The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-09-28

stay, shall just carry him back to his
home"
True to this resolve, the tender-hearted
little fellow did carry poor Rusty" back,
up the hill, and was made even happier
by witnessing the extravagant joy of the
pup and the mother dog at once more see-
ing each other than he had been by receiy-
ing the ChapDans' gift.
They made him stay to supper, after
which the whole family said they would
escort him down to the boat, of which Bert
and Sue b. talked SO much that their
parents were curious to see it. So, taking
lantern with them, for it was growing
dark. they started down the slope, at the
bottom of which they met Uncle Phn,
just coming to look for his "lil marse,"
ut whose long absence he had grown
anxious
Mr. Chapman, who was much interested
in this voyage of the old negro and his
little master, had brought down a small
lamp and gallon of oil for it as q present
to them, for Arthur had told him that they
had no light on board. Mrs. Chapman
brought q loaf of bread. Bert brought half
dozen eggs, laid by his own hen. and little
Sue. who could think of nothing else,
brought bunch of flowers from her own
garden. They had very merry time on
the presentation OF these gifts, for each of
which Uncle Phin returned thanks in his
own funny, earnest way.
When Arthur said he wished he had
something to give in return, for them to
remember him by, Mrs. Chapman said
that if he would only read to them one of
the stories out of his fairy book that the
children had told her of, it would be one OF
the most acceptable presents he could make
them. This the boy was willing enough to
do, and when the new lamp was lighted
and placed on the packing box that served
as table, and they had all found seats, he
read to them the story of Little Klaus"
who made bushels OF money by everything
that he undertook.
When he finished they all thanked him,
and Bert said If he had bushel of money
he would buy pony. Little Sue said she
baby. that would talk, and her mother said
IL they only had money enough they would
live near town where they would have
'neighbors, and where the children could
60 to school. Mr.. Chapman said it would
be very nice to have bushel of money and
tine house, but that they should be very
thankful for the one they had, especially
when such a storm was coming up as was
about to burst over them at that moment.
Sure enough 1t was laundering and the
guests Of the evening had not been gone
from the ark many minutes before great
drops Of rain began to fall. Nearer and
nearer swept the storm, and blacker and
blacker grew the night. until the awful
glare of the lightning was almost continu-
Gus and the crash of the thunder was deaf
ening. Silently, hand in hand, the two
occupants of the house-boat sat and
watchedi 1t.
Suddenly there fell q binding, dazzling
ball OF fire, accompanied by such an awful
burst of thunder as shook the solid earth.
The next instant the whole sky was lighted
by vast column of flame that seemed TO
spring from the hillside directly above the
place where the ark lay moored. One of
the great oil tanks had been struck by the
lightning, and now a raging, roaring mass
of flame shot up fifty feet into the air
above it, lighting the river and the
whole storm-swept country for miles
around with its fierce, lurid glare. 1t
was grand, but fearful sight, and the boy
chung closer to the old man, as he gazed
upon it with an eager fascination.
They could not at first understand the
deep, booming sounds that they began to
hear above the roar of the storm soon after
the fire broke out, and which were repeated
at regular intervals of a few minutes each.
Then Arthur remembered that Brace Bar
low had told him about firing cannon balls
into burning oil tanks. that the oil might
run out through the holes thus made, and
the danger of an explosion be lessened.
Mr.. Chapman was shooting at this tank
with small cannon that he kept on hand
! for just such an emergency.
| All at once the contents of the tank
seemed to boil over. A huge fountain of
blazing oil burst up from it and poured
down its sides. The oil running from the
shot holes near its base took fire. and, in
another instant, fierce torrent of flame
came rushing down the slope, directly to-
ward the little house-boat meored at its
! foot.
Poor Uncle Phin dropped on his knees in
an agony of fear, crying: "Oh. Lawd! Oh,