The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-09-19
HOW ROB SAVED "SHAcK."

what > Rrave Boy nd. and why H,s Pa.
rents are Proud of Him.
take good care OF .Shacx, RIB.
u will. mother"
And don't drop him into the cis-
term
NO, father" replied curly headed
Rob, with q laugh.
I'VE will be back before dark. dear
Rob-" and away drove his father and
mother 10 town. leaving sturdy ten
ycar-old Rob standing by the elaine
ehanty. where he watched the wagon
until il was lost to sight behind one of
tho little knobs in the rolling prairie.
Rob was not in the least afraid Of be-
ing left a.onc there. but it was the first
time he had ever been left in charge of
"Shack." and he felt little embar-
rasscd by the gravity OF his trust.
Shack was a remarkably good
baby. He derived his peculiar name
from the fact Of having been born in
the claim-shanty. which is called in
some parts OF the West a ''shack." He
was round-eyed. round-cheeked. and
possessed OF an astonishing amount OF
PIT ence. For he would let Rob stand
him on his head in the pile Of dirt by
the unfinished cis;ern, and never utter
q sound of complaint
''What'll / do to him il he howls?"
thought Bob. But shack seemed to
have no intention Of bowling He sat
on the floor, blinking Mt the hot sun
like toad. and looking SO comically
wise that Bob burst into n laugh. in
which Shack Joined. with chuckle
and a crow peculiar to himself
Come. Shack lets play" said
Rob. There lay the heap Of moist
earth right out Of the cis;ern. and. hap
PLY, in the shade OF the house ali the
afternoon.
A piece OF an old barrel stave made a
splendid trowel. A section OF stove
pipe made Il very good shovel. and in a
short time a gorgeous palace arose,
more substantial and producing more
real h'ppiness than many Of those
Spanish castles you sometimes build
when you get to be older children.
''Shacx" sat near by. almost as much
interested rs the youthful architect
himself. although it must be confessed
he did not help much in the building;
and. in fact. at q critical moment. by n
careless movement Of one of his feet.
he demolished the entire left wing of
the palace and flattenod the dungeon
tower 10 the ground.
Patient Rob bui it up again, and to
keep '.Shacs' occupied, put pie o..
sand into his lap, into which he thrust
his grimy hands and occasionally tast-
ed Of il. and made queer faces, at
which Rob laughed merrily.
But when the palace vas almost DONE
and Rob was putting the last touch 10
the last tower. il began to grow dark
very fast. Rob jumped and looked
around. There was big black cloud
coming up in the southwest. and Rob 8
heart beat fast rs he thought of cy-
clones. lie had heard his father and
mother talk about them. and they said
i. was best TO go down cellar when they
came. BIT there was no cellar dug yet
under tie NV house. which looked
ike a sinai. nou,hiul Tor a big cyclone.
The cloai was coming up very fast.
There was not !, whisper Of wind. but
right overhead. the edge Of the cloud
which now reached the zenith was
curling and twisting. strangely like the
c.cst OF Il wave when i: begins TO break.
The colors in it fascinated Rob so that
he allaost forgot the danger. until one
long rafting cash OF thnndc: rolled
over tho prairie. and the weeds on the
edge Il the breaking about the house
began to sway gently bac's and forth. as
thcy fel: the first breath Of the coming
storm.
The cloud dipped lower and lower 10
tho earth. and from its center. rs il
pushed down by u great hand above, a
funnel-sl,aped mass dropped to the
ground. and suddenly was dark rs
night except for the lightning. which
wits merged into one broad glare in.
stead Of coming in separate flashes.
Then Rob thought Of the cistcrn.
There was NJ waite. in it yet, and il
would answe.. the place Of cellar. He
was only Il boy. bu. me was big and
strong for his age. lie carried Shack
TO the edge o! tho c:stcra which might
have been Ten fee. deep, and then
loosci anaiously around 70: piece Of
rope which his father had used in pull
Ing up dirt tho day before. when one o.
the ncighbors helped him. II was nca:
by. and Rob tied one end OF it carefully
about Shack" close under his arms.
.D,n't c.y. .Shacx.' we'll have lots
O! !un." said Rob little TREMENDOUSLY
.iathcr told me not to drop you ints
the cistc-n, bu. / IN going to-"
Then the brave boy carefully lowere'
his precious load down the cistern. Th'
walls sloped inward Us they ncared thu
bottom. and ..ShacS' rubbed agains
them; but he was not hurt, and reached
Tic ground in safety.
Rob threw himself fiat on the groun.
Just as the cloud burst in all its fury
| 1t struck the frail shanty. and in tw'
seconds not board Of II was left. Ro]
dug his fingers into the ground. and al
though terribly frightened by the roar
and the darkness and tho lightning, ant
onco even lifted of tho ground an'
rolled completely over, no felt that
he could only hold out little longer
| al. would be safe. lie was fortunatei
sheltered little by the mound OF dir
behind which he lay.
The cloud passed as quickly rs
came. and as the rain begun TO fall in
torrent. Rob breathed again rs he real
lied that the cyclone had gone by. an
he was unframed.
He ran to the cistern. The rain wa
running into it in great streams, an
s.Shack." who was not proof agains
every thing. was beginning to c:y.
A great fear came over Rob tina
..Shack" might drown. He tried t
/ ..,u bi,, ~, hit HE sfron0 fh una mr.