The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-06-22
The Governors prGrOgatiVGS.
By MARY T, EAT =.
Copyright 1896, by the Authorl
Concluded

again. How tho old man could hav,
got so far north of town when hc |
had lately heard his voice rosuundinp |
so far down the south road was hard To |
understand. But 1t was useless to try !
to explain the governors presence III
one place or another lie knew all the
short cuts and byways, and his long
legs carried him 80 swiftly over the
ground that sometimes his guard OF
dogs duspuired and submitted to he
dragged, fore legs in air, rather than to
follow. him ut such n steady trot. PEG
pic said that he brought news from the
neighboring Villages quicker than the
telegraph could.
"Sturm a.cuminl Storm a.comin!
Wild man luosol Wild man loosc!'
was the refrain he shouted as Adams
passed Adams, noticing an unusual
uagerncss in his manner, thought that
the coming storm was exciting him
dangerously and refined in his horse to
say;
Don't come step farther in this
direction, governor You know III
have YOU locked up if ever l catch You
on my farm, and I'm going to be ON
the watch. Turn back, | tell you. "
Adams horse was good ono, and
/ Adams put it to its best pace, yet they
/ did not gain very fast on the governor
| who, instead Of turning back, was press
/ ing forward almost at u run.
storm a.comin! Storm a-cominr
Adams kept hearing, and then more
] e. 4 1,.-tN wild
! loo-ooscr until at last hill rose be.
/ hind him and shut ont the sound.
The storm was coming fast The
whole sky was overcast, but full of
dazzling, diiTuscd light Under Its
strange brightness the trees and grass,
{ the green crops in the fields and even
/ the brown earth seemed to shine with a
. yrllowish luster of their own. Behind
A broad stretch of forest that hordered
one side Of the road the clouds were
gathering more donscly, and one Of
them which showed above the tree tops
was the only dark thing in the world.
A moment after it first came in sight it
was moving fast up the sky-a broad
sinister bar Of indigo, bordCIod with a
lu>hing fringe of white.
Adams leaned forward urging his
horse into a run The first gust of the
wind rushed past him rs he sprang
down at his own gate, but he scarcely
felt it, for there, running down the
road through his orchard, came his wife
screaming something NE could not I'M
dcrstand.
The childrenl The children he
heard as he hurried to meet her. We've
searched the whole place. Come back
to the Taylor woodsV'
Adams turned his horse and lifted his
wife into the wagon.
How long ago;" he asked between
his teeth.
Il don t know how long. thought
Nanny Jane had them, and she
thought they were with me. When we
missed them, we called the men, aud
80 all searched high and low, through
fhe orchards, everywhere. The only
places nanny over takes them to are
Stuart's and the Taylor woods sent
the men across lots to the woods and
, mammy's gone to Stuart's. thought
perhaps they might have come this way
to meet you. -
The wind was upon them. In the
open space that lay between their gate
and the Taylor woods the unhroker
strength of the gale almost lifted then
rom the wagon. Standing up for mo
ment to look around him, Adams saw
his gang Of worEmen reach the edge Of
the woods, pause moment, listening
.
then to a man turn and run back through
the open toward the farm. He shouted
iiorcely at them, but the wind took tn,
words from his mouth
A moment more, and Adams was il
the Ice OF the woods himself. He reinet
in his horse. In the apparent lull made
by the shelter it was possible to think
in spite Of the turmoil among thu
branches. Husband and wife looked
into each others eyes despairingly
Only a miracle could guide them tC
their children through this wild storm
in which they could hardly catch thu
sound of their own voices. Yet they
must search.
They jumped to the ground, but be
fore they could enter the woods
strange rumbling, grinding sound ros
above the roar of thrashing branche
and creaking tree trunks. The new
sound grew louder and more dreadfu
until Adams and his wife chung clos
to each other in fear while the fright
oned horse wheeled suddenly, leape,
free from the harness and wagon ant
plunged wildly back over the road to
ward home. Then not hundred fee
from where the man and woman stoo
the solid ranks of the forest broke apart
gave way before whirling blast G
dust, broken branches and uproote,
trees. They watched it march acros
the fields, dropping part of its burdel
as it went, only to gather up new vic
tins in its terrific arms.
With blanched faces and numb heart
tho two watchers hastencd toward tn
gap in the forest to look down the trac
go of the cyclone. 1t was as if some gignr
tic scythe had mowu path through TN
woods TO the open fields beyond. Tn
space was little wider than cit
street. but in it scarcely the semblauC
Of tree was left erect.
Down Llls Wlld road tla lathtr an
mother started, peering under log.
clambering through tree tops, calm
). and listening with strained ears.
"Amen Amenl AmenW The wore
reached them family Get back, de1
il! Get back, devil! Amenl Amen!
until the old governor leaped ont frol
the woods into the highroad of II
storm. There was a screaming of shri
child voices and yelping of distracte
dogs, but above it all, above even ii
governors shouts and the rustling
the wind, there came fierce howl {
another figure burst through the unde
brush close in the governors track.
= Miss Hallie's children Miss Halle
childrenl Got 'em safe, Miss Halli
Got 'em safe, Miss Halle! Amenl
Lord amen!' the old man shouted {
he rushed along the mad course befol
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