Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-08-31
chambers Journal)

s,,,,nn Then. too. the rain falls heavily
=, che hills. and vexes the shallow upland
streams. tn every glen II ribbed WIN
,ts cburning torrent. This for the up
lands. but below. at the rim OF the plains
where the giens expand to wales, ana
trim fields edge the wastes, there -
wreck and Iamentation. The caDihee
waters lin over corn land and MEADOW
ana hear destruction TO crop and cattie.
This is the tale OF Robert Linkiater'
farmer in Clachlands, and the events
which befell him on the night OF sep
,enber 2oth. In the year Of grace 1881
an, aware that there are characters III
the countryside which stand higher IN
repute than his, for Imagination ana q
love OF point and completeness In a story
are qualities which little commence
themselves to the prosaic. l have heard
him called "Leein' Rob-" and answer 10
the same with cheerfulness: but he was
wont in private 10 brag or mihutest
truthfulness, and attribute his III name
10 the universal dulness or man. -,
On this evening he came nome, ~
his own account, from market aooSe 'n0
D.
tiylty. On the Monday he had sVhe "
n distant cattle show. and on Iuesoay
g. a marriage. on the Wednesday nc
hod attended upon a cousins funeral
and being flown with whiskey, DiVusn.
everlasting disgrace upon blinseh ny
Using 10 propose the health of the pride
and bridegroom. On Thursday ne hau
been at the market OF Gledsmulr' anu
getting two shiiings more lot ms e"cS
than he had reckoned, returned in Nio
Servor of spirit and ripe hilarity.
rrhe weather had been shower and Dlast
for days. The gray skies dissolved III
dreary rain. and on that very morn ihere
had come a downpour so fierce that the
highways ran like hillside torrent. NOW,
as ne sat nj supper and looked down AT
the green vale and red waters leapihB W
bank and brae sudden Tear came W
his heart Hitherto he had had no coi-
c.rn-for was not his harvest safety
sucked? But now he minds OF the Iaisn
marks and the nowt beasts tnere' WhOH
he had bought the week before az the
sale of Inverfortb They were hyloe anu
Galloway mixed, and on them, when TAT
tened through winter and spring iay
great hopes OF profit. He gulped his meal
down hurriediy and went forthwith 10 the
earden-foot. There he saw something
that did not allay his fears. Gled had
split itself I'm two at the place where
Clachlands water came to swell its fioW
and a long, cleaning line OF black cur
rent stole round by the side OF the lalsh
meadow, where stood the huddled cattle
Lat but the waters rise a little ana the
valley would be one uniform turgi0 sea-
This was pleasing news for an Rnesl
man after a hard days work, ana the
farmer went grunbling back. lie TOOK
a mighty plaid and flung 1t over his
shoulders. chose the largest and toughest
Of his many sticks, and set off ITO see
wherein he could better the peril.
Now. some hundreds Of yards above the
laigh meadow a crazy wooden bridge
spanned the stream. by TINS way ne
might bring his beasts to safety. for no
nowt could hope 10 swim the red Hood
SO he FLASHED through the dripping stub
BILE to the rivers brink. where. with
tawny swirl, II licked the edge of banks,
which I'm summer weather stood high and |
flow err decked. Ruefully he reflected that !
many good palings would by this time De
whirling to a distant sea.
When he came TO the wooden bridge |
he set his teeth manfully and crossed. |
IL creaked and swayed with his weight, |
and dipped till II all but touched the |
flow. Ii could not stand, even as the |
water was, for already its mid prop |
had lurched forward. like a drunken |
man, and was grooming at each wave.
But If rise came 1t would be torn from |
it's foundations like a reed, and then |
hegh-hol for cattle and man.
With painful haste he labored |
through the shadows which trimmed the |
and came TO the snake-like |
current which had even now spread IT. |
self beyond the laigh meadow. He |
measured It's depth with his eye and
yentured. 1t did not reach beyond his |
middle but its force gave him much |
ado 10 keep his feet At length 1t was |
passed. and he stood triumphant on the |
spongy land where the cattle huddled |
in mute discomfort and terror.
Darkness was falling. ana he could |
scarcely see the homestead on the af- |
fronting hillside So with all speed he |
set about collecting the shiverlng beasts. !
and forcing them through the ring of |
water TO the bridge. Up to their TANKS !
they went. and then stood lowing help !
lessly. He saw that something was |
wrong, and made To ford the current |
himself But now il was beyond him. |
lie looked down at the yellow water |
running down his middle, and saw that |
IL had risen, and was rising inch by !
inch every minute. Then .he glanced TO !
where aforetime stood the crazy plank
ing of the bridge. Suddenly hope and
fed. and the grayest fear
settled in his heart: for he saw no
bridge, only ragged saw-like end of |
timber where once he had crossed.
Here was a plight for solitary man
to be In at nightfall. There would be
no wooden bridge on all the water, and
the nearest one of stone was at distant
Gledsmulr, over some score of miles of
weary moorland. III was clear that his |
cattle must bide on this farther bank,
and he himself. when once he had seen
them in safety, would set off for the
nearest farm and pass the night. 1t
seemed the craziest of matters that he |
should be thus In peril and discomfort, !
with the lights of his house blinking |
not quarter mile away.
Once more he tried TO break the water |,
ring. and once more he failed. The !
food was still rising, and the space Of |
green which showed gray and black be- |
meath a fitful moon was quickly lessening. f,
Before irritation had been his upper feel |
Ing, now terror succeeded He could |
not swim stroke, and If the field were |
covered he would drown like q cat In !
a bag. He lifted up his voice and roar |
ed with all the strength of his mighty |
lungs: 'Sammie, Andra, Jock; come ana !!
helps, iii the place rang with echoes. |
Meanwhile. with strained eyes, he |
watched the rise of the cruel water. |
which crept black and pitlless, over the |
shadowy gray.
He drove the beasts to a little knob
which stood somewhat above the meadow.
and there they stood. cattle and man, In
the fellowship OF misfortune. They had
been as Wild as peatreek, and had suf
fered none TO approach them, but now
with instinct of peril they stood quietly |
by his side turning great billowy fore
heads 10 the surging waste. Upward ana
nearer came the current rising with