Martinsburg gazette. (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1886-1887, 1886-11-15


great danger that overhung the town was
fire. If forest fire should ever get be-
You'd control nothing could save the
place, the farms, the houses, or even the
people. Flight would be nearly impossible.
Where could they go from the fire that
outran the wind2 Where could they hide
from a tempest Of flannel From obscr-
wing he moved on, impelled by desire
to do something, If the need came, for
Nina, to invention. He would prepare
for that dreadful day--the coming Of
fire: Not with swift horses to run to
tie river; that were idle. He would
stay and fight the fire. He would build
an ark of safety against the deluge of
smoke and flame. He thought much
about the matter, and even neglected his
work, and wandered about the country,
spade in hand, in search of something
He soon found it, almost mile from
the town, and at once sold part of his
land and with the proceeds bought what
seemed worthless tract Of land on the
banks Of little run. He smiled in q
quiet way to himself when the bargain
was complete. The ignorant settler had
practically sold mine q mine of alu-
nina, most precious of metals, but
wrapped in the dull disguise Of q clay
bank.
"Guess she'll have me when put up
my brick yard. 2
It was not for this he bought the clay
bank. He wanted clay for another pur-
pose. and the idea Of making bricks was
an after thought. That was little no
ton that would keep. First he must
prepare for the deluge. Already four
weeks had passed without rain. The
dust in the rough streets was almost un-
bearable. Three nights before, he had
seen q suspicious glare on the far south
ern horizon, where the grass seemed to-
meet the sky.
sThe day o. Judgment is loafn'
round somewhere. It's time the ark was
afloat.''
The next day he hired man and cart
to team clay from his new mine to- his
land in the village. The man shoyeled
up wealth and did not know it, and was
content with two dollars day for self
and horse As for Silas. be refused all
offers of work, and stald at home, busy
in one corner of his land, we'll removed
from trees or other buildings. Bynight-
fall he had set up In the ground q stock
ade Of stout posts. making an Enclosure
almost thirty feet square, with d mar
row opening at one side, which seemed
to serve as a gate Without and within,
the stockade was covered with laths,
while birch brush was woven in be-
tween the posts in rude kind of basket
work.
Atnightfall the people gathered about
the structure with curious questions as
to its object. Was it house, pound, cor
raj. or what2 To all of which he would
only reply, s It's kara which means
ark q safety" He seemed to work upon
the thing with sort of mad haste, eating
his meals In the open air, scarcely sleep
ing at all, and toiling nineteen hours in
one day. By the third day heavy fat
roof had been added, supported by
rough posts sunk in the ground within
the structure One narrow opening had
been left for door, and square hole
near the roof seemed intended for a win
dow. From carpenter he turned plas-
terer. The dry clay brought from his
pit was tempered with water, and with
big wooden trowel he plastered over
the entire structure, without and within,
with heavy coat of clay.
Now were the people convinced the
man was insane. Even Nina, who had
watched the work from her fathers
house, was moved to mixture of pity
and doubt doubt Of her own feelings
toward so foolish man, and doubt per-
haps Of the people, and dimly wondering
if it were not they who were insane.
Once, in the night, she had risen to wait
on her father, who was ailing, and had
crnna ont Il, The darLr 1 Z drn ~ an,,ac ,atrr