Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-07-23

orept uncomfortably near them. By
night the water had reached their
cabin steps; but, as it seemed to rise
no higher, they decided to bring Hero
in and go to bed as usual.
Before dawn they were reused by a
loud knocking; it was one of the men
from the mill. The stringers securing
the log jam had broken, and help was
needed Immediately; so Mr.. Lane
| dressed, and, with a hasty good-by,
followed the messenger up tho wet
| road.
/ Fred's mother could not go back to
sleep; SO she built roaring fire in
the old fashioned wide -mouthed fire.
place and sat before it watching the
flames. They could hear nothing but
the roar of the rising river, and re-
peatedly went to the door to peer out
into the darkness. Already the logs
were coming down, and should few
of these strike the cabin she feared
they might start it from its loose
foundation. 1t seemed to her by the
sounds that the water had reached the
garden, but that could hardly be pos
sible unless the cutoff had broken.
Yet the sounds were SO strange and
alarming that she decided to waken
Fred and be ready to leave by day
break, if the river should still be ris-
ing.
Hero seemed to know that danger
| was near, and Fred WIS SO excited he
| could scarcely dress himself. The dog
rNoy nI ut hn ,t,l,
day was just breaking as Fred opened
| it.
ooh, mother" he cried, "the cut
of surely has gone, for see, the river
| Is between us and the road"
Mrs. Lane hastened to the doorway,
with fear; for she saw it was now i'm
possible to leave the cabin. Their
garden was a perfect millrace, down
which the heavy logs were tumbling
and turning. As yet the water just
covered their first step, but it seemed
to be rising rapidly and each moment
brought the heavy logs nearer to them.
She hastily prepared breakfast, urg-
ing Fred to eat heartily, for she did
not know when they might have an
other warm meal. Hero came in for
his share as well, and before they had
finished tiny stream made its way
across the floor, and now and then the
cabin was Jared by some heavy object
striking it.
Very calmly Fred's mother cx-
planned that their safest place now
Tho rAnf tha
liable to send the cabin down stream
at any moment. She seemed SO quiet
that Fred did not wholly realize their
danger, and this was as she wished it.
Fred said it was quite like camping,
getting the blankets and food to the
roof; and he entered heartily into the
work. But when it came to getting
Hero up the ladder and out through |
the small opening it was great task.
The old fellow seemed to understand; ;
but he was so heavy that he could not
bold himself on the rounds, and he
had never been taught to climb lad !
ders.
Fred finally piled up the tables and |
chairs and coaxed Hero to mount them.
Then, by pulling at the dogs great |
fore-paw and with Mrs. Lane lifting
and pushing below, they finally sue
ceeded.
Scarcely had they settled themselves
on the roof when jam of half a dozen
logs struck the house, the eddying
waters whirled the light frame around,
and, with a gentle, rocking motion, it
settled down and slowly foated away
upon the stream.
Fred said they were regular Robin,
son .Crusoes out on the raft, and en-
deavored to cheer his mother by de-
claring that the men surely knew of
the break, and would quickly come to
their rescue. Hero crept to her and
laid his great head in her lap, and for
moment her tears blinded her ; then
she resolutely brushed them aside, for
she felt that she must not let her fears
overcome her, but must watch for some
means of escaping.
Slowly the old cabin foated along,
sometimes driven by the current close
to the shore, and her hopes would rise
and then, caught by the eddies, it
would turn round and round and be
driven far out toward the middle of
the wide river. Suddenly there was
harsh grating sound as they dragged
on gravelly bottom; then the cabin
listed far over to one side, swung part
way around and then back again, and
settred hard and fast aground. They
were firmly caught on u sandbar but
if some of the drifting logs or trees
should happen to strike the cabin,
Mrs. Lane feared it would break and
founder. Anxiously she watched and
prayed for assistance. Would it hold
together until help came? Surely her
husband must know about the broken
cut. off and would came in pursuit.
they had not drifted far-and he must
soon overtake them.
|
When Mr.. Lane arrived at the mill
he Joined in the difficult labor of pol
ing such logs as they could secure into
the comparatively still waters of a
little bayou and mooring them se-
curely. The men worked like Trojans