Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1895-08-10

cuing May, he mounted a serious ap.
pearing but ftful tempered buckskin
colored pony, with ore white eye and
much symmetry II bone-as much OF
a character in its way as Hank was in
his-and started, with considerable
interest and curiosity.
They rode hard, and were near over
hauling the lovers within mile of
Roaring Creek. But while pursuer
and pursued pushed on at their utmost
pace, another factor was coming with
a hundred times greater speed TO take
a hand in the game
The dry bed of Roaring Creek was
just before them, beyond that tiny
rise, then an arroyo, and beyond that,
again, the roof Of the Justices house,
just in sight As Bob and MAY clat.
tered over the creek bed, and scrambled
up onto the rise beyond, both looked
back. and their ponies stopped, tossing
their heads, pricking their ears and
snorting at curious humming sound
that suddenly seemed to fill all the air
about.
Hurry up, darling" cried Bob,
throwing out a hand to catch MAYS,
"'tis big storm coming from above y
but before they could descend the
slope to cross the dry arroyo in front,
it was running from bank to bank,
and brimming over with sudden
food of red, muddy water.
And, even above the noise of the
flood before them, they heard sound
like the angry shouting of furious
multitu,les. Looking backward and
up the creek, whence the sounds came,
they saw a great tumbling shudder-
wall pushing before it 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
under 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 wire had caught in
their barbs all manner of ghastly
wreckage.
Up came the water about them
down fell the hail.
"It's a cloudburst above. darling"
said Bob. 1T won't last long-the
water won't cover this rise"
"Tm not afraid, Bob" said May,
with very white lips 'I'm glad |
came, anyhow. Ii we've got TO die
we'll die together; and the way I've
felt for the last three weeks I'm sure
that's a 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 rs best he could
"We won't die he said; "but, poor
little girl. what an awful storm I've
dragged you out into.'
Just then from the further 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-
terically.
"Well, he can't get at us, anyway,
but the hail can. Oh. look to your
poor hands y Oh, Bob, | can't bear
it. Put the slicker back on"
"Why, honey" said 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
patchin' on the way Your pa would
do me it 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
couple, who were too much absorbed
in each other To heed either him or the
storm.
These remarks disagreed with Mr..
Pearsall, who was VIGOROUSLY man
of judgment and observation.
Whats the matter with that young
ieller?" he queried angrily; watch
him u standin' To the north ard NV his
gal, l;eepin' the hail often her. He
amt no chump. Ii he keeps that
lick up right through he'll make a
better husband n what you ever did -
About this time, the hail ceasing,
the expectant Justice came down To
the further bank OF the arroyo. The
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