Amador ledger., 1904-04-08
Night Call
AT the Ferry
By Charles Sloan Reid
Copyright. 1903, by 7. c. Mcclure

iOOhluS OuI lHtO ulShl
"Hal-loo-eh- hoor'
The hills, the sky, the rocks and the
trees all were lost in one formless sea
of darkness outside, but this was occa-
sionally rifted by zlgzag streaks of fire
from the heavens, and Mat found a
grim sort of enjoyment in watching
these.
"Hal-loo-eh-h -hoor'
For the third time the call for the
ferryman came stealing through the
darkness. Mat looked back into the
cabin to where an old man lay stretch
ed across bed.
Poor old dad" she murmured. Its
pity to wake him. He's so tired, and
the old boats load. Seems to me the
feller could just as well go back and
stay the night at Amos Salter's as to
want to make the crossin' ON a night
like this
-hoor'
Mat arose reluctantly.
81 reckon there's nothin' else for il, :"
she said to herself "but it's hard OH
dad"
She went to the bed and put her hand
on the mans shoulder.
Dad" she called in his ear, leaning
forward
But there was no response. She wait
ed a moment, then dropped her hand
upon his forehead
"O-h, dadp' she exclaimed and fell to
her knees, with a moan, by the side of
the bed. The forehead was clammy to
the touch, and an instructive messenger
of the truth had darted to the girls
heart-the old man was dead. Mat laid
her ear over his heart, and another
moan of horror escaped her lips.
"Hal-loo-cl-hoow came over the riv-
er, floated in through the cabin door
way and fell upon the girls ears.
The ferry:nan would never more car
ry the boat over the river and the ter
rible loneliness which came to Mat with
the thought almost prostrated her.
Alone, alOna, alone with the dead, with
the storm gathering outside and the
the river
"Hal-loo-eh-ho Hal-loo-eh-hoor' it
came again.
But this time it brought a mite of
comfort to the ear of the girl; it re-
lieved little of the loneliness. A sud-
den thought came to Mats mind, and
she rose and staggered to the doorway.
Initiating her lungs, throwing out her
chin and tiptoeing with the effort, she
called out through the night:
''Hal-loo-eh-hal-loo-e
1t thrilled through the blackness of
the sky, every tremor of it bearing the
suffering of her breast. Mat wanted
the companionship of a living human
being through this night, and she had
determined to take the boat over the
river for the traveller. She had done it
before in the daytime, and she did not
fear the trial at night.
Dad" she murmured, kneeling
again by the bedside, you will forgive
me for leavin' you-you'll forgive me
in heaven, know for leavin' you this
little while but am so lonely
She pressed her lips to the clammy
behind her. Down the rugged ravine,
with nothing to guide her footsteps,
she made her way. She knew the big
tree where the boat path led off from
the main road to the landing place at
the edge of the water, and she knew
every inch of the path, which was now
one with the unbroken darkness of ev-
erything. The roar of the river grew
louder as she approached until she
could hear the waves tapping the sides
of the boat at her feet
"Hal-loo-eh-hoow Mat called softly.
and "Waitin'" came the answer from
over the water
Mat showed off in the long bateau
and carried 1t with all her might
against the current of the stream.
"Hal-loo-eh-h she called again
when near the opposite shore, and the
travellers answer told her she was
making the landing safe.
But when the keel touched the sand
Mats strong arms gave way under the
strain they had had to sustain.
"Get in, stranger" she said; "but I
must rest before we go. 1t is days
since brought the boat over"
"Give me the blade. I'll take her
back myself" said the man. "I can't
see ye, little un, but can tell by yer
voice ye're a woman. 1 knew it the
moment heard yer answer from the
hill on the other side. But where's the
ferryman that ye're sent to bring me
acrossT
The stranger had pulled the boat in
to the stream, but 1t was some time be-
fore Mat answered his question. She
was sitting in the stern end of the
boat, with her chin on her bosom.
shedding silent tears.
"The ferryman-the ferryman," she
stammered at last, "is deadP'
'Since whenT"
Tonight"
can ye're aIoneT
"Yes.n
"H'ml When ye answered me to-
night from over the river the cry
brought sadness to me heart. But
who was the ferrymanT
"Abe Wellesley, my father"
Him, h'mw muttered the man after
several minutes silence. And Mat
knew that the oar had ceased to move
in his hands.
But presently q few quick strok kes
made by the strong arms of the stran-
ger carried the nose of the bateau out
Upon the sand of the shore.