The Savannah morning news., 1902-07-20

penses-her fathers so tarnal poor
he can't afford no sech doin s-don't We
know tibet, We burned fool?"
AT this taunt, common one in the
county-behind old. Flint's back how
ever-the old man burned like a snarl-
ing animal.
"She en- marry i'm when yer COW
! comes home-not before! An now you
two git outer hyur-I don wanter
change no more work with ye-don't
/ We ever come on my land agin, young
Teller I'll hev tn law on yer
He turned to his daughter and scowl-
| ed fiercely.
An Philury. don't let me ever ketch
We a-lookin' at i'm agin, you young
hussy-"
Then. as he wheeled about. he caught
| sight of the expected "thrashers' who
had come up unnoticed during the al
tercation and listened smiling in the
background. Come on ter tn thrash
in, machine, you GRIMM sappies back
| thar! We've, lost good ha' far
! Already"
And he led the way to the grain
ricks. Shortly afterward the loud,
monotonous hum of the great machine
sounded forth upon the quiet summer
air-"Whee-o loom! whee- 90 oo-m-m!'
punctuated by the staccato "Gid-ap'
Of the driver. urging the weary farm
horses.
All the long, hot summer day they
worked, begrimed and sweaty. at the
threshing, stopping for a short noon
ing only long enough to gobble and
shovel in the big. toothsome dinner
which Philury had labored so hard to
prepare for them. Many a dull farm
lads eye frightened as it followed the
| slender, graceful figure of Flint
Zeb's daughter in her fresh pink lawn
and white apron, hastily donned while
the men were washing their dusty
faces in the tin basin out under the box
a der.
In the middle of the afternoon the
driver suddenly whoaed and stopped
the horses. In aswer to old Zeb's in
quiring glance from his post as band
cutter. he shouted, pointing with his
whip to the southwest. where lay
low bank of greenish-gray cloud
Look -athar! Cyclones comm sure's
you're born''
Cyclone yer granny" pshawed the
old man, wiping the dust from his
wrinkled face-.Yer jes' a-wantin' a
rest. 81 Tompkins-G long with tn
thrashin'!" he shouted, and the men
obeyed. though with apprehensive
glances toward the southwest and the
sky overhead, fast covering with flying
gray scud.
'Whee- oo-oom-n," once more sang
the grain-eating monster till 10 min
utes later it broke off in strangled
wheeze, as the driver leaped down from
the platform and hastily unlocked his
own team from the circle of horses.
'Ye en- thrash yerself inter tn jaws
o death ter save a few cents, OIL Skin
Flint" he shouted defantly at the old
farmer, and broke for cover. But I'm
a-goin' ter the cave. See ther!''
Looming UP above the horizon was
terrible Shape, more dreaded by the
prairie jewellers than the plague, a
huge greenish- black funnel-form cloud,
hanging point down like a great bal
loon partly overturned and with claw
like anchors dragging the earth be-
meath, leaving death and desolation in
it's wake.
The sitting air was deadly still, not
leaf stirred not bird peeped the
doves had flown to the barn caves and
were watching the oncoming storm
with fear in their gentle eyes The
silver Innings of the poplar leaves
grinned wrong side out, like menace
of disaster
The colt and COWS out in the pas
lures stampeded, believing and neigh
Ing for shelter as the wind broke with
dull roar about the now frightened
laborers. Abandoning. the squeallng
horses, maddened and snorting with
terror the men made a wild rush for
the cyclone cave.
Old Zeb ran shouting ito the house.
whose quiet occupants were unaware
of the danger that menaced them
"Philury" he yelled, tearing through
the house, shutting doors and windows.
Cyclones comin'-quick, git yer moth
er up an I'll carry 'Naph-hurry fer
Gods sake!"
The girl started up from the oven
door where she was trying the cake
with broomstraw, and turned white.
But she was prairie bred, and used to
this terrible storm fright. After one
fearful glance out of the south win
dow, she hastily shut off the stove
hampers and drafts to prevent fire
disaster If possible then running up
stairs to her mothers room. she threw
a shawl about the invalid's thi Shout
ders, and half-supporting, half-carry
ing her, fled to the cave whose slant
ing trap door the threshers held open
for them.
An instant later old Zeb came STUN
bling down the cave steps, carrying
the sick lad, and followed by a muf-
fed roar from the stealthy, low
crouching Storm Beast with the fame
darting eyes,
Gosh jam it," gasped Flint, as he
laid the boy down on the cement
floor and felt wildly in his breast
pocket. 1--WE lost thet pocketbook
on Tn way! An II heu over tnous-
an dollars in it," He walled, his
voice drowned in the incres sing up
roar outside.
Philury pushed open the door a
crack and peeped out. A gust of wind
slammed it down again in her face.
II see 1t, pa--a-layin' on the porch
I'll get it," she cried. And before
any one could restrain her she had
shouldered through the trapdoor and
sped like a deer toward the house.
The howl of the storm burst above
like a baffled beast of prey as the cy-
clone broke in all its mighty fury up
on the land. Great trees snapped like
pipe-stems in it's giant grasp whole
house walls sailed by overhead,
flock of squawking hens went over as
securely held in the teeth of the wind
as If in the claws Of fleeing tiger,
sheep was picked up bodily from
neighboring field. the. roof of the
porch lifted off like hat from above
Philury's devoted head as she stopped
/