The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1896-08-27

was very nlucn opposed 70 any wholesale
desertion Of their work on the part Of his
hired men. Luckily. however. o moro
generous spirit animated the bulk of
those present. Forks and rakes were
flung aside. and a general move was made
toward thr beach.
Ca their way ,horowari Don called "A
halt in front of another farm silent and
deserted now. since the hay had been
stacked.
Mr.. Fletcher" he said to the STOPPING,
sturdy Old woman who stood on his worn
doorstep. you have a lot Of boards about
there beside yogr barn, and two old rick
cloths; these. If you would grant us the
loan of them in saving the lives of those
quagged in the soldiers Slough. would be
worth much to Us. | viii he responsible
for the value of any we may use"
And how if you lose Yourself. lad.
and don't come back with the things or
TIE BRASS he>itatingly demanded the
senior.
IN that ease it is to Obadiah. your
neighbor. and our captain. that You must
look for payment" replied Don, cheerily.
May we have them. old friend:"
"Ay, ay." grumbled the farmer, 'but
have a care. have Il care. my BARN.
ThereU be moist eyes in more houses
than one if We come not back"
And without further rcmonstrance. he
saw planks and rick-cloths seized upon
and borne away backward. The lower
end Of the dale once reached and the
sand-hills crossed, there could be seen the
black, serrated line of the half->unkcn
Gannet Rocks. around which the wavelcts
riDDlld Tho lido uos a,o,inu ~ l,-
there was not a breath of wind. and the
sea was Ike a mill pond. Some arrow
shot or SO away was a brown. shining
something that looked like an ugly patch
on the pure wilderness of the spreading
sands, and toward the outer edge OF
which. nearest to the Gannet Roc.s. ap-
peared certain dark specks-human be-
ings clearly. and III sore need.
"On, on cried Don, bounding forward.
and at a run his followers cleared the
stretch of fiat beach which interviewed
between them and a low sand-bank.
scanned with jagged rocks at the land
ward edge of the famous quicksand.
There they are all. as yeti" exclaimed
Joe Nixon. That's Rufus. highest to
the Gannets. with one hand on the black
stone, and those TWO nearer are Annie
Shaw and old Peterson. But we've no
time to lose, Mr.. Don. for see now the
Slough is alive; and that means mischief"
And indeed the hideous surface of the
Shiny quicksand seemed to heave and
slowly culver. as if some sleeping monster
were breathing and stirring restlessly be-
meath.
Help. for PHYS sake. help called out
the shrill, girlish voice of Annie Shaw,
her face white and pinched with fear.
Don gave orders promptly and cheer
fully, and by his directions the boards
were laid down one beyond another. so as
To form Il sort Of floating bridge. and over
this trembling pathway he himself eau
tiously advanced, followed at some little
distance by Joe Nixon, a coil of rope in his
hand.
To save Annie Shaw and gray-haired
Mark Peterson was a work comparatively
easy. because they We're SO near and not
very deeply engulfed as yet. But this
task performed, and the two first found
lings of the lost flock being brought to
land. Don braced himself for the far more
arduous duty that remained. There were
yet five fcllow-creatures to be brought in,
while the tide was rising, and the heaving
and shaking of the quicksand, as if the
hidden monster beneath were stirring in
her lair, grew momentarily more percep-
tible.
Don has got the first Of them by the
hand-a woman, that is. How she clings
to him, poor thing. Ellen-Ellen Watson.
that's her name. of Thirsk. sister to Ralph
Watson. that's away with the jet hunters:
very respectfully brought up both,' CHM
cd in a wpll-informp1 hVStop1ar
well done, Mr.. Don. and well done.
Joe, and Dick, and Larry from Ireland!'
was the general verdict, as Ellen Watson.
was pushed, dragged and hustled along
the shaking pathway of rccling planks
safe to shore. Then a second victim-a
lad this time-waS snatched from the tena-
cious grip of the cruel quicksand. Next
it was a married man with children at
home. and whose wife stood weeping on
the beach. Then another stripping was
saved; and with this last act Of salvage
it seemed as if the good work must end.
for already a thin white line of streaky
tide-foam had reached the broad shout
Gcrs of Rufus Crouch, as he held Oh with
desperate t~cnacity to the black rock.
1T can't be done!' he bawled out. using
his outspread hands as a speaking -trum-
pet. Il patriarch of the beach. Take an
old sailors advice. Mr.. Don, and get
back to shore"
Not alone answered Don. cheerily.
but in a voice that rank like Il trumpet
call.
The deed was done. and the fifth suf-
fprer dragged forth from the jaws of the
devouring monster of the seashore.
"Hurrah for Mr.. Don-our Don! Hur-
rah. lads roared out the old fishing skip
per, Threpham, who was regarded as an
oracle Of the beach. Heart of Il lion. ay.
ana strength of a lion. too, young as he
is. to have brought seven of the poor
things to shore this day against all Odds"
My blessing. and the blessing of my
! lttl- ~. thn. LL,t e. - u...Ll ~.