The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-30

/ she stood in ii a moment, gasping for breath
| and bracing herself against the wind. that
almost threw her down. She fastened the
door behind her vshen she had got through
and crept around the house on the side
away from the sea. She chung to the wall
as she stepped along.
The water was high as she had never
seen it before, swishing around the point
and covering the neck of rock connecting
| the house with the main land. Wave after
wave plunged across this neck. making it
impossible for the girl and her mother to
take refuge on shore should they desire to
do so.
1t was quite uncertain whether the frail
wooden hut of old wreck timber would
stand if many more and any mightier waves
were hurled against it.
As Cherry stepped along a great mass of
water that was flung over the roof dis
| lodged a slate and sent it flying down, hap
! PLY carried by the impetus beyond the girl.
| Having reached the seaward end of the
dwelling, she paused, watching her oppor-
| tunity. The stye was not many PAGES off,
| but between her and it was a chasm,
through which wind and water raced, the
| wind in one continuous blast, the water in
| intermittent bursts.
| The little low window of the cottage
looked eastward out upon the pigstye the
| light of the candle within illuminated the
spray as it drifted by.
Now for it," said Cherry, and she made
a rush.
The pigs were squeaIing. They were in as
great terror Of their lives as were the two
women, and, of course, were devoid of the
moral internal force to sustain them under
their fear of death.
IF we lose them two pigs" said Cherry.
'we may as well give up. Usn have no
bacon all the winter
Two, three. five minutes elapsed.
The old woman within listened and
| prayed, when suddenly clash like thun-
derclap huge roller had come against the
house, beaten in the window, but in with
it, through the broken frame, borne by the
velocity of the wave, came Cherry, holding
one of the pigs, with both arms thrown
round it Some minutes elapsed before
Cherry recovered herself so as to speak.
She staggered to her feet, but without re-
Iinquishing hold of the pig.
'Oh, mither, mither! Sure it's the end
o. the world and us shall be drownded.'
Stand your ground Cherry; stand your
ground, answered her mother. And
donty' know Scripture better nor that? The
world'n not be drownded, but burnt. Where
be t'other pig, too?"
Hes gone out to say" answered the
| girl, dolorously. II did my best; 1 saved
one. 1 couldn't hold the both in that
| drashy wave
us mum be thankful for what us have"
said the mother. (Which be it, Cherry?
! Her as wor fattenin', and had the sack o.
barley meal?"
Yes mither; held fast to she.''
GLORY ralleluley.'' exclaimed Betty
| ssCIad fha harley n1aa1 amt coma ont 20
say
The waves now began to pour in at the
broken windows. The light had been ex-
tirguished when Cherry and the pig on the
back of the bill6w had come tumbling in
through the easement So every wave
flooded the little house.
Cherry" said old Betty ''give me the
pig. Her'n git cramp in the legs. and lose
her appetite, and won't take heart to no
more victuals if her bides down there.
Thee cral on to the table and take the pig
wi me and sit high and dry"
With some difficulty the pig was heaved
up on the table, and the old woman scram-
bled out of the water after it, and seated
herself with round the sow.
Get up yourself, Cherry said she, ''get
up on t'other side, and Wen hold her quiet,
for time! How her poor heart be beatin'
terrible amount O. fat Cherry, or couldn't
feel her dear heart beat as l do
Cherry assembled the table, and the
two women sat down on it with the fat pig
between them.
They had not been in this position long
before they heard shout then a blow at
the door, which burst open, and in dashed
| a man.
Il say. Cherry"
The voice was that of Philip Maxwell.
Here 1 bes. Philip, responded the girl,
"a settin' on the table along WI our OF
pig and mither.''
THANK heaven,'' exclaimed the young
| coastguard. II feared you might be swept
away. Now come. 1 will carry you one by
| one to Shore
What the pig?"
| Il don't know about the Pig
| us can't spare the pig, Philip. He is ter
rible comfortable settin' on the table along
of mither and me. Us must be kearful and
tender of him, as us have to eat 'un this
winter. and there's the bag O. barley inside
/ 'un''
I'm not so sure that it is possible to get
back" said the young man at the door,
with you 1 will make the venture-hardly
with the pig
mo. thank'ee. I'll not go wiout mither,"
answered the girl readily.
| Another wave plunged through the win
dow and swirled in through the door.
Get UP on the table, young chap" said
| Betty.
Come and sit by me-
| Philip hesitated.
'Or by the pig. and hold it tight. You
can feel her heart beat like mithers."
| He still hestated.
| 'Or by Cherry-it's all one, reckon"
| Then the coastguardsr an did ascend the
| table, out Of the water, which reached
| above his knees; and he did seat himself
down; not by the pig. nor by old Betty.
| You must hold on said the old woman.
Them great bolstrin' waves lift the table,
and may swim up out through the winder.
and carry all to say, jist like Noah and
his ark-and then there's all that barley
meal wasted
Il holding on said Philip.
And do'y feel how her heart beats?"
| asked Betty
Il think l do" answered Maxwell, but his
arm was not round the pig. nor his hand on
her heart. The wind whistIed and then
howled the waves doomed and Kissed. Bet
ty thought that she could hear broken
words and whispers passing on the further
| side of the pig, but she paid no great atten-
| ton to them.