Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-09-12
A Mouse In A jug.

er like to tell it; in fact, [ have never
told it but once in all these years
Yes, you may write it out if you wish;
it is not that | dislike to have people
know it, but that it is painful for me
90 recall that terrible hour. This is
the story:
In the spring of 1875 brother Fred
and / broke away from the old home
stead and went west to make our for
tunes After drifting about for some
time, we found ourselves on the
banks Of stream in southern Kan
sas called the Medicine river. Here
we found rich land, plenty of timber,
little danger from Indians, and it
seemed likely that we should be di-
rectly in the path of railroad which
was slowly extending westward. This
was what we had been seeking, so
without more ado we staked off two
adjoining quarter sections and began
the term of our residence"
We erected a double shanty on the
liue between our claims, SO that we
lived together and yet each was on his
own land. Other men seeking homes
soon came, many bringing their fami
lies, and before long we had several
near neighbors. Better houses than
3ugouts and sod shanties began to be
IN demand, and as Fred and I were
handy with tools we soon had plenty
of work.
Among the cliffs in our vicinity
were vast quantities of gypsum rock,
which, when burned in a kiln, is finer
and better for plaster than lime. Our
supply of gypsum was nearly ex-
Aausted when neighbor called on US
TO build house for him. Thus it was
that while Fred went to see about the
timbers he sent me to find a fresh de-
post of gypsum, and if possible one
more easily got at than any we had
yet found.
Combining pleasure with business,
4 took my rife, and having easily
found the deposit of gypsum I sought
i determined to explore the hills to
the southwark more thoroughly than
I had yet done. All day [ tramped
Through the woods and over the hills,
enjoying the early summer weather
and learning much of the surrounding
country.
Later in the evening found myself
N a part of the country where had
never been before, and several miles
from home. I climbed a slight emf
Hence to take an outlook and deter
mine the easiest way home. Tired
with my days tramp and heated by
the exertion of climbing I sat down to
rest. While | was resting I became
deeply interested in the antics of
cloud in the southwest. Though the
air about me was perfectly calm the
cloud was rising and falling, writhing
zxzd twisting as if in great pain. Sud
denly other little patches of cloud
came skurrying up, apparently bent
ON finding the cause of so much dis
t4rbance.
THAT fellow has the colic,'' / said
10 myself, '.and these are the doc
tors"
The fancy tickled me exceedingly.
apparently it was very bad fit of
collie, for the little cloud soon swelled
to enormous proportions and grew
very black in the face.
e'They'n have to bleed him or he'll
have fit,'' I chJ1ekled.
This went on for some minutes, the
cloud growing bigger and blacker, till
the lightning began to fash back and
forth and I awoke to the fact that
terrible storm was rapidly bearing
down upon the very spot where sat.
1t also dawned upon me that I had
been watching the formation of
genuine cyclone, cor twister,'' as we
called it, and had acted very foolishly
III not seeking shelter before.
4 huge oak stood on the hill near
nae, but | knew too we'll the danger
Incurred by seeking shelter under it.
& hundred yards down the slope to
the east was an immense bowIder,
behind which l hastily concluded to
crouch if nothing better offered.
Down the hill dashed, hearing in the
distance the dull crashing of the
storm. Nearly at the foot of the hill
lay the rock, close by little gully.
On rounding it L was agreeably sur
priSed to find a hole in the rocky
ground large enough to admit my
body knelt and peered in. 1t seem
ed TO be cave some ten or twelve
feet deep, but could see little of the
interior. 1t would afford me shelter
from the storm-but suppose I should
find in it a bear or mountain lion!
A sudden darkening of the air and
a deafening crash from the timber on