The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-06-21
SARGE PLUNKETT.
A Terrible Storm Slips Up on tho Old Ma

SARGE PLUNkETT.
A Terrible Storm Slips Up on the Old Man.
atlanta Constitution.
have seed sights and felt feelings but
I never seed nothing like cyclone befofe
nor never felt nothing like the feelings
they bring
Along in the night Of Sunday night I
WAS walked up by the old 'oman hunching
me in the back with her elbow in no very
mild manner. ! had resolved to lay still
and let her hunch till she wore her arm
out, for 1 thought she wanted fire kin
died, when a loud clap Of thunder away
in the northwest was answered by just as
deep roll from the south, which at once
livened the old lady up, and she added
kicks and shakes along with the elbow
persuasion. Another clap of thunder
and her feet played like the sticks of q
kittle drum on my poor old body every
where from the sole of my feet to about
the waistband of my pants, while her
hands kept time by general scramble
with the rest of my feeble frame, especi'
ally my hair.
"Whst do you wantf" I yelled, when
I seed she was desperately in earnest.
Before she could answer again the
thunders rolled, and deeper than before
and much nearer. She lit out of bed and
from the door I heard her scream:
"such clouds SUCH clouds I"
thought by this time that it was we'll
enough for me to get q move myself, fol
the lightnings flashed and the thunders
rolled till 1t seemed great battle Of
mighty clouds advancing to grapple each
other. The one from the northwest
seemed to be trying old Sherman's plan
of getting around the one from the south,
when suddenly the southern cloud chang
ed Its direction and went rolling and
tumbling to the northeast. I saw that
the monsters were bound to cross each
others path somewhere and was sure
there would be shock when they came
together. I arose from bed with an air
of not being tall scared, to run against
the old 'oman who was in 6dget trying
to get her homespun frock over her head.
I was moving by this time; I didn't have
no time to kindle a light nor help her-I
wanted my pants and wanted 'em bad,
for by this time I was certain that pow.
erful storm was coming. I got hold of
my pants after skinnipg my shins over
three or four chairs, but I couldent get
into them to save my life. I was right
smart on the fdgety order myself by this
time, and slapped by right foot into the
left leg of the pantaloons, and as I tried
to stand on one foot to pull them off q
sharp clap of thunder throwed me off my
balance and fell fiat on the floor in q
tangled condition, with my breeches and
some chairs. I kicked a.loose in heap
shorter time than it takes me to tell it,
and pants or no pants, the mules must be
got out from among the old trees of the
pasture. The mules bad shifted the dan.
ger, it seemed, and met me short dis
tance from the let gate. got the bride
on the "big mule" as we call him, but I
hardly know how I did it, for by this
time the storm was upon us. The mighty
clouds had come together with q jar that
shook the earth. Boards were flying and
timber was falling; whole panels Of
fencing we're in the air, and houses
screaked as they we're wrenched from
their foundations, and hsy and shucks
blinded the elements. T think "the big
mule" had "been there" before, for he
stifened himself with all his might, with
tail to the storm. I held to the bride
like grim death as the storm lifted me
from my feet and stretched me out,
waving like string, from the end of the
bride reins. Hold "big mule" hold
bride and grip WAS my prayer, as l
whirled like cylinder or popped like s
whip.
In an instant the whole thing was over,
and the clouds went rumbling, tumbling,
like many mountains of seething black.
ness. Great waves collided with re-
bound, to meet in a moment again with
gathered power. "You shall not cross
my path" seemed to say one to the other,
as they would come together in roll of
blackness and run side by side in zigzag
curves as one or the other seemed the
most powerful. As I watched these
clouds I lay upon the ground at the feet
of the "big mule" The animal had
relaxed his strain and looked down on
me as if he pitied my frazzled condition,
but I knew that the pity of the average
Georgia mule would not do to risk myself
in that position very long dpon, 30
gathered myself together as we'll as
could and went stumbling and scramb.
ling to find the old oman. The storm
had not touched the dwelling, and I soon
had all the comfort that could be given
me by free use Of camphor, "spirits"
and kind sympathy-principally "spirits"
for bright light blazed in the fire
place and we were ready to laugh at our
antics CT cry in gratitude for the mercy
shown us.
have not word to say about our
damage. We Jared so much better than
many of our neighbors that I am con-
tent. Mr. Elijah Webb, the great old
hardshell patriarch, living on a place
settled hundred years ago, with houses
built in the strong way of those days, had
all his outhouses swept away. The storm
handled the big hewed logs as if they
had been straws, and scattered them to