Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1897-07-16

IN THE FLOOD.
BY MAJOR ALFnKo R. 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 a 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-likc bayous
that are usually currentless aud stag.
nate in the shadows Of the bordering
trees.
The plantations aloug these bayou'
are famed for their sugar and cotton,
and they would he the most valuable
in the world were it not for the greai
sums Of money expended by the plant
ers in building leyees, or heavy arti
fetal banss, TO keep the bayous from
overfow.g 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 tc
shut out the floods is great, it is moi
always effective. Heavy falls of snow
in the winter to the North mean heavy
floods when spring comes to tho
plains of the South
The floods in the spring of 1889
will be long remembered as the most
severe that ever swept over the plan
tations bordering the bay5us. Rich
plantations were ruined, forests lev
ele1, entertainments swept away, homes
borne off to the sea, herds drowned
and scores of human beings persisted
in tho food or of hunger.
The plantations of Judge Riel and
Mr.. Gordon were on opposite sides OF
the Bayou Rouge, about so miles south
of the point where the Red river euters
the Mississippi.
Those gentlemen, though neighhors,
were not neighborly. They had hal
quarrel when young men at college
Ia foolish, causeless quarrel, aud,
though p years had passed since, they
hal never spoken. Both had married
in the meantime, but their families
held no intercourse.
Judge Riel had two sons, one 23,
the other ye@r or two yofrger; aud
Mr. Gordon had two daughters, aged
respectively 10 and II.
Florence and Jennie Gordon were
pretty, accomplished girls, and, though
they loved their parents aud theiI
quaint, solitary home, it was but nat
ural that they should now and then
yearn to know something Of the great
world outside the wa ee-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, aud 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 dim
lamp in his hand aud his rubber gar
nepts shining with water like recent
ly polished stove.
1T is still raining as if it hal not
been at it week, " replied Mr. Cor
don, with something like a sigh.
And the lcvee?" asked Florence,
who, with her sister Jennie, had been
waiting up for the report on which
home and perhaps life depended.
"Evefy man on the place is patrol
ling and Watching to prevent a break, .
said Mr.. Gordon, throwing of his
coat and running his fingers nervous
ly through his dama, brown hair.
and the water is still rising" said
Mrs. Gordon; "still rising; three
inches more and Bayou Rouge will be
over the levee and the place will be
gone."
Mrs. Gordon set before him some
supper AID hot cup of coffee, for
which he seemed to have but little APP
petite. As he stirred the coffee he
said, without looking up:
1 think, wife, it would be we'll il
you and the girls would put on warm
clothing aud have your waterproofs
ready, with any light articles you may
want to save"
'Do you think the danger is as
great as that?" asked Mrs. Gordon.
pressing her hands to her breast aud
trying to speak as if his words had
brought her no alarm.
ut is better to be prepared, my
dear" said Mr.. Gordon, with en-
forced calmness. 81 have had RATS
male to carry off the hands il the
flood comes in, and the boat has been
carried to the door,
In times of great peril women are
more apt to be cool and uncomplain-
ing than men. Mrs. Gordon and her
daughters realized that great peril
threatened them, but they prepared
to meet it with courage and calm.
ness that lifted heavy burden from
the fathers shoulders.
After drinking his coffee, Mr.. Cor
don put on his waterproof coat and
went out again with the lamp in his
hand.
ne ha1 not been gone many seconds
when the ladies were startled by a
shrill cry that was taken up by other
voices till it rose above the storm.
''The crevasse! Tho leyee is gone p
They caught these words, and they
hsnrd the roar of the waters coming
nearer and nearer.
Mrs. Gordon threw open the door to
call to her husband to return, but at
that instant ne burst in shouting:
Come, wife Florence Jennie
to the boati"
They ran out after him and got into
the boat. Mrs. Gordon extinguished
the only light in the house as she left,
and Mr.. Gordon's lamp had gone out.
The shouting of the black people
men, women and children-as they
made for the RATS. could be heard