St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-01-23
YOUTHS DEPARTMENT.
WHAT JACK DID.
How He Crossed the River on the Broken
Ice, and His Desperate Encounter with q
Wounded Deer.

Ice, and His Desperate Encounter with q
Wounded Deer.
"It's all nonsense being afraid;
mother. The ice isn't going to break
up Yet, and if it is, how can we let
these poor little things wait?''
The big boy bent tenderly over two
little girls who were tossing and moan
ing with fever.
The mother looked anxiously out of
the window, feeling it cruelty hard to
make the choice OF the two evils which
lay before her. Here were the two
children alternately shivering and
burning in all the miseres of ague,
with no medicine in their sore need
On the other hand was the sending out
of Jack to encounter known and I'M
known dangers, as her fears and fancies
declared, in order to bring it.
If it should break while you are
gone, Jack, what would you do?"
"Do? Why, do the best I can, to be
sure. 1t wouldn't be half so bad as
you imagine, mother. I've got the
strength of a man and the pluck Of
well, of a little woman he looked
proudly down upon the mother who,
widowed, was struggling through
roughness and hardness in this half
wild prairie country for the sake of her
children. I'm sure | don't know
where you'll find anything pluckier
than that l shall borrow Mr. Shows
old nag SO can go quickly. And I'm
going to take my gun and see if cant
bring home taste of something nice
for the darlings.'
Another look at the suffering chill
dren led the mother to give unwilling
consent that Jack should start out at
daybreak next morning. And in the
gray light of the early dawn she
watched him as with CHEEKY shout
and a wave of the hand to her he ran
down the little slope on which the house
was built and showed his boat into the
shallow water.
The river was mile distant but sue
cessive rains, besides filing every low
living spot, had caused it to overflow
its banks. At this point it was now
free of ice, but far above, many trib
utary was waiting to pour its crowding
contents upon the lower levels.
The water was not deep enough to
push a boat with any ease, and part of
his way was INSTRUCTED by coarse, high
grass, so that Jack had a good hours
tug before rounding clump of hazel
brush which lay between him and the
river Had he been working less hard
he would surely have noticed a crush
ing, grinding sound which grew louder
and louder as he APPROACHED
'.Thunderr' he said as he rested
moment on his pole and gazed about
him. You mast have took notion
to start Just about the time did, but
you've got ahead of me-
The first great cakes of running ice
were far below him. If he had come
half an hour earlier he would have re-
joiced in pushing out among them
and taking his, chances of steering
his way, but this was not now to- be
thought of.
"How can l 60 back?" he said, with
a sorrowful thought of the sick little
ones at home Il believe could walk
over that ice I'll try, anyway" A
large piece, extending for some dis
lance into the river, was floating by,
and without waiting for further consid-
Grafton he quickly tied his boat to a
tree and sprang upon it.
He ran over it and jumped from cake
to cake beyond. But as he neared the
middle of the stream where the current
was stronger, he began to realize that
his situation was perilous. TWAS easy
enough to spring from one quietly
floating surface to another, but in the
continually increasing pressure from
above they were now piling one upon
another, turning On edge, or turning:
over and over in manner that made
every footstep difficult and dangerous.
But Jack had cool head, and limbs
which swiftly and surely obeyeds its
suggestions.
I'm glad mother didn't see that"
ne said to himself as at last having
gained the further shore he leaned upon
q fallen tree to, steady his dizzy brain
and recover breath.
''Where did you come from?' said
Farmer Snow, staring. as Jack walked
into his stable-yard
Jack pointed back at the river
''Don't mean to say you come across
that ere iceF"
Eyes. do. Can.I. take old Rackar-
back to ride over to. the docton's, Mr.
Snowy
walked acrost that-'ere ics!. WeM
If you ben b the-the-" Farmer Snow
shook his head in utter despair Of en-
pressing kimself further. "Gan you
take Rackaback? Course you can.
Amt got your gun wet, be ye? No.
Well, here's Rackaback and the old
saddle. Crossed that ice! WelE-Fn
be blamed if-little gals sick, eha Too
bad. Take Bones, too, for company.
! Be off lively, now. Looks Ike the
Ir. ~, IL OF