The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1888-07-21

while Rob's mother fed them generous
bowls of bread and milk. cookies.
gingerbread and berries, and coaxed
them with toothsome broths and eggs.
She privately said to Rob's father that
it was pitiful to see how much OF them
was merely clothes and how little was
body.
But it was Rob who took chre of
them all the day, taking them to the
barn to hunt for eggs or watched the
COWS MIXED; giving the part of his
garden patch and helping them weed
and water the mignonette, petunias
and struggling sweet peas they
planted: teaching them to ride his
velocipcde. and even initiating them
into the mysteries of playing marbles
and ball. He swung them till his
manly arms ached. He took them
fishing with him. although their chat
ter drove the perch away and he was
obliged TO come away with only three
on his twig. Rob was natural fisher
man and this was indeed trial, for
his efforts were never before so poorly
rewarded. Every game he knew he
taught Bessie and Amy, and showed
them every favorite hiding place.
They in their turn thought him the
..loveliest boy in the world" and each
little scrawl of letter to their mother
was chiefly made up of Rob did this.
or Rob showed us how" or Rob let
us take that"
The days passed by swiftly and hap
PLY for these young people and
August was drawing towards its end.
The DAYS were oppressively hot, and
the children. tired of books and quiet
games, one day went down the country
road. shaded by naples and elms set
set out by Rob's grandfather. 10"
said Rob. "let's 60 and sit under that
big maple by the river! l can see the
leaves move. and guess there'll be a
breath of air there and lots of stones
and sticks to peg into the water"
Rob led the way. crawling through a
convenient hole in the rail fence. Skip
went the stones and splash went the
water, struck now and then by bits OF
tree branches. Laughing and shout
ing as each threw, absorbed in skip
ping stones, they did not heed the
danger coming near.
A loud, snarling bark was suddenly
heard and. looking up. Rob saw large
black dog with foarning mouth, leap
ing the fence and coming towards
them. In an instant he seized Bessie
and Amy's hands. and fairly dragging
them down to the river, stepped reso-
lutely into the water. The little girls
lost their trust in "what Rob did" and
began to scream and plunge back
at the touch of the cold water. Rot
took them by the arms almost roughly
and pulled them in by main force. Il
was severe strain for him, and his
face whitened and every muscle in legs
and arms was rigid with the effort.
But he never let 60 his hold, dragging
with all his might until he reached the
middle of the river. The girls were
now sobbing with fright and clingine
to him in turn. afraid to stir, afraid
even to look at the water. All tho
while the dog was running up and
down the bank, snarling and bowling
fierccly at them. while the foam
dropped from his mouth in horrid white
patches. The current was quite swift
but Rob knew his ground. JUS
along under the tree was sand bal
which ran out well into the stream, OF
which his brother had taught him t,
swim and where he had often been. II
would have been easy to stand Their
alone. but with two crying, frightened
children it was quite another matter t.
keep his footing in the current
although the water was scarcely up Il
his waist.
20 Bessie" he cried ''dotry to stant
still and not push against me so, for
must keep hold Of Amy. too. Yol
know she's the littl'st and you'll hell
me. won't your" he added in coaxinl
. tones as Bessie stopped her crying fo1
moment But glance at the dos
, made her tears break forth afresh
20 Rob. am so afraid of the dog! O
he'll bite us; he will, he will! See hin
jump! What shall we do! Rob. dea
Rob, do take us home! o. papa, papa
and Bessie clutched Rob with bot
hands. trembling all over.
20, am so coldr' sobbed Amy. q
, want to 60 home! The dog! the dog
, don't let him bite me! Oh! Oh! sh
shrieked, pitifully.
There, there" said Rob, ''Don'
l be afraid; I'll take care of you. TIL
q dogs mad; I've heard lots about them
you see. and they won't touch water
( It's like poison to them. We mus
9 just stay here where he won't touc
rs and nv and nv he will Oet sick r