The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1899-10-19

boy should be ferryman like his
father. And so he must learn to man
age a boat betimes. See, yonder hi
comes, rowing like a bOatman!"
But whatever has he brought with
him." cried Madame Lenoir, in amaze
ment
What, indeed? At first sight, the
sturdy little 12-year-old, who came
skimming toward them across the broad
shining stream, appeared to be wearing
huge, black overcoat. torn almost in
two. But a second glance showed the
object to be a raven nearly as big as
himself, which hung loosely over his
shoulder, as if either dead or badly
hurt.
See what I've got mother!" cried he
gleefully. Il found it in the wood yon-
der, with its wing broken. At first ii
snapped at me, and wouldn't let me
touch it, but it's quiet enough now.
Isn't it a fine big one?'
'Oh, you dreadful boy" cried his
mother. "What do you think we're go
ing to do with a great, ugly thing like
that about the house? And who's go
ing to feed it, pray?'
why, mother, you know you always
say that this house of ours on the is
land is just like an ark: and Noah had
raven in his ark that he used to send
flying about, and why shouldn't we?
BESIDES, we can IedCn MIN 70 carry
messages for us, like that one that
Father Gregoire told us about the other
day"
well, there's something in that"
said Jean Lenoir, laughing; and as for
feeding. a raven can pick up his own
living any day; and besides, we have
! always plenty of odds and ends of fish.
Bring him in, my boy, we'll see what
/ can be done with him. -
nd n
few months Pierre's raven-named
christopher" in honor of the ferry
man S. pa tron Saint-had become famous
! throughout the whole country side.
Many bright silver franc did Pierre
! pick up at the country fairs by making
the bird go through the tricks he had
! taught it; and when once it had learned
/ to carry messages, the people along
| the river gave it so many that the post
man used often to threaten it joking
! ly with a summons before the magis-
! trate for taking away his business.
Even Pierre's mother got reconciled to
the great, ugly thing" at last; more
I especially as the good priest Of the
parish, Father Gregoire, was very fond
of it, and never came to see them with
out bringing something good in his
pocket for. our friend Christopher"
Sometimes, indeed, as soon as the
kind clergyman's black cassock and
broad hat were seen on the opposite
bank little Pierre would point thither,
and call out; Food, Christopher"
And the raven, shooting like an arrow
across the river, would perch on the
priests shoulder, and thrust his great
black bill into the old pocket in search
of food which he was always sure to
find there.
So matters went till one night in the
early spring when Jean LenoiT, COM
ing home tired after a hard days
work, paused for moment as he got
out of his boat, to notice a strange,
leaden dimness that overhung the hills
along the eastern sky.
1T must be raining hard up in the
mountains" said he to himself, and
then thought no more about it.
But at daybreak next morning he
was awakened from a dream of being
at sea in a storm, which seemed
strangely real even after he was broad
awake. Doors were banging, windows
rafting, timbers creaking and groan-
ing, mingled with roaring and dash
ing as if a Niagara had been let loose
close to his ear. Hardly knowing what
he did, he sprang to the door and
threw it open, and instantly started
back as if he had been shot.
The water was within a foot of the
door sill. =.
Worse still, it was plainly rising
higher every moment The Rhone,
swollen by the heavy rains and the
sudden melting of the mountain SHOWS
had burst it's banks and come down in
full flood, driven by such a gale as had
not blown in those parts since the great
storm ten years before. All sorts of
things went whirling past on the yellow
foam-drowned sheep, hurdles, beams.
boxes and uprooted trees, upon one of
l.. IL
dog, wailing piteOusly for help that no
one could give.
Jeans first thought was for his boat;
but both it and the shed in which it
was. moored was gone as if they had
never been. Sick at heart he clam
bered up into the loft after his wife
and son, just as the water come flood
ing in over the door sill.
Meanwhile an anxious crowd had I
gathered on the opposite bank, eager /
TO help the imperiied family on the is
land. But how was this to be done?
No boat could live in that boiling flood, |
and it seemed hopeless to thing of get
ting q rope across.
The strongest man could not fling |
stone so far. A kite would be instantly |
torn to shreds by the wind, and they |
had no means of sending across either
an arrow or a bullet.
Poor Father Gregoire ran wildly |
from man to man. imploring them to
save his friends. and meeting every
where the same despairing shake of the |
head. And still the water rose higher.
and higher and higher.
Suddenly Pierre put his mouth close
to his fathers ear and screamed with
all his might through the deafening
roar:
Father Christopher
Catching his sons idea in a moment
the ferryman hastily rummaged out a
roll of stout Irvine, one end of which he
knotted to a strong rope, While Pierre
fastened the other round the leg of his
bird, which was, indeed, about to be-
come in terrible earnest what they had
often called it in jest, 1.-The raven sent
forth from the ark. -
Food Christopher shouted the
boy, pointing to the opposite shore;