Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-02-08


"No said his father, as he stopped 10
kiss him, if anything happens you'll have
10 walk "
Harry shut the door after them and then
watched them from the window. Archer's
light disappeared as he ran down the hill to
where the rest lived Fetrow's light went
to the tool house, and then stood still on the
ground, throwing strange shadows, as Fe-
trow opened the tool house aud got out the
hand cars and the shovels Then Archer's
light came back with six other lights, and
they all started off down toward the east.
1t was about seven o'clock, but Harry
was very sleepy. So he blew out the lamp,
took his candle and went up TO bed There
were no curtains in his windows yet, so, as
he lay in bed, he could see the great red eye
of the signal tower. At first he felt very
lonely. He had never been alone in an
empty house before and the wind blew,
and the rain beat, and the house creaked
now and then in a way he did not like
But the big red eye was company for him,
and he dozed off quite comfortably. But
Just as he was dropping off, he woke up
with jerk.
\ train had stopped at the station He
sat up in bed, and saw the red light 20 out
and then the light in the tower 20 out
ran across the wet shining platform and
boarded the train Then there was a clat
ter as the train went on, and everything
was black
1t was so black that Harry could not even
make out the white snow. But he shut his
eyes tight, So as not 10 see the blackness
and then he found he could see quite plainly
his father and mother Just as they looked
sitting together at home, with the baby on
his mothers knee And little by little, he
heard less of the wind and the rain aud the
strange creaks, till he heard nothing at all
and saw nothing at all ; for he was asleep
1t was long time before he woke Then
he first thought he was dreaming of Mag
ara Fall, for really he thought he could
see it Just a, it is in the geography and he
heard it-above the howling of the wind
and the splashing of the rain and the
strange creaks of the house, he heard "A
great rushing of water.
He rubbed his eyes and then lie did not
see the Falls any more but still he heard
this great rushing of water.
He sat up in bed. but it was all black
again. Then he lay down, and thought it
must be the wind and rain But no he
could hear them and the rushing, too. At
first he tried 10 20 to sleep but the mere
IL can't help it, ," he said 81 can't stop
the rushing, so why cant 90 to sleep e
But. as he lay, he began to think of what
Archer had said about the culverts and the
fre>hets, and Mr.. Smith up to his waist in
water.
IF they are having freshet on the other
section, why should they not have one here
But, - he argued with himself, what can
do The operator has gone, and 1 can't
telegraph If it takes father an hour to 20
to Six Mile Dump on his hand car how
long will it take me What can do !;
And still he could hear that rushing of
water. Then he answered himself Ger
tamly you can't do anything while you are
lying here. Get up ~
So he got up and lighted his candle Then
he dressed himself and put on his coat and
cap and boots
Downstairs he found that there was one
lantern, LETT standing in the corner. He
lighted it; and, leaving his candle on the
window seat, he started out with the Ian
tern into the night
The rushing of the water was coming
from the culvert. The rain had been melt
ing the snow up in the mountain; and, in
stead Of the brook he had seen last night
there was a large stream rushing down
fIe walked up the track till he was Just
over the cuvert, and turned his lantern so
that it shune down. There was a real lake
of water on this side and Just against the
culvert, was a great tree which had tloated
against it, branches and all There were
smaller trees and logs tangled up in the
branches, and together they made a dam
over which the water was pouring like a
waterfall Then he remembered again
about Mr. Smith and the axe, and he wish
ed that he were there aud then he thought
Of his fathers last words to him, 'If any
thing happens, you must walk. "
So, without going back to the house, he
started down the track in the way his
father had gone. At first it was not hard
His lantern gave "A good light and he
tramped along on the sleeperS right merrily.
| But it was raining very hard and, first his
| knees grew wet, and the rain came through
his clothes on his shoulders, and he began
to feel cold and wet. Then his lantern
| grew dim He did not dare open it to try
| to fix it, it blew so hard. So with his bad
| light, he could hardly see the way : and at
/ last he stumbled so that he fell into the
/ ditch, aud filled one of his boots with water,
and his lantern went entirely out. Then
/ he stopped and pulled off his boot to pour
]
again with some difficulty, for his stocking
was all wet, when he heard a great rum
bling, and had only just time to jump off
the track AS train came up behind him,
aud passed him, going with a rush.
He called up from the ditch "Stop
Stop But no one heard him.
"Oh, if | were only ON that train ~ he
cried, and the tears came into his eyes
and, as he pulled out his handkerchief to
wipe Them he found it was wetter than his
eyes.
Come, come now, Harry said he,
aloud though in rather quaveriug voice
If you cant ride, you can walk SO he
limped along on the other track and forced
the tears back
He could see very little but he walked
close to the rail, so that he could kick it
now and then, and kept himself straight,
He walked on and on, sometimes in cuts
and sometimes ON the tops Of embankments,
where the wind nearly blew him OIL the
road. lie did not mind being wet now
but he was growing very cold, and his feet
had 10 be dragged from one tie 10 another
At last he saw ahead of him a red light
it was very far off but he thought he could
get there. He counted hundred steps
then a hundred more As he was finishing
the third hundred he reached the door
somehow he got it open, and clambered ~
the stairs ON hands and feet As he reach
the top he saw some one sitting at the table
Quick" said he, quick Tell father
there's wash-out at Canister culvert
Quick, or he'll he too late ~ Then he laid
his head ON the top step.
The operator stared. Then he telegraph
ed the superintendent, "A messenger from
Canister reports "a wash out at the culvert
Then he picked up the fainting boy, stripped
off his clothes. built IA roaring fire, anC
rubbed some life into him.
The message was in time. The road ha1
Just been mended at Six mile Dump, anC
the whole force was loaded on the wreck
train 10 20 up to Canister They stoppe,
at the tower from which the news had come
aud there Fetrow found his boy sitting uI
and eating the operators supper
Father, said he, ANY one would hay,
come who heard what heard
So his father carried him down to th,
tram, and they all went up 10 Canister
The water was nearly up To the top of Tia,
culvert now II little more and the banl
might have gone. But they had the derricl
car ON the train and axes aud they pulle,
and cut at the logs and trees till the wate
flowed through untrammelled, and the roa,
was safe
|
The worst feature about catarrh is its danger
. GUS tendency tu consumption. Hoods Sarsapu
rilla cures catarrh by purifying the blood