Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-08-31
rHE RISING OF THE WATERS.

berd of Ciachlands, sounding. hoai''
through the driving OF the stream
"It's me-" went back the mourniui re-
SPONGE. a.. ser,,-
chral voice. Go ,or.
"Your ain master, William Small. io',
wandered among water and nowt peas's.
For some time there was no Iep'''
since the shepherd was engaged III /"
severe mental struggle; with the reaui.
ness of his class he went straight 10 the
heart OF the peril, and mentally reviewed
the ways and waters OF the land. linen
he calmly accepted the hopelessness Vi
II all. and cried loudly through the Foi. :
There's nae way fort but just 10 pioe
where We are. The waters stoppi'' anu
gin mornin' wen get ye an. IL senu
n laddie down TO the Dow Pule 10 priis
vn a boat I'm a CART But that's lahS
Gait. and tn be a sair job gettin u "a
and I misdoot It'll be DAYLIGHT OF ne
comes. But baud UP your merit, anu a
wen get We DOT Are the beasts a rlcht.
a. RIGHT william; but, 'od man. tneir
master Il cauld. Could we no hihe
something over?"
mo. when there's twae hummer yairus
o. deep water atween.'
'"rhen, William, we maun ncht n'e.
n great mucke roarin fire, just lofheiis.
me. tn cheer me 10 see the iichI =
The shepherd did as ne was DID, ana loI
many minutes the farmer could near
the noise of men heaping wood. In the
pauses Of wind and through the thicker
murmur Of the water. Then glare snot
nm and revealed the dusky forms OF the
four serving men straining their eyes
across the channel. The CLEAN III up
a yard OF water by the other DaIk' Du'
all midway was inky shadow. III was
q bouf 4 o'clock, and the moon was Just
arisen. The air had coldened and lght
chill wind rose from the river
The farmer of Clachlands, STANDING
among shiyering and dripping oxen hiih-
self wet to the skin and cold as stone,
with no wrapping save MS pialu, anu
no outlook save a black, moving water
and q CLEAN OF fre-in such POSITION
the farmer of Clachlands collected MS
thoughts and mustered his resolution
His first consideration was the safety
of his stock The effort gave him COM
fort. His crops were in, and he could
lose nothing there his sheep were Iar
removed from scaith, and his cattle woula
survive the night with ease, II the water
kent its level. With some satisfaction
he reflected that the only care ne heeu
have i'm the mo tier was for MS own
bodily comfort in an autumn night inns
vas serious. vet not deadly, for the
farmer was a man of many tolls ana
cared little for the rigors of weather.
But he would have badly given the
price of a beast for bottle OF Whlshey
TO comfort himself in this emergency.
He stood on a knuckle OF green i""1
some 20 feet long, with crowd OF cdtuo
pressing around him and a little iorest %
horns showing family. There was Wdriii'n
in these great shaggy hides il they u"u
not been drenched and icy from long
standing. His. fingers were soon as
numb as his feet. and ii was in vain that
he stamped on the plashy grass or wrap
ned his hands in a fold of plaid. Ihere
was. no doubt in the matter; ne was
keenly uncomfortable, and the growing
chill of night would not mend his cohui-
ton.
Some ray of comfort was TO be got
from the sight of the cracking fire. Ihere
at least was homely warmth, ana hght,
and ease With gusto he conJured up ali
the delights of the past week, the roar
ing evenings in market ale-house ana inc
fragrance of good drink and piping Iood'
Necessity sharpened his fancy, ana ne
could almost feel the flavor OF TOBACCO
A sudden hope took him. He clapped
hand to pocket and pulled forth pipe ana
shay. Hang it. lie had left his match
box on the cnimney-top in his Kitchen
and there was an end to his only chance
Df comfort.
So I'm all cold and damp he set himself
to pass the night in the midst of that
ceaseless swirl of black moss water
Even as he looked at the dancing glim-
mer of fire the moon broke forth silent
4hA xf4lA
glamour. The great hills, whence came
the Gled. shone blue and high with fieecy
rails of vapor drifting athwart them.
He saw clearly the walls of his dwelling,
the light shining from the window, the
struggling fire on the bank, and the dark
forms Of men. It's transient flashes on
the waves were scarce seen in the broad
belt OF moonshine which girdled the val
lev. And around him, before and behlnd,
rolled the unending desert waters with
that heavy, resolute flow which one VINO
knows the floods fears a thousandtald
more than the boisterous stir of tor
rent.
And so he stood till maybe ] o'clock or
the morning cold to the bone, and awed
by the eternal silence, which choked him,
despite the myriad noises of the night.
For there are few things more awful
than the calm Of nature in her madness
the stiffness which follows a snow-slip or
the monotony Of a great flood.
BY this hour he was falling from his
first high confidence. His knees stopped
under him. and he was fain to lean upon
the beasts at his side. His shoulders
ached with the wet and his eyes grew
sore with the sight of yellow glare and
remote distance.
his fDla
his own words, as he has told 1T TO me, but
stripped of its garnishing and detail. For
il were vain to translate Lallan into
speech, when the very salt OF
the night air clngs TO the Scots as it did
to that queer tale:
1.-THE mune had been lang oot," he said,
''and | had grown weary o. her blinkin'.
| was as cauld as death and as wat as
the sea, no to speak o. haein' the rheu-
matics in my back. The nowt were
glowrin' and glunchin'. rubin held to
held, and whites stampin on my taos wi
their cloven hooves. But / was mortal
glad o. the beasts company, for l think 1
wad haze game daft myself in that muckle
iowie water Whites 1 thocht it was
risin', and then my bert stood still: an
whites fam, and then 1t loupit wi JOY.
But 1t keepit geyan near the bit, and aye
rs / heard 1t lip-lappin 1 prayed the
Lord to keep it whaur 1t was.
about half-past yin In the mornin'
as l saw by my watch, got sleepy, and
but for the nowt steerin' i MIGHT haze
drappit aft. Syne l begood to watch the
water and IL was raie interestin'. for
a. sort o. queer things were comm doun.
could see bits o. briggs and palms wi'oot
end dippin' In the tide, and whites swirl |
in in sac near that l could haegrippit |
them. Then beasts began to come by
whites upside doun. whites soomin' Draw
ly. sheep, and stirks frae the farms up
the water. / got graund amusement for |
4 wee while watchin' them, and notin |
h.. .n.-l... l,oir