The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1890-01-09

Night was dropping down over The
valley. The storm king was abroaC
in all his fury. The night gaY,
promise of being terrible one.
Joel's heart reproved him for not let
ting the children 90 sooner when lle
opened the door and heard the sullel
roar which came from the gorge.
He listened sharply.
Yonder came a man on horseback
riding rapidly.
| What was the matter?
The rush of waters smote his ear.
The truth flashed over him.
The ice gorge had given away.
The young mans face grew pale as
he drew the children back into the
| house and shut the door He could not
let them 60 now. 1t was too late.
! A few minutes more and Il wild cur.
rent of water swept around the build,
ing, cutting off all hope of escape or
foot. 1t was now plain that they were
! hemmed in.
The horseman waved his hand
| toward them and then wheeled away to
| seek other means of reaching the
| school-house. 1t was trying place fOl
| the young teacher. and some courage
was required to look calmly into the
| faces of the awe-stricken children and
try to quiet them.
But in this he had helper in Nan
The girls face showed nothing of the
terror Joel expected to see in her. The
| woman seemed 20 have suddenly come
instead of the rollicking girl. She was
| here, there, everywhere cheering the
younger ones in a most motherly way.
How this crisis had transformed her
| Joel noticed more than ever now what
a strong face she had. He had always
| thought her pretty; now a look had
| come upon her features which indi,
Gated the spirit which makes women
heroic. She had become calm, self.
possessed woman.
While Joel was thinking of this,
| through the dusk came boat manned
| by two farmers. 1t slowly pushed its
way through the current, fighting hard
against the wind, ice and drifting wood
but it was not long before the rescuers
reached the imperiled house. Joel
could no longer open the door without
| letting in a little ocean. Tiny rivulets
were spreading over the floor. The
| only way TO set the children into the
boat was through an open window.
i Not more than half the number were
able to get into the boat. The rest must
wait.
Hadn't you better get in now, Mr..
Professor?" asked one of the men when
the boat was ready to push off for the
bank.
Not as long as there is any one else
/
he gave the boat a steady shove away
| from the house.
A half hour of suspense passed. Then
| the dim outline of the boat appeared
| through the gloom again.
The boat is full enough" said Joel
as he tucked the last one of the child
ren securely into the boat. The load
would be too heavy and trouble might
come of it if should get in. | hope
the worst is over anyhow. Even if the
water rises two feet more | can still
find way TO keep out of it till morn
ing perhaps"
''Tan't just the thing to leave you
| here" said one of the men hesitatingly.
"Get in and We'll get through all right,
| l guess"
No" was the quick response. GO
ahead. If you can come for me, all
right. If not
He paused. Something in Mans
| eyes awoke a tumult in his breast. A
strange light shone in them and as
| Joel leaned down from the window
toward her, in answer to slight move.
| ment of her hand, she whispered:
'Mr. Sherwood, I'm sorry I've made
YOU so much trouble this winter.
didn't mean it. viii you forgive me?'
The only reply Joel gave was warm
pressure of the hand. That was enough,
| She understood it. Then the boat
| pushed out into the twilight.
But it left behind a very happy young
man, in spite of his desperate position.
| After such confession from Nan what
| could he not endure? Floods could
not sweep away the joy which thrilled
| him.
But an hour sped by and still Joe
was alone. The water kept rising
steadily till it drove him to the top o1
| the desks. He noticed that the tide was
coming up much faster than at any
time before. There was no longer suci
| a rush about the house.
Joel made up his mind that the gorge
must have formed somewhere below
him, and the water no longer able to
run out, was backing up leaving him
| in the midst of great sea. If this were
| true the outlook was not at all en-
couraging.
He peered anxiously out over The
waters for some sign of the returning
boat Nothing but intense darkness
| met his gaze.
Another hour passed. Inch by incl
the river crept up. driving him from
place to place until he was now on the
highest possible point. Now he must
quietly await his fate.
But it was not very heroic to he
drowned like rat. He must do some
thing to save himself.
At length star glimmered in the
distance Hope sprang up again
Some one was kinder to him than ht
| deserved.
How slowly the light came. 1t wa;
hard battle with wind and torrent.
Suddenly the awful rush came again.
Had the gorge below given way? Their
| heaven save him, =
He felt the shock. The building
trembled. Something had struck il
| heavily, and it was being carried dowr
into the raging flood.
Ii was time for him to act. To re
| main where he was would be death.
He flung up the window and looked