The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-01-05

throwing OUT nanu 10 eaten May :;
cts n big storm coming from above"
But before they could descend the
slope TO cross the dry arroyo in front
it was rl:rniug from bank 10 bank
Hnd brimmius over with sudden flood
Of rcd, muddy water.
And even above the noise of the flood
before them they heard sound like
the angry shouting Of furious multi
tudcs. Looking backward and up the
creek whence the sounds came they
saw great tumbllnr, shudderng wall
pushing before 1t and bearing upon
its crest all imaginable sorts of debris
advancing down the dry creek bed
with such 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, momentarily growing
smaller, surrounded on every side by
raging torrents, In which were driven
and whirled whole trees, full grown
cattle, with sometimes fence post
whose trailing wires had caught in
their barbs all manner of ghastly
wreckage.
Up came the water about them; down
fell the big hail.
ITS n cloudburst above, darling"
said Bob. 1T won't last long-the
water won't cover this rise"
I'm not afraid. Bob" said May, with
very white lips; I'm glad l came, any
how. If we've got to die we'u die to-
gether; and the way I've felt for the
last three weeks I'm sure that's heap
better than living apart"
Bob jumped off 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 intow
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:
this minutev And May laughed hys-
terically.
well, he can't get at us, anyway
hands! o, Bob, 1 can't bear it-put
the slicker back onv'
"Why, honey" sail Bob, as the tears
came in earnest now, "Id get pounded
just the same, anyhow; and you must
let me have the comfort of keeping
some of 1t Off you-it amt a patchin
on the way your pa would do me IL 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 cou-
pie, who were too much absorbed In
each other to heed either him or the
storm very much
These remarks disagreed with Mr..
Pearsall, who was notoriously a man
of judgment and observation.
whats the matter with that young
fellerY' he queried angrily; watch him
a standin' to the north'ard Nv his gal,
a keepin the hail often her! He amt
no chump! II he keeps that lick up
right through he'll make a better hus-
band n what you ever did,
About this time, the hail ceaslng, the
expectant 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 1t above
his head.
Old man Love could not from where
he stood hear a word, but he surmised
what had been said, and the sight Of
the document was like red rag to
the bull
II dare ye to marry 'em," he scream
ed. Il dare ye to do itr' And In an
ecstacy 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
rifed creature which instantly return
ed. Pearsall, at the risk of his own
life, had to fish him out, receiving
plenty of abuse for his pains and re-
turning 1t with bitter irony.
In two minutes time the shallower
arroyo was fordable though the creek,
down which big drift continued to
come, was not. Bob set May on her
pony, mounted his own, and prepared
to ride out. The sight Of the Justice
a plains cupid, with boots sllcker and
cowboy hat-preparing to take charge
of the pair was too much for old man
Love, and, dismounted as he was, he
plunged, in a delirium of rage, into the
creek, spluttering and yelling:
stop! Hold on You Just darew
May hesltated, frightened; but old
Hank Pearsall yanked her father out
again and set him on dry land, snort
ing:
"Doggone ye! I pulled y out onct
before! What fur CANT ye stay out!
Huh?
when ye try buclSin' agin a boy like
that, backed by Texas norther, you're
a-gOin' to git left-don't We know It?
That kids got double cinche on
Proverdunce! But we had this hyer
storm staked out
$50 it feller! Go 1t gall Tn with
ye ever time-I'm fer ye! Yer the right
sort! / wouldn't hender We fer all the
burned old snake-bit fools In Texas,
I'll jist gether up the scraps o. this ole
eejit, an tote 'em 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.