The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-11-07

till the nliddla of the afternoon. When
he reached the dam. half of his traps
had been examined and reset, and four
nuskrats lay IN the bow OF the boat,
each grim little head grinning defiance
| TO The cruel tate which had oyertaken
it, and each rigid tail curved like q
l drawn scimetar.
| If my luck hoIs out this way, I'll
git % rats this spring, Thatn pay the
taxes an git mother a bunnit an new
gownd, which she needs morn l do a
| coat"
His old coat bore neighborly patches
side by side and even beggarly ones
stitched upon others, but he regarded
| 1t with complacency.
The day before he had discovered
! burrow begun in the eInbankment, and
set a trap with almost a certainty Of
catching the nischievous saJoper.
As he came to the spot he found the
] trap harmlessly sprung, and cast con-
tenptuously aside, while the tally stick
bent and swayed in the midst of a
swift narrow current that was sucking
j into the very heart of the dam, fol-
| lowing the course of the muslrat's
burrow, which it was steadily and al
! ready dangerously charging.
Caleb sDrang on shore, and, looking
over the lower edge of the dam, saw q
thin rill trickling through the stone
work and uniting with the rushing cur
/ rent from the waste gate.
''Sakes aliver' he cried, as re realized
the imminent danger Of disaster, it's
a cuttin right through the dam. O, if
I only he'd a Wheelbarrer an a shoveli
! But / haint, an what shall l do? I
dassent leave it so till 1 en- go t the
village and raoust 'em out to fix it."
This is q pretty duty afore me now
He looked around for something to
stop the leak temporarily, but saw
nothing that would serve. Peter once
told him there was nothing better for
such a purpose than cedar or hemloclz
boughs He threw off his coat for
greater ease of movement. The thickly
patched garment might partially stop
the leak. 1t was quickly spread over
the spot and fastened in place by some
stones.
He pulled away to the evergreens
that grew along the northern shore of
the pond, Topped off an armful of
branches with is Ratchet, threw them
in the boat and returned to the dam.
His soaked coat was of no present
use to him, so he covered it with
thick layer OF boughs, which he Sc.
cured with more stones. The lowering
sky and the drops of rain beginning to
fall portended a rainy night.
Now [ must hyper down to the vii
lage Why don't the comp'ny keep
watch of their OF DAMP and he quick
ly hauled the boat securely ashore and
set forth.
The sky grew darker and the dull
roar of the coming storm could be
heard above the rush of the stream;
then, after a brief prelude of patter-
ing drops, the clouds poured a drench-
ing downfall that quenched the last ray
of lingering light, and sky and earth
were blotted out in the universal black
ness.
Clogged with his soaked garments
and slipping at every step on the del
uged road, which he only kept by the
feeling Of its mud beneath his feet
Caleb held manfully on with the action
of running, but his pace seemed to him
slower than the oldest turtles in the
comp'nys pond.
He fancied he heard the rush of the
stream swelling louder above the
steady roar of the rain, and was sick
with fear that the dam had given way
and that now no effort of his could
save it.
Still he struggled on with the hope
that he might alarm the village folks
in time to save their lives, repeating to
himself his mothers maxim:
Do your duty as it's sot afore you"
and somehow taking heart from it.
At last the planking of the little
bridge resounded under his tread, and
he knew that more than half of his
journey was accomplished. Though
half blind with the driving rain, he
presently saw the village lights, and
their glimmering reflection in the dane
ing puddles gave him better guidance
In that moment of revived hope he
stepped into a deep rut and fell
heavily, giving his ankle a terrible
wrench. He struggled to his feet, and
went on with scarcely abated speed,
though every step was equisite torture.
The village lights still seemed to shine
afar off, elusive as will-o'- the-wisps.
He stumbled and fell, and felt power
less to go further, when he was aware
he was in the full glare of broad win
doWs, and recognized the stately house
of the president.
He dragged himself up the stone
steps, rose on his knees, reached the
heavy brass knocker, hammered upon
it till the opened door let out a flood
of light and then shouted in voice
thta sounded to him not his own, but
strange and far away.
1.-THE daml Hole in the dam Send
4 men! Quick!' and then all senses sank
into silence and darkness
The unsatiated robins were still sing
ing for rain, but the sun was shining
warm and bright When Caleb awoke
and found himself. lying in the finest
room he had ever seen, with Mr. Sart-
well sitting beside his bed and his
mother moving quietly about the room.
A twinge of pain in his ankle recalled
the adventures of an afternoon and
evening, he knew not now long past.
did I get you word in time? Did
they save the DAMP"
Yes, it's all right, my boy said
Mr.. Sartwell. THE dam is safe, and
you saved it. Don't talk, and I'll tell
you all about it. And the company
has voted to give you hundred dol
lars for that service, and to build a
house and barn on the land at the dam
and give your mother and you the use
of it if you'll keep watch of the dam.
We want Just such a faithful hand.
And what fun We'll have a fishin'r'
An I'm goin' tn let aour place tn
Square Shepherd fur sheep paster,''
said his mother, 'Naow take a drink
O. this ere go right tn Sleep
THE SNAKES TAIL.