St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1905-03-04

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This ended all open communication
between the lovers for several weeks
During this time the spring rains de
scanded vigorously and the river ros
almost by jumps. When the rail
stopped and the sun was out once NOR
Stowler looked across the Columbi;
and counted the trees whirling dow1
in the grasp of the current. Aftel
scratching his head he spent the after
noon in tying ropes of various stage!
of decay to the scow and stakes driver
in the muddy bank He explained tt
Eliza that it looked as if there nigh
be water so high that the scow woult
float
Two days later the skids washed
away from under the house of Stowle,
and his six years residence was
| changed. Eliza and he ate their bacon
unconcerne6ly and went to bed, to
wake up with the sound of running
water in their ears. After few mo-
nlents of inspection Stowler summed
up the situation in one remark: The
eddy's gone; places gone; we're
| goin'"
"Where?" cried Eliza.
Dunno" was the response.
All through the night they sat on
the careening deck of their house and
wondered when things would end. At
| daylight Stowler's eyes told him that
they were 20 miles below their old
home and still going Lucky corked
her seams last winter" he said to his
daughter. 'She sails along in good
style Wonder where We'll fetch up?"
II hope we won't go out to sea"
said Eliza. fearfully.
GOSH" cried her father. 81 amt
thought O. that" So he devoted his
energies to rigging up a sweep and
with this he tried to steer the scow
into a shore eddy. But the Columbia
took things into its own hands and at
midnight Stowler's house was landed
with a jar on an unknown point of
land. After an hours scraping about
it settled firmly on the new founda-
ton and father and daughter waited
for the morning to take possession of
their newly-acquired property.
Daylight showed that the scow had
been cast up on tongue of land that
sloped up into virgin forest There
was no .house in sight and Stowler
staggered proudly out to skid up the
boat. This was toilsome operation,
for in the afternoon the river began
to rise again, and as fast as he got
1Vra vVy%h ;c;r
did his work. But finally by crude
arrangement of ropes and anchors he
moored the house boat between some
protecting trees out of the current and
rested from his 1abors to eat supper
cooked by Eliza, who wept secretly.
Two days later Stowler had beach
combed" sufficient lumber to make
everything secure, and in a fit of pride
he went so far as to build a fence
cutting the point off from the tree
grown mainland.
There was one trouble with the
fence. 1t couldn't be painted. It was
made of small branches and sapplings
bent basketwise. But the general eff
feet was pretty good, and Eliza and
her father rejoiced exceedingly. Her
father because he was now a house
holder; Eliza because she was equal
in station to her Hennery.
The day after the fence was COM
plete the clouds that had been lying in
billowy masses over the hills spread
out and covered the sky. Then it
rained, and the water that fell was so |
plenteous that none could see rods |
length in any direction. Within three
days the Columbia river was a rag
ing torrent, and trees and brush I
again began to drift by the new
place of Mr.. Stowler. But his house
was fast, and the trees along the bank
protected it against rude shocks, and |
he daily. grew more triumphant as he
pondered the blessings of benign
At the end of week provisions be-
gan to run short in the Stowier house.
hold, and the man determined to go
-cross the river to a little town to get
some bacon and flour. He hauled out
his skiff, put In the oars and a big
chest and a tarpaulin. Then he called
Eliza. Look here, sis, dent 'xactly
know the bearings of this place. I'm
loubting whether I can find my way
back unless you show light of some
Sort
"All right" said his daughter, "1'll
Keep lantern going all night, and in
he morning, If it clears of, I'll fly the
lag. So long, dad"
Late that night, just as Stowler was
ying up at the landing place and tell
ng Eliza he was hungry as bear,
huge mass Of shadow looEed up In
he mist, anc proceeded calmly to nose
nto the Stowler scow.
With beacilcomber's instinct, Stow
er dived inside for some rope, snaked
he bulky newcomer into an eddy,
md tied it up good and fast by the side
Il his own scow. It'll be a good thing
. use for woodshed. Reckon wen
make a little money by sellin' to the
teamers now
But Eliza did not hear. She was
taring at the houseboat with wide
pen eyes, and her fathers attention
vas quickly awakened to her attitude.
For the land sakes," he commenced,
what's got inter yer head? Ye look
s though ye'd seen q ghaost."