The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1900-04-28
THE REAL HERO.
. By Mary Brewster DoWnss
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and filled the woodbox for grandma
J He mixed corn meal for the newes
chicks and fed it to the downy littl.
things from the tips of his fingers
Then he went down cellar and tool
big drink Of buttermilk to settle his
dinner.
Sanford, Sanford!" called his
grandmother to him in frightened
voice.
SAMMY rushed up stairs. Comma
out of the dark cellar, the whole world
seemed abiaze. The storm brewing
mountain was hooded il black, but
from beneath the seething clouds
burst lurid light that burned
over the valley with portentous
glare. Chasing streaks Of lightning
cracked the black cloud-mass, and ter
rife roars of thunder echoed from
the mountains sides. But above
them the sky was blue. and the sun
shone steadily on the fields of waving
grain.
'Did you ever see the like!" gasped
grandma. "It's cloudburst, as sare
as you're born. Your mother and
that crazy Will Sanford-mercy on
us! Come in and shut tho door.
The waters will-Sanford, Sanford!
Where are your Sanford! Come
back, come back this minutei San
ford!
"Go in and shut the door, grand
ma, yelled SAMMY, from the gate. He
had ierked Princes halter loose; he
was on the horses back-he was off
down the road. He could ride
Prince as we'll with halter as with
bride.
The awful light faded out. The
aspens trembled TRANQUILITY in the sun
shine that climbed the steep walls OF
the canon, and tho tall columbines
waved their stately heads. SAMMY
swept by the familiar scenes without
glance. He dug his heels into the
horse, his elbows slapped his sides,
he whooped his ficrcest cowboy yell;
q cloud Of dust rolled back from his
horses feet.
Now and then SAMMY gave fearful
glance over his shoulder. The canon
walls cut off sight of the storm brew
ing mountain, but above the clatter of
Princes feet broke the crashing of
thunderbolts, and beneath oil Sanny's
keen ears detected low, continuous
roar that caused his brown face to
pale.
Already the slender mountain
stream that threaded the roadside had
risen in it's bed and was lashing itself
to white foam. --.
A lone man was cultivating a valley
that broke from the canon. Sanny
Prince q trife, by hard work.
'Run!" he yelled. "a cloudburst on
the mountain"
The man caught up his hoe and
ran.
SAMMY stopped at tho lower pasture.
The bronco-tamers were tossing hi
....
"a cloudburst, q food" shrieked !
SAMMY.
The horse-tamers paused, listened
and whipped their horses up the
sides.
A "mountain schooner" crept slow
y up the mountain road, bearing a
party of jolly campers.
IA flood! A cloudburst! Turn
back! Drive up tho divide! Hurry
'or your lives!''
"A fiood!" The campers looked up
It the cloudless sky and laughed. "a
lood in your eye!" they shouted; but
SAMMY was out Of hearing, and they
vent gaily onward to their doom.
Five miles from home Prince over
ook the team. Sanny's mother
ooked back at the sound OF hoofs;
he recognized Sanny-she looked be-
,ond him.
"a food! A food!"
She pushed Will Sanford from the
wagon, sprang to the ground and gave
he horses a etinging lash. She
crambled up the mountain side, her
'rother tugging behind her.
"Sauny!' she screamed. |
But SAMMY and Prince had sped on.
hey had one more message to de-
iver. I
For q week two campers had been
in the beautiful valley. They
!ad pitched thei7 tent close to the T
mountain stream beneath q
luster of pines, tethering their horses
mong the aspens. They were city
,orn and weak-meu who were breath
ng in health and strength before
limbing farther into the mountains.
)ne of them lay in hammock, gazing
nto the fathomless blue of the sky.
,,hs other sprawled istlessly in the