Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1888-09-13

I w y FSTgMz
N~-l -
MfAeH
HE SORROwFULLY WATCHED HIS FATHER
OUT OF SIGHT.
things generally to rights Then No
! )ok the pick and shovel and went to
work in the tunnel. His father had
fired blast the day previous and the
tunnel was half choked with earth and
fragments of rock.
To clear this mass away was hard
work for boy; but Bat labored stead
lily, and by nightfall had accomplished
large part of the task.
As the sun went down somber line
of cloud crept up from the northwest
and the wind shifted into that quarter.
Shortly after dark it increased in vio-
lence, and Bat. going out hoping for
the sound of footsteps that would an
nounce his fathers return, found the
air filled with fine, sand-like particles
of snow, which, shifting his face, stung
and cut it like bits of broken glass.
Chilled and sick at heart, he crept
back into the dug-out, piled the fuel
higher in the little sheet-iron stove
and endeavored to prepare his simple
meal. His worst fears were realized.
The blizzard had come. What if his
father, intoxicate and helpless, should
be caught in it?
He tried to persuade himself that his
father had remained at the camp. He
was an old mountaineer, and, Bat ar
gued, would not be likely to start for
home with the signs of blizzard SO
plainly dlscernible. But drunken man
lacks Judgment and caution, u fact Bat
well knew; and then he might have
set out early in the afternoon, and,
overcome by liquor, fallen by the side
of the trail
Again and again Bat opened the door
and strained his eyes through the
pitchy darkness. Each time the snow
whirled in in binding drifts and
the icy blast extinguished the lamp
that he had placed in front of the pane
of glass which served for window, in
the hope that it might guide his father
home should he be wandering any.
where on the mountain side.
When the supper was prepared, in.
stead of eating it he set it away. He
had been ravenously hungry on quit
ting work, but somehow the coffee hat
lost its appetizing odOr, the steamine
flap-jacks seemed fiat and heavy ant
the crisp bits of bacon reminded hin
of chips,
Suddenly there came light tap or
the door, followed by a low whine
Had he not been listening so intentl,
the bowling winds would have born,
tho sounds away unheard. He sprans
to the door and threw 1t open. Shep
who had followed his master tina
morning, came in with the whirline
snow, his shaggy coat as white as tn,
drifts outside.
Bat held the door open, needless O
the shifting winds, and, shading hi
eyes, endeavored to pierce the thicl
darkness.
He called again and again, but tn
thunder of the storm drowned his calls
Then he remembered the old muske
that was always kept loaded in tn
dug-out aud left the door to get it. TIL
door swung wildly, then banged to an
the suffering lamp went out, plung
ing the room in darkness, except wher
the fire from the sheet-iron stove sen
rudy glow across the earthen floor
. Paying no heed to this Bat dragge
the gun from its corner and agai
pulled the door open. A moment late
! he pressed the trigger. The gloor
was pierced for an instant by the fam
that 1eaped from the muzzle of tn
musket. But the muffled "boom" {
the explosion was swallowed up in tn
roaring of the winds. Bat listene
, anxiously for several minutes, the
= closed the door, showed the bolt int
!. place and again lighted the lamp.
= The room was intensely cold and h
:, crammed more wood into the stow,
The dog, shaking in every limb, crel
closer to him as if for companionship
. "Where'd you leave i'm. Shep, O
feller?" Bat asked, patting his head.
The dog whined and crept still close
looking straight into the fire.
q '.Oh, if he cu'd on'y talk! Pap mu
be some'eres clost. Mebbe layin'
n the snow not more'n ten feet from Il
o door,"
v Then, as thought struck him:
"D'you reckon you c'u'd take me
q him? That's a good dog! Where
!. hep"
n Shep looked into his young master
h face, then at the door, and whine
|. anxiously.
+ II do b'leeve the dog c'u'd find hir
q It's jest awful to think't, mebbe he
+ a-freezin' ter death right by the door
+ Then his face lighted with stern d
termination.
"a I'm try it, any how. l don't b'lee'
Y I'd git lost. with the dog, an l k
come back ter the dug-out eff dor
IL find any thing"
He searched about until he came upC
a stout cord. This be tied about q
!. dogs neck. Then he put on his heay
q coat and mittens. and fastened Il
4" loose end OF the cord to his wrist