The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-02-24
Like pharaoh's Hosts.
BY Albert Bigelow Paine.
aeeeeeeeeeeee@eeeeeeee
MTHERE the city of Topeka. Ka

{ w stands to-day there was once 3
a. trading post 40 years ago, and the coun
= try roundabout was but sparsely settled
g, The winter had been unusually long
and hard, and many of the farmers
found their stock OF groceries and other
provisions running low long before
the roads became passable for teams.
q Trips TO the post were made on foot
and horseback, and, by few who lived
along the Kaw river and were fortunate
enough to own them, on skates.
Among these were Robert Chan
v ming, boy of 16, and his sister Eliza.
a healthy red-cheeked girl two wears
younger. The Channings had moved to
: Kansas from western New York the
summer before, and Bob" and Liza"
had brought their skates along as
matter of course. A little before Christ
mas they had made the trip together
to the post, dragging a hand-sled be-
tween them, and returning with few
Christmas trifies the post afforded. and
such necessaries as were running low at
that time. A severe storm set in the
next day and continued for more than
a week. Then came week of intense |
cold' followed by rain and a general |
breaking up which made the roads
worse than ever before. The river. how
ever, still remained frozen over and the
ice was considered safe, though some
what mushy in places along the edge
II was just at this time that the Chan
nings found themselves entirely ont Of
coffee and very low on bacon. with no
other meat whatever. Bob" and LILA"
were eager TO make the 15-mile trim ,
again, and Immediately began cleaning ,
and sharpening their skates for that
purpose, but Mr.. Charming shook his
head
Il don't like to have you do IT," he
said, anxiously. L
why, father the rivers safe. inst
little wet, that's ALL" replied Bob" ''
gayly.
Il think the rivers all right myself u
after the hard freeze we had. Itwasn't u
that | was thinking Of"
What then! Not robbers, | hone ?"
mo, not human robbers. but worse q
perhaps This hard winter has been W
felt by beasts as well as men. And ne
beasts come TO men when they're hun 10
CRY. I thought I heard a wolf howl an
ms morning across the prairie. I'm
not sure but it makes me uneasy to or
nave you CO." liy
"Oh, pshaw; I'm not afraid of n cov-
rdly wolf" said Bob" rather grand mc
y. Are you, Liza?"
Eliza was not to be outdone. go
NO; OF course not" she asserted The
They couldn't catch us, anyway. and i
on can take fathers pistol" hel
Mr.. Charming went outside and goi
'oked out over the prairie LISTENING i'm
mere was no sound but the cawing of but
'me hungry crows, and the Gun of var
'Hee he had missed that morning THU
eakened his resolve. Mrs. Channing had
no was hardy New England WON bun
l. ana not encourage his misgivings. Bob
all an hour later he saw his two fresh stra
eeked children skate away with D., rea,
ringing stride, the little hand sled w
bbing along behind. b. j.,
IL was pleasant thaw mornin0 and fpln
ough there were pools of water on tbs "I
Ill places the skating was. not bad LET /,
&c or twice the skaters thought tbcv care
the frozen surface give beneath the
'm' and concluded that perhaps after Ro
safo.,. "D Tn not DE many more days into
= ,,.,,ho ieac"eu 'he post how for I
Without accident, except that one w
LIZA skate straps broke and
10 be repaired, which caused some E,r
lie delay. They ate lunch at tbe "Tl
re- and after loading the sled started ness
k about three o'clock. Hard
S iei, almost immediately that Judg,
warm day had told on the alreadv one o.
ening ice. Every few strokes there in, do
cracking beneath their feet and peoni,
most imperceptible swaying move he asr
OF the frozen mass. "You had IN tn
er SKATE on ahead, Liza, said n r;ns
n, ,,';.t -, mere is 100 much practi
nj with both Of us and the sled fled :
drag 1t all right, and I'll LET Won mos,
1t awhile later" .;.,ss
is arrangement was made with T., III,
rasssd ,,;. n' ior several miles they George
.raa.,,' 'e''e eaose Tor alarm. the co
suddenly there came something consnn
made Bob's heart jump. II twas TINT N
the h.nL sho soonu from the ice. tinuou,
A ,bor, har,' ."u no' iar behind the ju,
folmwsd hr a,o .n.n = prolonged every c,
wer. s,;u Co.. 1870 .., anu another. Well,
Tapusry sky had " mes, from home. I'm afr
was crow;nr ~ o"'eu 'hickiy you wo
d said that he mas oa 'he river. wife an
!, but there was .' a,,a'o OF The wit
Ismsl chorus and a.sIa" s'ning IN evidentl
made him hound t og hignt Louisyil