Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1894-04-25

Keep all objects near at hand within plain
view. Bob sprang from his horse and
pounded loudly on the rough door. Soon
1t was cautiously opened, and Bergman
! thrust out his head
Come" shouted Bob. s'Out O. this
with ye, or you'll all be drowned in your
biankets!"
Bergman looked stolidly out into the
storm.
'You go away viz yourselves" he
shouted. "You like putty veil get me
out by dis valley, heh2 You ko away
l neder will ko, say youw
He had allowed the door to opeu
gradually, and stepped partly out into
storm as he grew more in earnest, and
wound up in quite a rage, shaking his
fist in Bob's face.
He was pluclly fellow, at least, a.
;he boys admitted; and believing that
they were malicIously 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 dat?" 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, aud yelling
/ sharply to Bob to get out of tho way,
dropped it over the Swede's head and
shoulders. Then he gave it a sharp
Jerk, and started his pony of at trot.
The throw was skilfully made. It
:aught Bergman about the middle, pin.
Ioning his arms at his sides. The pony
dragged him away in spite OF his strug-
giles and yells.
"Fetch them cotton-tops quick, Bob"
;alled Tex, as he hauled the struggling
man away toward higher ground.
Bob needed no admonition. AS Berg
nan was jerked past him be sprang
through the doorway. The womla ha
got ont Of bed, aud stood with a blanket
thrown around her aud small child in
her arms. Sue had lighted a small IAN
tern which hung st the head OF their
bunk, and by its light Bob saw three
other children huddIed in frightened
heap upon a bed in another corner.
Bob shouted Iiercely at the woman to
get out with her child and run for tAe
high ground. She stood as il daz,i,
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 crawIei under
the bed while he forced its mother out
sIde-and rushed out with them.
The flood had come with the usla
mad rush OF a washout. The water al
ready enveloped the shack, which stood
upon very slight rise or hiIlock, and
Bob found himself wadiug kucc-deep
before he could reach the high land some
fifty yards away.
He found the woman, thoroughly
aroused at last, also wading toward higl
ground, clingiug to her little one aud
calling piteously' so ScAarii Scharf!
Mine born, mine born"
Come on! come on!' shouted BDb
wading in aaeai of her. "Here's two
oyer young uns, an I'll git t'othern IN a
minute"
In few seconds they were upon DIR,
ground, where Tex and Bergman stood,
arxiously scanning them by such light
as the electric storm furnished, for the
Swcde SAW the dood now, and the dan
ger, and no longer doubted that friends
were getting his family out Of fearful
7eril.
without waiting for word B1t
lropped his burdens the monelL his
iect touched ground, and turned back
nto the flood. Before he had made a
dozen steps, though, Tex's pony was
p.unging at his side, splashiny water all
over hin as the rider shouted in his ear tc
know if there were a child still left in
the shack.
yes" shouted Bob; "under the
bunk!"
Only waiting to yell: $50 backlI III git
nIml' Tex dashed past, la5hing his horse
At plunging gallop through the water.
The flood 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 and
crawled back upon the bed, where it lay
screaming. Tex snatched the boy, aud,
running out, threw him astrlde the
pony.
.'Hang or, cotton top" he shouted,
"an' wen pull We throughl"
But the water was rising an inch Il
second and before he could mount be.
hind the child and get half dozer
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 Fony's back, for the water was
not get deep enough to enable the horse
to swim, and the creature simply strug-
gled, plunged, and finally rolled clear
over in the attempt 10 keep its feet.
Tex had hard work to save the boy
from going under. For time he feared
that both he and the child were done for
But bya powerful effort, he completely
freed both the little fellow and himself
from the animal.
Then be had to swim for it, burdene6
as he was, in a swift, tumbling flood
flled with the wash of the breaks.
Quartering the current as near as he
could, and holding the boy under one
arn. he struck out, using the other arm
md his legs to propeI himself. The water
had now risen so that he could not touch
bottom, and the flood was at raging
height. 1t roared il MS ears, while the
rain descended in torrents upon MS
head.
The boy, too much frightened to re-
llize anything, clung to him about his
neck with a grip that was almost stran-
Cling. More than once Tex thought
himself lost, as some sudden movement
plunged his head under the surface, and
the bows tightenei grasp choked him
until the water poured dcwn his throat.
But each time he managed to right him
elf before his lungs were filed