Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1894-02-03

and brimming over with Il sudden flood
of red. muddy water.
And even above the noise of the food
before them they heard sound like
the angry shouting of furious multi
tudes. Looking backward and up thc
creek whence the sounds came they
saw great. tumbling. shuddering wall
pushing before ii and bearing upon
it's crest all imaginable sorts of debris
advancing down the dry creek bed
with such II thunderouS onslaught that
the little mound on which they stood
shook and seemed fairly to lower un.
der their feet.
They looked about them. The ar.
royo ran into the creek below. Above.
both it and the creek had flooded out
until they joined. Their little mound
was an island, momcntarily growing
smaller, surrounded ON every side by
raging torrents. in which were driven
and whirled whole trees. full grown
cattle. with sometimes a fence post
whose trailing wires had caught in
their barbS all manner of CHASTITY
wreckagc.
Up came the water about them: down
fell the big hail
Its Il cloudburst above darling.
said Bob. 1T won't last long-thr
water won't cover this rise
lin not afraid. Bob. said May. with
very white lips: I'm glad came. any
how. IL we've got to die we'll die to-
gethcr; and the way I've felt for the
last three weeks I'm sure that's Il heap
better than living apart
Bob jumped of his pony and lifted
May from hers. The hail was coming
bigger and beat cruelty upon them.
He wrapped his Slicker about her.
pushed the ponies close together and
sheltered her with them and his own
body as best he could
I'VE won't die" he said: but. poor
little girl. what an awful storm I've
dragged you out nto!'
Just then. from the farther bank of
the creek. above the awful bowling of
the storm. came this Intelligent com
mand in old man Loves ear-Splitting
tones:
May Love. You come here to me
this minute" And May laughed hyS-
tcrically.
We'll. he cant get at us. anyway
but the hail can. O. look at your poor
hands. o, Bob. | can't bear it-put
the Slickcr back on
why. honey sail Bob. as the tears
came in earnest now. I'D get pounded
just the same. anyhow: and you must
let me have the comfort of keeping
some of it off you-it amt IA patchin'
on the way your pa would do me if he
could get me right now
While the storm ragged and the water
rose nearly to their feet. Hank Pear
sail had the almost exclusive benefit of
old man Loves remarks. since only his
widest ShriekS reached the young coll-
pie, who We're too much absorbed in
each other to heed either him or the
storm very much.
These remarks disagreed with Mr..
PcarSall. who was notoriouSly Il man
of Judgment and observation.
"WhatS the matter with that young
fcllcr:' he quericd angrily: watch him
a standin' to the north'ard NV his gal.
Il kccpin' the hail often her. He amt
no chump. If he keeps that lick up
band n what you ever did,
About this time. the hail craSing. the
cxpcctant justice came down to the
further bank Of the arroyo. The water
was going down viSibly. but its roar
was still considerable
"Ho. Bob" yelled the justice above
its sound, got your license:"
Bob took it out and waved il above
his head.
Old man Love could not from where
he stood hear n word. but he SurmiSrd
what had been said. and the sight of
the document was like a red rag tu
the bull.
81 dare We to marry EN-" he scream
ed. II dare We to do it, And in an
ecStncy of rage and anxiety he forced
his pony down into the foaming creek
among the whirling drift. where he
was promptly pitched off by the ter
riticd creature, which instantly return
ed. Prarsall. at the risk of his own
life, had to fish him out receiving
plenty of abuse for his pains and re-
turning it with bitter irony.
In two minutes time the Shallowel
arroy" was fordable. though the creek.
down which big drift continued tu
come. was not. Bob set May on her
pony. mounted his own. and prepared
t" ride out. The sight of the Justice
Il plains cupid. with boots. slickcr and
cowboy Incorporating to take charge
Of the pair was too much for old man
Love. and. diSmountcd as he was. he
plunged. in Il dclirium Of rage. into the
creek. spluttcring and yelling:
stop! Hold on. You just dare"
May heSitatcd. frightcncd; but old
Hank PrarSall yankcd her father out
again and set him on dry land. snort
ing:
'Doggonc We. pulled v out onct
be fore. What fur cain't We stay ont
Huh?
when ye try. buckin' agin boy like
that. backed by Il Texas norther. You re-
a-goin' To git left-don't We know it:
That kids got double cinche on
Prov"r'iunc". But We had this hyer
storm Stakcd out.
";o it fellrr. Go it gal! I'm will,
We over timc-I'm fer We! Yer the right
sort. | wouldn't hendcr We fer all the
burned old snakc-bit fools i'm Texas
I'll iiSt gcthcr up the scraps o this ole
ceiit. an tote 'cm back to the ranch -
And as May and Bob rode off. tat.
tered. beaten. draggled. but obviously
bliSsful and jaunty, a faint hail fol
lowed them:
"Good-by, kidS-wish yer joy. Come
on. ole calamity" MacGowan.