The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1905-11-22

Above the hammering OF The w9goE
wheels against the rocks there rose an
unmlstakable roar-a dull rumble
mingled with sudden cracks and
crashes
Then q solid wall Of brown water,
eight feet high, swept maiesticaily
round the point above them. rearing
It's crest in the air and seeming to lean
forward in its flight
Writhing in the depths behind. great
treetops slashed up and plunged from
sight like spectral hands; and. racing
furiously before the wave. there raced
little cloud of dust. only to be licked
up The next moment by the towering
wall Of water
One glance at It's immensity. and
young Westbrook scurried over the
washed boulders Of the rlver-bed like Il
desert lizard.
"You cant make the bank! Catch on
behind" cried shaw as Westbrook ran
past the wagon.
The bank was indeed too far away.
the inundaiion too imminent Not
knowing what else to do. he obeyed,
and the next moment the horses were
headed down the canon toward the
lone cottonwood tree on the knoll-the
tree which showed the water-mark six
feet above the ground.
In a mad runaway the two horses
jerked the light wagon over rocks and
bushes. fleeing from the bank of water.
Spreading far out across the widening
] 1. L. g-.. Ia =,
IT'S burst Of speed.
Then second great rush. like the
surge Of tidal wave Mt sea. leaped
high above the point, ana rolling on,
swept down the middle Of the canon.
When that tremendous mass Of
water twice as high as at first, APP
peared. Ezra Shaw. knew that he was
caught Yet he pulled the horses into
4 new course and lashed them into n
fury.
Fighting against fate. he now tried
to get In line with the lone cottonwood
4 knoll, so that when the water struck
+ them they might perchance be washed
o against It, IL it stood before the storm
9 Whishee - whlshee - whlshee they
. heard the sage brush bowins before
n the wave front.
Brr-up! came the slapping water be
hind the wagon, and then up they
n went while 4 great surge OF icy water
r tapped over them. taking their breath
,, Ike the cold douchc Of a showerbath.
For 4 moment the horses rose with
the water. Then. as the bed Of the
:. wagon began to float above the run
, ninggear. they sank from sight. The
+. heavy wagon wheels dragged them
2 back and down. and the wagon bed
/. swept upon them.
v But although the leaky wagon bed
II rocked wildly beneath him, Ezra Shaw
did NOT abandon his struggling team.
n Gripping the rens, he braced his feet
5 against the dashboard ana Eeayed theil
d heads up from the muddy water. Ther
;. the wagon bed crashed into somethin:
:. solid and stopped. The horses wert
T. swept past, and the wagon wheels
foulCd and stucl; fast.
e They had struck the lone cottonwood
l. that stood upon the knoll. and in {
. moment there was bewildering tangl,
u and uproar-the horses hung by tht
heads against the current, great c!ot
T. of brush and small trees smashed
against the wagon bed and stuck fast
W and above all was the thunder OF III
I. brown water rushing past.
le For a second the two men balance,
Is where they were and looked at th
N roaring torrent Then the old pros
NJ pectog handed the reins 90 Westbrook
If ana clamhered out on the swayln
n wagon box, now stacked high wit
Is drift
le Back he came with a long pickle
rope, one end Of which he tied hui
is riedly to the bending cottonwood.
Sc We've got about three minutes t
set out Of here before the whole islam
)u goesw he shouted in WestbrooE's eal
II "Il 20 down and cut the horses loos
er Grst, and then wen swim for It."
lg Then he threw the free end OF III
D. rope out over the horses backs an
IN slid down into the wafer.
re First he passed the rope through tn
m slack Of their belly-bands ana Lnotte
It swiftly. Then, ms they hung by thl
w support, he twiched the reins froI
nd Westbrook, cut the horses apar
reached down and slashed the tug
Id ana beckoned for him to follow.
at Before the pressure OF the food tl
be lone cottonwood groaned and pOppe,
be bending slowly. On each side Of ii
ed accumulated snag a mill-race OF bol
Ky bling trees. posts ana bushes swel
past and the rumble Of huge boulder
NJ rolling on the bottom sounded aboN
on the swash Of the tumbling waves.
its But deepest Of all, like the growl (
Eat some destroying monster, came Il
lin roar OF the immediate waters, burroy
In ing beneath the roots of the sturd
cottonwood, washing its little island
pl, soil away like sugar. and threatenir
OF at every moment to root It up and owe
en whelm horses and men alike, as thu
in lowered behind its protecting bulk.
10. There was no choice about 1t 4
Philip Westbrook. He went down II
led rope with a rush, clutched the fir
nto horse, and was passed on by Shaw
the second.
lit. TheI, at the touch OF his knife, 4
picket rope popped like rife shot Al
nd they were swept on with the torrent
get Huge. sInuous waves, four and d
feet high, yet flowing smooth and OF
md over their new-formed bed OF san