The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1904-11-25

reached his outfit he was convinced
that heavy thunderstorm was
coming up.
This made him hasten to get
through his duties, for he had no de-
sire to remain near his wagon during
such disturbance. a thunder-storm
is one Of tho terrors Of the oil-dyna-
inter, for, apart from the danger OF
his wagon being struck, there is al
ways the possibility that a heavy
shock of thunder may explode the
cargo by mere conclusion.
When Matthews came cut from
among the trees to take another look
at the weather, however, he was start
led by the appearance OF the western
sky. A dense bank Of dark-blue cloud
was polling up rapidly. blowing out in
ragged streamers, as if torn by a
powerful gale. Already it was reach
ing halfway to the zenith, and the sun
shone dimly through a reddish haze
In few minutes more this was
blotted out, and a strange and chilly
dusk fell upon the earth. The horses
we're snoring and stamping with
fright The storm developed so rapid
ly that Matthews at first had hardly
recognized it's nature.
But now the indications were only
too clear. Twice in his life he had
seen tornadoes. They are not so com
mon in the middle West as upon the
plains, but veritable "twisters" do oc-
casionally sweep across that region;
and it appeared afterward, in fact,
that this was sort of offshoot of
the cyclone that almost wiped out the
town OF Pike Springs on the same day.
1t was coming apparently straight
toward Fayette, and Pauls first and
natural inclination was to run for
some shelter.
He was not much alarmed for his
own safety until the thought Of his
wagon-load of explosives occurred to
him. The shock of the cyclone would
certainly explode it. Should it go off
where it stood, the resulting damage
would be comparatively slight; but it
would almost certainly be lifted from
the ground by the suction, and the
tins Of nitro glycerine dropped and eX-
ploded all over the neighbOrhood.
They would certainly be carried to-
ward Fayette, and the tornado itself
would be a comparatively minor peril.
Matthews stopped and tried to think
of something to do. A hole in the
ground, a cellar, would be the only
safe depository for the dangerous out
fit; but it struck him that the ravine
of Jackson's Greek might furnish a
substitute.
The creek was a small one, but it
flowed at the bottom of a deep, mar
raw ravine which it had cut through
hard clay. If the wagon could be
placed in that gorge, he thought, it
would be pretty certain to stay there,
and do nothing worse than blow up
the creek bed. But the creek was a
mile away, in the direction of the on
coming tornado.
Matthews did not stop, however, to
think of his fate if he were caught
halfway, or of the impossibility of
getting the wagon safely down the
precipitous sides of the ravine should
he reach it. He was used to taking
big chances, and this seemed the only
one, big or little. He began to hitch
up the horses with haste.
The animals were growing more
and more uneasy, and it seemed to
take a terribly long time to attach
them to the wagon. He jumped up
on the seat and drove out toward the
road. 1t was growing darker, and the
wind was blowing a gale, thick with
dust, but the body of the tornado was
still a long way off. 1t seemed to hirl
that he had a fighting chance Of reach
ing the creek; and in any event the
70 ytboYs bn oC+ from tho yyi11o o.o thu