The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-07-28
n making the boat fast to the branch

saw the dead bodies OF cattle and the
wreck of once happy homes drifting
past, and now and then caught sight
of boat floating by with the bottom
up.
The never. .ceasing rain added to
their discomfort and kept one of them
continually bniling out the water.
They abandoned their first attempt
to keep dry, and all were now as wet
as if they had been plunged into the
seething, yellow flood.
Shortly before dark they ate the
balance OF the cooked food Mrs. Cor
don had put in the boat.
Night came--a more horrible night
than any words can describe. Sleep
was out of the question. All felt that
there was but one labor before them,
viz, to keep the boat ahoat by con-
stantly using the tin dipper that served
as bailer.
Now and then Mr.. Gordon muttered
against his hard fate, but not word
escaped the lips of his wife and daugh-
ters expressive of the tortures of mind
and body which they were so heroic
ally enduring; indeed, they tried to
speak cheer they did not feel by as
suring him that succor would come on
the morrow.
The dawn of the second day found
them in the boat. All were famished
and broken down with fatigue.
The waters were higher than the
day before, and still the cruel rain
poured steadily down.
The wind howled and the waves
dashed about them, threatening every
moment to swamp the boat.
Mr.. Gordon saw by the pinched
faces and changed color of his wife
and daughters that they could not
stand another day of this suffering,
yet, what could he do to help them?
If his own death could save them he
would gladly have yielded his life, but
neither his aid nor sacrifice would
avail.
The afternoon was wearing on, and
the night fast approaching, whena sud
den, terrific gust of wind upset the
boat
Floating debris was all about them,
and Florence and Jennie managed to
grasp part of the roof of shanty that
was swirling by them and struggled
upon it-holding on with that desper-
alton which lent them strength.
Mr.. Gordon and his wife clung to
the upturned boat and were borne away
by the rushing food.
Darkness now lent horror to the sit
uation. The poor girls were about to
resign themselves to the fate that
seemed inevitable, when, from out of
the deep gloom they heard n faint
halloo. They answered with all their
might.
After waiting few minutes and
straining their eyes in the direction
from which the sound came, they caught
the gleam of torch, and the next in
stant boat shot mp to them, and in
it were Judge Riel and his two stall
wart sons, Paul and Leon.
The brave girls assured them that they
were in no immediate danger, and i'm
plored the Judge and his sons to search
for their parents-telling them that
they were clinging to the boat after it
had been capsized and had been
swept away, but the girls still hoped
that the boat might have become en-
tangled in the flooded forest and that
their father and mother might yet be
saved. But the Judge insisted upon
Florence and Jennie getting into his
boat. The stout boat was then driven
forward in the direction pointed out
by the girls as that in which they had
last seen their parents. At interva $
the young men united in shouting and
waving their torch, but the bowling of
the wind for time drowned their
voices.
During slight lull faint cry was
heard, which was answered by the
united shouts of all in the judges
boat. Soon they were enabled to dis
tinguish from whence the cry pro-
ceeded, aud few strokes of the oars
brought them to clump of submerged
forest trees, and there, clinging to the
branches, they found Mr.. Gordon and
his brave wife. Their rescue was but
the work of moment, and soon they
were safely seated in their "enemy's'
boat.
"Mr. Gordon" said Judge Riel,
| your uuuts uft Ill buit hb OtlT pluCt,
and we have been searching all day
for you. Our plantation is still above
water, there is n fire on the hearth and
a welcome awaiting you"
Thus was the last vestige of animos-
ity between the two men swept away.
At Judge Riels the fire and the
welcome were found, and Mr.. Gordon 8
family were welcomed as if there had
never been aught but the warmest
friendship between him and the Judge.
The old men soon learned that it was
a misunderstanding that parted them
in youth, and that during all these
silent years each had retained the
greatest respect for the other.
The floods have shrunk into their
beds along the Bayou Rouge; the
levees are rebuilt; the cabins are up
once more, and the old home is stand
ing. But Florence Gordon is per.
manent resident at Judge Riels, she
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