Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-05-06

| Derguau iooheu stohuiy ous INV VIC
storm.
"You go away viz yourselves" he
shouted. "You like putty veil get ms
out by dis valley, hehl You ko away
/ neffer will ko, say youp
He had allowed the door to open
gradually, and stepped partly out into
storm as he grew more in earnest, aud
wound up in quite rage, shaking his
fist in Bob's face.
He was plucky fellow, at least, as
the boys admitted; aud believing that
they were maliclously trying to get him
and his family out into the storm for
some purpose, he was determined to
make bold resistance.
"vot you goin' do by DAFT" he ex-
claimed; for Tex, while the Swede was
talking, had pressed up close behind Bob
on his pony, and hearing the well-known
roar of the washout, knew that some
thing must be done quickly. The pony
which he rode had, as stock ponies often
do, rope dragging at its neck. Gather
ing this quickly into coil, Tex swiftly
made a. running moose, and yelling
sharply to Bob to get out of the way,
dropped it over the Swede's head and
shoulders. Then he gave it a sharp
jerk, aud started his pony of at trot.
TIE throw was skilfully made. 1t
caught Bergman about the middle, pin.
ioning his arms at his sides. The pony
dragged him away 10 spite of his strug-
giles and yells.
"Fetch them cotton-tops quick, Bobr"
called Tex, as he hauled the struggling
man away toward higher ground.
Bob needed no admonition. As Berg
man was jerked past him be sprang
through the doorway. The woman had
got out of bed, aud stood with blanket
thrown around her and a small child in
her arms. She had lighted small Ian
tern which hung at the head OF their
bunk, and by its light Bob saw three
other children huddled in frightened
heap upon a bed in another corner.
Bob shouted fiercely at the woman to
get out with her child aud run for the
high ground. She stood as if dazed,
staring at him in blank fright. He pushed
her toward the door and out into storm.
Then rushing to the bunk which con-
tanned the children, he caught up two
of them-the third had crawled under
the bed while he forced its mother out
side--and rushed out with them.
The flood had come with the usual
mad rush OF washout. The water al
ready enveloped the shack, which stood
upon II very slight rise or hillock, and
Bob found himself wading knee-deep
before he could reach the high lard some
fifty yards away.
He found the woman, thoroughly
aroused at last, also wading toward high
ground, clinging to her little one and
calling piteously: 80 Scharfl Scharf |!
Mine born, mine born!'
Come onl come onl" shouted Bob,
wading in ahead of her. "Here's two
oyer young uns, an I'll git t'othern II a
minute"
In few seconds they were upoa dry
ground, where Tex and Bergman stool,
anxiously scanning them by such light
as the electric storm furnished, for the
Swedc saw the flood now, and the dan
ger, and no longer doubted that friends
were getting lis family out of fearful
peril.
Without waiting for a word Bob
dropped his burdens the moment his
feet touched ground, and turned back
into the food. Before he had made a
dozen steps, though, Tex's pony was
plunging at his side, splashing water all
over him as the rider shouted in his car tc
kuowif there were child still left in
the shack.
"Yes," shouted Bob; "uuder the
bunkl"
Only waiting to yell: "Go back! I'll git
hlm!'' Tex dashed past, lashin2 his horse
at plunging gallop through the water.
The food was above his boot tops in
side the cabin when Tex, holding to his
pony's rope, sprang in at the door. The
child, boy of seven or eight years, had
emerged from its hiding place aud
crawled back upon the bed, wnere it lay
screaming. Tex snatchei the boy, aud,
running out, threw him astrlde the
pony.
Chang on, cotton top" he shouted,
"an' we'll pull We through
But the water was rising an inch a
second, and before he could mount be.
hind the child aud get half dozen
yards away from the shack the animals
feet were swept from under it by the
swift current, and horse and riders were
struggling together in the rolling food.
There was no such thing as staying
upon tAe pony's back, for the water was
not yet deep enough to enable the horse
to swim, and the creature simply struy-
gled, plunged, and finally rolled clear
over in the attempt to keep its feet.
Tex had hard work to save the boy
from going under. For a time he feared
that both he and the child were done for.
But by powerful effort, he completely
freed both the little fellow and himself
from the animal.
Then he had to swim for it. buriened
as he was, in swift, tumbling food
filed with the wash of the breaks.
Quartering the current as near as be
could, and holding the boy under one
arm, he struck out, using the other arm
and his legs to propel himself. The water
Ina now risen so that he could not touch
botto n, aud the flood was at raging
height. 1t roarei in his ears, while the
rain descended in torrents upon his
head.
The boy, too much frightened to re-
alizs anything, chung to him about his
neck with a grip that was almost stran-
CLING. More than once Tex thought
himself lost, as some sudden movement
plum sed his had under the surface, aud
the boys frightened grasp chokei him
until the water poured down his throat.
But each time he managed to right him
eli before his lungs were tille1.
Many times as he struggled in the
water he thanked the good fate which
had given him plenty of practice in
swimming in his boyhood.
AT last he dragged the poor, trem.
bling, half-drowned child out upon dry
land, and had the satisfaction of de-
livering him safely to his distressed
parents.
The family were lodged that night at
the V. Box. Next day it was discovered
that Tex's pony and one of the Swede's
oxen and a few of his sheep had been
drowned. The shack was swept away,
and only few of the household goods
were ever recovered.
Bergman was glad enough to get off so