Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1892-05-14

JOSidH dlsO saw ADueF looking over
his unexpected acquisitions. Among
them was Josiah's own stalk-rake. Alb
ner was contemplating it with smiles of
welcome.
Then, for the first time in almost a
year, josiah set foot on his neighbor' s
land, and walked over to where Abner
stood grinning.
"1'll come and git that rake after a
WHILE" said Josiah, shamefacedly.
"Don't think ye will, answered Alb
| ner.
"An' why don't ye think 1 will2'
"'Cause forbid ye to set foot on my
land"
"Ain't that my rake?'
"Wasn't them my rails ye jist the
same as stole las spring."
Didn't put in a hull month clearin'
yer logs ont O my corn6eld2"
"What dye call them, then, an whose
air they?"
Abner pointed to his oatdeld, thickly
studded with logs and drift which had
undeniably come from Josiah's wood.
land.
~ low we're about even, Alb, so
femme have my rake and we won't say
nothin' about the rails" said Josiah.
81 guess we're higher even as we
stand, so ye kin let the rake stay right
whar it is.
Josiah walked home without word
in reply. Abner stood chuckling over
the discontinue of his brother-in. law.
Late in the afternoon the Lane, fed
fuller by countless GREEKS farther up,
crept over its banks and came gliding
gently into the little depressions of the
adjacent fields.
No sooner was it dark than Abner
Baldwin, armed with shotgun, took his
stand behind tree near the pile of
drift where the rake lay.
No sooner was it DARK than Josiah
Clint, telling his hired man to follow
him with wagon and team as soon as
the moon was up, started for the scene
of his late encounter with his neighbor.
Josiah intended to clear away the rub
Dish from his rake and have it ready to
load into the wagon when it arrived.
Abner had OWNED Josiah's intention, and
was prepared to keep him away, even by
using the shotgun.
Meantime the river was creeping,
through the fields anl across the wood
lands. Josiah had no little trouble in
making his way in tine darkness. At
last, when there was but one little de-
preston between him and the rake. he
found that hollow filled with water,
and sat down to await the coming of
the wagon.
Long he waited there in the darkness,
no sound audible save the roar of the
river at distance, aud the tapping of
the watepas it rose higher AMI higher.
The moon was just casting her first faint
beams across the land, when, above the
sounds of the rushing current aud of the
nearer water which had risen almost to
his feet, Josiah heard something of d
still more alarming nature. A coutin-
uous crashing as of splintering timbers
came from point up the Lane River.
Blent with this was a loud roaring,
which grew momentarily louder and
came on.
What could it be- Josiah rose from
the ground aud peered anxiously in the
direction OF the sounds. Louder and
louder, nearer and nearer, and more
incomprehensible! Surely that was a
falling tree he heard.
Another aud another fell, each nearer
than the last! Just then the moon came
boldly into view, and disclosed to Josiah
line of white foam racing madly toward
him across Abner's oatfeld.
Then the truth was plain. D3ming's
great levee had broken, the Lane was
coming down like low wall moving at
speed, and Josiah was caught in the
| flood.
He stood for few moments without
/ power to fly or even to take his eyes from
that wide crest of water charging down
upon him. Next instant he was whirled
away by the torrent, scarcely able to KEEP
his heal above the water. Soon he man,
aged to grasp solid timber and steady
himself enough to look around.
Josiah had already drifted considerably
behind the crest of the wave, and wa;
now being carried rapidly across his owl
farm, in company vita brush, logs, corn
stalks, and his rails--aud Abner's.
But to what was Josiah clinging fo
support9 lie could hardly believe it
but it was his stalk-rake, the very thing
he had gone to bring away. Still more
astonishing, there was mau clinging to
the other end of the rake, and he looked
wonderfully like Abner Baldwin. Josiah
had begun to think it was only some ter.
rible nightmare after all, when a voice
hailed him:
"That you, Si2"
"Yes. That you, Ab9"
eyes, but don't b'leeve 1 kin hold
on much longer"
''l'll help We; jist hang on bit longer.
Josiah edged his way along to the
place where Abner was clinging, placed
an arm around him, and grasped rake.
tooth firmly with each hand.
81 don't deserve it, ST." said Abner.
II was goin' to keep this here rake"
NO, we WASH t, Alb. | was goln' t.
steal it this very night"
''No, We wasn't, 81. was goin' to fill
We full O. birdshot."
'Wal, it seems to be a sort of a
partnership affair iist now, as we've both
got considerable interest in it," said
JOSIAH, grimly.
Rapidly they drifted over Josiah's
farm until they came to Salt Creek, whose
swift cross current bore them out into
the main channel of the Lane. Both
men were nearly exhausted when they
were drifted into an eddy, whence they
managed to climb on great log, and
from there into a scrubby tree.
Abner had been struck by piece of
timber when the food caught him, and
now suffered great pain. Josiah held
him in the tree.
All night long the food roared past
them, bearing uprooted trees, buildings
and various wreckage. But the two
men were happy in their reconciliation;
/ for thouoh neither said a word IN the