The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-07-28

IN THE FLOOD.
ny MAJOR ALFRED n. CALHOUN.

Those who have seen the bayous of
Louisiana, west of the Mississippi, can
not be said to have a thorough knowl-
edge of America, even if they have
visited every other state and territory.
1t is country level rs prairie, yet
covered with mighty forests, whose
interlocking live oaks and expresses
make grand arcades of eternal solitude
and silence.
The roads in this land are few and
short-the only means of communica-
tion being the deep, canal-like bayous
that are usually currentless and stag
nate in the shadows of the bordering
trees.
The plantations along these bayous
are famed for their sugar and cotton,
and they would be the most valuable
in the world were it not for the great
sums of money expended by the plant
ers in building levees, or heavy nrti-
fetal banks, to keep the bayous from
overfowing in time of high water,
which usually comes when the ice is
melting in the upper valleys of the
Missouri and Mississippi.
But, though the precaution taken to
shut out the floods is great, it is not
always effective. Heavy falls of snow
in the winter to the North mean heavy
floods when spring comes to the
plains of the South.
The floods in the spring of 1888
will be long remembered as the most
severe that ever swept over the plan
tations bordering the bayous. Rich
plantations were ruined, forests lev
eled, embankments swept away, homes
borne off to the sea, herds drowned
and scores of human beings perished
in the flood or of hunger.
The plantations of Judge Riel and
Mr.. Gordon were on opposite sides of
the Bayou Rouge, about go miles south
of the point where the Red river enters
the Mississippi.
These gentlemen, though neighbors,
were not neighborly. They had had
quarrel when young men at college
"A foolish, causeless quarrel, and,
though 25 years had passed since, they
had never spoken. Both had married
in the meantime, but their families
held no intercourse.
Judge Riel had two sons, one %,
the other year or two younger; and
Mr. Gordon had two daughters, aged
respectively 10 and IT,
Florence and Jennie Gordon were
pretty, accomplished girls, and, though
they loved their parents and their
quaint, solitary home, it was but nat
ural that they should now and then
yearn to know something of the great
world outside the water-girdled plan
tation.
They often saw the sons of their
neighbor-of their fathers "enemy,'
as they thought Judge Riel, rowing
past in their graceful boat, and they
always acknowledged the salute of the
handsome young men, but beyond
this no courtesy was interchanged.
"What news, John?" asked Mrs.
Gordon, as her husband came into
the house about midnight with din
lamp in his hand and his rubber gar.
ments shining with water like recent
ly polished stove.
''It is still raining as if it had no'
been at it a week." replied Mr.. Cor
don, with something like sigh.
''And the levee?" asked Florence
who, with her sister Jennie, had beer
waiting up for the report on which
home and perhaps life depended.
every man on the place is patrol
ling and watching to prevent break,
said Mr.. Gordon, throwing off hi
coat and running his fingers nervous
ly through his damp, brown hair.
"And the water is still rising" sale
Mrs. Gordon; "still rising; thre,
inches more and Bayou Rouge will b,
over the levee and the place will b'
gone"
Mrs. Gordon set before him some
supper aud hot cup of coffee, fo
which he seemed to have but little ap
petite. AS he stirred the coffee h
said, without looking up:
81 think, wife, it would be we'll i
you and the girls would put on warn
clothing aud have your waterproof
ready, with any light articles you ma.
want to save"
''Do you think the danger is a
great as that?" asked Mrs. Gordon
pressing her hands to her breast and
trying to speak as if his words ha,
brought her no alarm.
1T is better to be prepared, m,
DEAR" said Mr.. Gordon, with en-
forced calmness. 81 have had raft
made to carry off the hands if tn
flood comes in, and the boat has beel
carried to the door"
In times of great peril women ar,
more apt to be cool and uncomplain
ing than men. Mrs. Gordon and he
daughters realized that great peri
threatened them, but they prepare,
to meet it with a courage and calm
ness that lifted heavy burden fror
the fathers shoulders.
! After drinking his coffee, Mr.. Cor
don put on his waterproof coat an
went out again with the lamp in hi
hand.
He had not been gone many second
when the ladies' were startled by