St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1885-11-14

/ Sc
But Johnny, having nothing to cling to
except the back of the seat, which was
Wrenched from his grasp in the fall,
was thrown violently over the bluff,
and rolled halfway down its steep
side, being caught at last by huge
bowlder which had itself fallen down
from above at some previous period.
Mr.. Parsons first thought when he
arose was of Johnny, and he looked
around hoping to see him unhurt and
scrambling up the bank.
But, no; he was nowhere in sight.
His father called once; then again
then he hastily tied the now perfectly
quiet animals to q stunted manzenita
tree by the roadside and ran back to
look for the boy.
Not seeing him from the point on the
road where the blackboard was over
turned, he rushed over the bluff, nearly
pitching headlong in his haste, and
scrambled down its side, coming upon
the body of the boy where it lay with
eyes closed and one arm bent under in
a way in which it could only be if
broken, and with blood issuing from
nose and ears.
For moment John Parsons stood
with look of awful horror on his face,
and then his strength left him and he
staggered and leaned upon the rock
against which the body lay.
The next instant his strength re-
turned, and with great beads of per-
spiration standing out upon his face, he
knelt down and placed his hand over
the lads heart.
There was faint futtering there.
and raising the body in his arms he
worked his way up to the road, coming
out of the gorge several rods in advance
of where the horses stood hitched to the
manzenita bush.
Still holding the body ia his arms he
attempted to unsnap the halter strap
with which they were tied, intending to
leave it hanging to the bush; but the
horses were frightened at sight of the
limp body and the scent of blood, and
| 1reW back.
He might have united the strap from
the tree without difficulty, but if this
were done it must be allowed TO drsg
on the ground and might cause the
horses to stumble and again throw him
from the blackboard, which had righted
| out. He laid his burden carefully on
the ground, united the strap and Sc
cured it in its place, again lifted his
child in his arms, got upon the buck
board and drove with as much speed az
he safely could down the hill, and then
turned off to the left into a by-road
which he knew led to settlers shanty
notmore than a quarter of mile away.
By the time he reached it, Johnny
was showing signs of returning life,
and hope that he might not be so
badly injured as at first appeared was
beginning to find Judgment in his
fathers breast.
As it CHANGED, the only occupant of
the shanty at the moment was
woman, her husband being in the field,
and the children at a neighbours on an
errand.
Through the open door she saw
stranger approaching with the limp
body of child in his arms, and under
stood at once that an accident had hap
pened. Catching the dinner-horn from
the nail where it hung, she ran to the
back door and blew several loud and
sharp blasts, then rushed back, and
without stopping to ask any questions,
or even for him to reach the door, called
to Mr.. Parsons to come right in, at
the same time arranging the bed to re-
ceive the body.
John Parsons looked his thanks and
laid his burden down upon the place
prepared for it, the woman assisting
him, and placing the poor broken arm
in as natural position as possible. As
she did SO, the sufferers eyes opened
and closed, then opened again. Then
his lips parted and low moan escaped
them.
John Parsons sank down by the bed
side and looked at his boy with agony
depicted in every lineament of his face
more terrible than that of his child's,
and when another moan came and the
eyes of his boy were turned to him as if
pleading for help, he buried his face in
the bedclothes and groaned as if his very
soul was being Wrung from him.
"You had better go for doctor at
once, " said Mrs. Jones, for that was the
woman's name; 'sthere's none nearer
than the Landing, ten miles away, and
the sooner he can be got here the bet
ter. My husband will be here in few
moments, and we will take the best
care of the child we know how until
you get back; and after all he may not
be SO badly hurt as he appears to be; it
it is only broken arm it doesn't really
amount to anything very serious except
the pain; and the sooner it is set the
less that will be-"
John Persons was on his feet and out
of the door almost before Mrs. Jones
had ceased speaking.
Stripping the gears from one of his
horses without even rnhitchino the tngs