The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-08-22

1t was just like this at Scott's last
spring Dress yourself and help me
move these things back
Bert srnothered his intention to cry
and began dressing with trembling
hands.
Il think we'd better put them on this
ether bed" said Kittie
Why, it won't come up here. viii it?''
said Bert, stopping with his face whittier
than ever, in the-dull, yellow light of the
lamp.
Moo, I s'pose not answered Kittie
Tt didn't at Scott's. But they'll be
better up off the floor
We're going to be drowned-I know
We are cried Bert, dropping on the
floor in despair, no longer able to keep
back the tears.
She raised him-up in-her arms and
kissed him. 'No, we aren't, Bert 1
know I've aren't. The house is strong
rather built 1t. Don't you remember all
the nails he put in it?''
7 can feel it sort of going round
now" returned Bert. It's squeaking,
and it's all coming apart"
No, it isn't Father built it. Come,
help with the rest of these things an
swered Kittie, though she well knew
that the house was swaying, and for
some time the joints of the frame had
been creaking disnally as the current
pushed and crowded at the building.
In few minutes these last of the
Things were piled ON the bed, and Kittie
brought the candle and looked down
the opening above the stairs at the
water below. She saw that it was not
foot from the ceiling. AS she stood
with one arm drawn close around Bert
the whole house gave a sudden lurch,
and the floor seemed to tip and slide
away from them, and then as it pitched
down the other way a wave rushed up
through the opening and half way to
the chd1dren's knees Bert screamed
with fright, and together they stumbled
to the bed and scrambled upon it. while
the water spread over the floor six
inches deep. They both knew we'll
enough that the house had gone off its
foundation and was floating away en-
the torrent, but Kittie still chung to the
candle with one hand. while she held
close to Bert with the other.
The house rocked a great deal. SO
much so that ait first lit seemed as if it
must go over, and Kittie wound the
arm with which she held the candle
round the bed post, to keep from being
thrown off. AS it rocked, the water
splas(hed about the floor, and the child
rem could hear the waves outside lapp-
ing ON the lower part of the roof
Gradually the motion became steadier,
and the house struck against objects
less often. Kittie looked down at Bert's
white face, and said:
We're floating away down stream, 1
guess"
well be drowned. too" answered
Bert, in a choking voice.
mo, we shan't. Yon see, tine house
floats all rigt, and it'll catch somewhere
and stop, and somebody'u come and
get us in a boat. Father Will be looking
for US as soon as. it is morning. 1t
won't be long now
For a long time they seemed to be
fioating ON, ON, with a, gentle rocking
motion. Bert became calmer, and Kfttie
induced him to lie down. At last, after
crying quietly a little, he did drop
asleep, and then she slipped off the bed
into the water which was over her shoe
tops, and placed the candle ON the
table, and tied it fast with a strip torn
from a sheet. Then she went back and
huddled up ON the bed and waited. 1T
seemed hours, the same gentle rocking
motion never ceasing. She curled up,
with her head on a pillow. Then she,
too, dropped asleep.
When she aWoke the candle was
burned out and it was quite dark ex-
cept for flashes of light which seemed
to come from the end of the room. As
she looked over the head of the bed
stead she saw the reason for the
flashes of light. The house had settled
so deep in the water that the low win
dow in the end was covered, but as it
rocked the top was occasionally thrown
above the surface. and the light came
in. Once a shaft of sun light shot in
and half blinded her with it's brilliant
reflection on the water; then the build
ing plunged down again. and the dark
ness came once more. The motion was
different from what it had been when
she went to Sleep the house seemed to
rise and fall much more, but there We're
longer pauses between its movements,
and waves sounded as though they
were sweeping over the whole roof.
Bert was still asleep, but Kittie
shook him and he sat uD and rubbed
his eyes, unable to tell where he was.
We're still afoat, Bert she said,
land do you know where 1 think we
must be?'
I Bert kept on rubbing his eyes and
lmade no answer.
II think we must be out in Lake Pc
pin. the waves are SO big and we don t
h"r'r ooairGt ANYTHING. Some boat