The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-01-24
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as strapping young fellow.of eighteen
years sprang into tho midst of the
party and, taking in the situation ut
glance, threw off his hat, coat and
boots, and dashing with Il mighty leap
into the scething hell of waters, swan
with giant strokes to the rescue. Be-
fore him stretched, not the peaceful
summer brook, which forty-cight hours
previously had rippled like a thread of
liquid silver through the lowland mead
ows, but foaming, raging flood full
half mile in width, covering to great
depth and from hill to hill on either
side, the lately smiling valley, and
bearing on its bosom n grucsomc pro-
cession of wrecked barns, houses,
bridges and fences, all intermingled
with uprooted trees, grain and hay
stacks and great whirling logs-among
which floatcd scores of cattle, sheep
and swine, all either already drowned
or struggling madly for their lives.
On the high bank stood group of
farm laborcrs with their wives, all of
whom for the last five minutes had
been ringing their hands and screaming,
crying praying in impotcnt anguish
as they saw little siX-year- Charlie
Vance sitting astride piece of board
already hundred yards from shore
and being rapidly carried farther out
toward the turbulent midstream cur
rent where he could not have maintained
his hold for moment
Not n man of the party could swim n
stroke, and, indeed, it looked DIS if GER
tain death must overtake even the
strongest swimmer who should be fool
hardy enough to brave the debris-cn-
numbered torrent now sweeping along
with restless force toward Lake Erie.
1t was while in this state of helpless
terror that one of the women had called
for John Lee, Il hardy, young Maine
fisherman, then busted further down
stream, whose verdancy in all farm
land ways had heret ofore exposed him
to not little ridic ulc-good- natured
enough on the part of all, except Mrs.
Vance, the mother of the impcriled
child whose sharp tongue and pungen c
wit. inspired by some unaccounta BILE
dislike, had well-nigh rendered his life
Il burden.
But John, although he had often
threatened to "get even with his
| prosecutor, thought of none of these
things now, as he saw the deadly dam
\ SSi VI hSi Ohif oOh NhOi IL SCCillot ld(l
slipped unobservcd from her side, gone
some distance upstream and, boylike,
set himself afioat on a fragment of
bridge plank.
The little fellows fate was appar-
emily sealed, and that of John seemed
hardly less certain, sturdy swimmer
though he was, for only by miracle
might he hope to escape being crushed
or disabled by some one of the thou
sand grinding and ever clashing objects
through which he must pick his peril
GUS way. Meantime, adding an ele-
ment of pathetic horror to the scene,
little Charlie, quite unaware of his
own jeopardy, laughed aloud and
shouted with glee as his frail raft.
borne high on the face of the warm
June flood, danced merrily along as If
it, too, enjoyed the sport.
The poor people on shore watched
Johns progress in agonizing suspense
rs the current fairly caught and hur-
ricd him two feet downstream for
every one he made across.
But the gallant youth knew too
much to waste his strength in attempt