Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-07-30

ing.
Like all men rlised in this land,
Mr.. Gordon was a good boatman,
but for once he founi himself in "a
position where his great strengl o
did not avail and his great skill
was useless.
| There was no need to pull the
oars; it would have been impossl'
ble to drive against the current, so
they had to go with 1t.
There was no trouble SO long as
the boat was drifting ever the
cleared fields, but this security
could not last long. Beyond the
fields were the woods, through
which it would have been difficult
to pass under the most favorable
circumstances, bat against which
1t now seemed that the boat must
be dashed.
Mr.. Gordon realized this, for be
said, as il thinking aloud:
I'VE must try to get into the
bayou; there, at last, we shall be
safe from the trees
1t is doubtful if he could have
kept the boat in the course Of the
bayOu had he succeeded IN reach
ing there, for the currents were
rushing through new chanelS, ana
the bayou had expanded into an
angr, sea. b, care aud the ex
ercise of great strength, MIR. Cor
dop succeeded in passing safely
the first line Of timber, but 1t was
only getting deeper and deeper
into the enexlricabie tansle OF
dropping branches and swinging
vines.
They had been long In this maze
when one of the oars was broken,
and the other became practically
useless. BY reaching forward IN
the bow, Mr.. Gordon succeeded
in keeping the boat from pIung'
inc against the trunks of trees and
so being dashed 10 pieces, but no
man could long keep mp this work.
After long hours they reached
an open spder, an expansion OF the
bayou, where the waters were COM
parativelv calm, and here MIR.
Gordon succee ded in making the
boat fast TO the branch of a tree.
Let us wait he said, desperate
ly, 'tllI snccor or the end comes
Daring the rest of the day they
saw the dead bodies of cattle and
tue wreck Of once haapy homes
drifting past, and now and then
caught sight OF boat floating by
with the bottom up.
The -ceasing rain added to
their discomfort and kept Que of
them continually bailing out the
water.
They abandoned their first at
tempt to keep dry, and all were
now as wet as if they had been
plunged into the seething, yellow
food.
Shortly before dark they ate the
balance of the cooked food Mrs.
Gordon had put III the boat.
Night came-a more horrible
night than any words can des
cribe. SleeD was ont of the ques
,iOn. All felt that there was Dat
one labor before them, VIZ, to keep
the boat ahoat by constantly using
the tin dlpper that served as a
baller.
Now and then Mr.. Gordon
muttered against his hard fate,
but not a word escaped the lips
of his wife and daughters ex-
pressive Of the tortures of mind
and body which they we're so
heroicaliy enduring indeed
they tried to speak cheer
rhey did not feel by assuring him
hat succor would come on the
morrow.
Tne 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
r in poured steadily down,
The wind howled and the waves
dashed about them, threatening
every moment to swamp the boat.
Mr.. Gordon saw by the pincdcd
faces and changed color of his
wire and daughters that they
could not stand another day OF
this suffering, yet, what could be
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 last approaching,
- - o,Idan forri1e Onaf oi