left for them in the attic. togethe,
with food and warm wrappings
u will fetch the lantern" said he, auG
swung himself quickly upward.
She stood below, holding fast to the side o.
the ladder. His quick step sounded aboy,
her head; the light shifted and bright
ened; she saw his face in a quick illumina
ton; then the light whirled toward
aud beyond her, down, down into th,
darkness and flashed upon the stairs. He
breath stood still she had a sickening feelins
of being left alone. Assurance of her com
panion's safety reached her, however, in th,
form of an imprecation, checked, indeed
but hearty, uttered about two feet aboy,
her.
"The handle of the lantern was loose" sal.
he, as he came to her level an go dow
and fetch it up"
"No, don't It's too dark Please don't
Let US go up"
She had found his arm in the darkness an,
held him back In the darkness, which wa
much the blacker for that brief interpositiol
of light, they made their way into th
attic, and crossing it carefully, afraid O
the low roof, afraid of unseen stumblin
blocks, afraid of returning upon th
yawning aperture, made their way to th
gray square of the window. Here they foun
a large box, upon which they sat dowr
They spoke but little; there were SO fe,
things left worth utterance in such an hou
as this. By and by, as their eyes grew az
customed to the dimness, they dscerned th
general character Of their surrounding.
There was a table near them with food
there were boxes and bundles and coupl
of old pictures, brought up hither apparentl
when the tide began to rise. In the middl
lay the black square through which they ha
made entrance; at the far end rough hea
Of straw was dimly distinguished, and fror
this came restless gnawings, scrapings an
rustlings, causing the woman to shrink an
shudder.
II suppose they are rats she said ono,
when the sounds grew louder.
: ~ suppose 80; do you mind very mucha"
sNo, If we could only see them."
Again for awhile they were silent, hearin
the little sounds within and the ever -increa
ing sounds without.
! AT .ast the man stood up, and, passing h
hand across his face, said: @Oh, this
very cold-a,codedi They used to tortul