The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1889-09-25
HOW ROB SAVED "SHACK.
What a Brave Boy Did, and Why His Pa
rcnts are Proud of Him.

stake good care OF Shack, Rob.
81 will, mother"
"And don't drop him into the els
tern"
"No, father" replied curly headed
Rob, with u laugh.
1--WE will be back before dark. dear
Rob-" and away drove his father and
mother to town, leaving sturdy ten
year-old Rob standing by the claim
shanty. where he watched the wagon
until it was lost to sight behind one Of
the little knobs in the rolling prairie.
Rob was not in the least afraid Of be-
ing left alone there, but it was the first
time he had ever been left in charge of
...Shack." and he felt a little embar-
rassed 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 checked, and
possessed Of an astonishing amount Of
patience. For he would let Rob stand
him on his head in the pile Of dirt by
the unfinished cistern, and never utter
sound Of complaint. ~
"What'll do to him il he howlsp"
thought Bob. But "Shack" seemed to
have no intention of bowling. He sat
on the floor, blinking at the hot sun
like toad. and looking SO comically
wise that Bob burst into a laugh, in
which ''Shack" joined, with a chuckls
and crow peculiar to himself.
Come. Shack let's play" said
Rob- There lay the heap Of moist
earth right out of the cistern, and, hap.
PLY, in the shade Of the house all the
afternoon.
A piece OF an old barrel stave made q
splendid trowel. A section OF stove.
pipe made very good shovel, and in 9
short time gorgeous palace arose,
more substantial and producing more
real happiness than many of those
Spanish castles you sometimes build
when you get to be older children.
''Shack" sat near by. almost as much
interested as the youthful architect
himself. although 1t must be confessed
he did not help much In the building
and, In fact, at critical moment, by 6
careless movement Of one Of his feet,
he demolished the entire left wing Of
| the palace. and hattened the dungeon
tower to the ground.
, Patient Rob built 1t up again, and Il
keep SHACK" occupied. put pile o
/ sand into his lap, into which he thrus
!, his grimy hands and occasionally tast
ed Of II. and made queer faces a
which Rob laughed merrily.
But when the palace was almost done
!, and Rob was putting the last touch Il
, the last tower, it began to grow darl
very fast. Rob jumped and looked
around. There was big black clout
coming up in the southwest and Rob
!. heart beat fast as he thought of cy
clones. He had heard his father an,
mother talk about them, and they SAT-
1t was best to go down cellar when the,
came. But there was no cellar dug We
under the new house. which locke
like small mouthful for a big cyclone
. The cloud was coming up very fast
There was not whisper Of wind, bu
= right overhead, the edge Of the clou
which now reached the zenith wa
curling and twisting, strangely like tn
!, crest OF a wave when it begins to break
: The colors in it fascinated Bob 90 the
. he almost forgot the danger, until on
. long. rafting crash Of thunder role
over the prairie, and the weeds on tn
edge Of the breaking about the hous
began to sway gently back and forth, 9
!, they felt the first breath Of the comm
, storm.
. The cloud dipped lower and lower
= the earth, and from it's center. as
!, pushed down by a great hand above,
, funnel-shaped mass dropped to Il
ground, and suddenly all was dark {
: night except for the lightning, whic
= was merged into one broad glare Il
=. = stead of coming in separate flashes.
Then Rob thought OF the cisterl
"a There was no water in it yet, and
:, would answer the place of cellar. T
was only boy. but he was big al
strong for his age. He carried Shack
to the cdge OF the clstern which migl
have been ten feet deep, and the
le looked anxiously around for piece
At rope which his father had used in pul
ing up dirt the day before, when one
~ the neighbors helped him. 1t was ne
by, and Rob tied one end OF it careful
about Shack" close under his arms.
Id Don't cry. Shack we'll have lo
IL OF fun," said Rob. little tremulousl
u. "Fathcr told me not to drop you in
the cistern. but I'm going to-"