The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1907-10-25
On SIxeeS for
the Doctor.
BY Frederic Brush.
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fields about his mountain home in an
ecstasy of joy. The skees of straight
grained white ash took a polish quick
ly, and grew faster with each descent.
They were perfectly balanced and
curved high at the front, and he could
take the drifted stone walls with
long skimming leap that almost made
the heart stop for the fear and joy OF
it.
He was a twelve-year-old athlete,
trained in the incessant activities OF
the farm and forest. Sweeping down
at the house with the speed OF the
fastest train, he would stop within
few yards, or swerve with an exultant
cry close by his doubtful, watching
mother. and go on cutting long curves
and leaping the half-buried fences to
the lower edge of the clearing.
About four o'clock Martin saw his
father with Jim, the hired man, driy-
ing home from the mill. Martin
planned to take the road with flying
leap just under their noses, as they
turned in toward the barn.
n The effect was greater than he anti
cipated; he had left the horses out OF
his calculations. One was colt just
being broken, and the other was not
low-spirited When that strange, long
footed, flying figure passed with
shrek before them, the colt leaped
across the back of its mate, and to-
gether they swerved and crashed
through the fence and over the wall
into the barnyard below.
Mrs. Baird was quickly there, and
heard her husbands repeated cry for
help from under the entangling
wreck. AS they dragged him out a
red trail followed upon the snow. He
was tightly clutching his left arm at
the elbow, but the blood was dripping
fast from his finger tips.
"The ak caught me somehow" said
he. 81 had it on my knees. Slit
up the sleeve with your knife-quick,
Martin, and let us see! / bled fright
fully in there before I could get hold
of 1T. / feel weak-I feel weak.
AS they barred the arm, a stream OF
bright blood spurted high, and falling,
left its spotted stain upon the snow.
Martin and Jim jumped back, amazed
and speechless. The mother reeled in
a half-faint, but braeed at her hus-
bands sharp words.
Martin! Jim! Help me here-cant
you? Quick-grab the arm above! Not
SO tight! There's the vessel. So
hold steady"
BY their many hands the bleeding
was again controlled, but the father
lay outstretched with white lips. Re-
covering slowly, he told them how to
knot handkerchiefs and tie the upper
arm, but the artery spurted again, and
only the hands seemed to control it.
sect on the colt, Martin, and go for
the DOCTOR" said Mrs. Baird.
1.-THE doctor passed us going up the
valley to Gray's over an hour ago, -
said Jim. Hell be coming down
about now. If we could head him OFF
If we could head him off! If we
don't, it'll be hours before we get him
here"
run down the mountain, Martini "
said the father, ''by the old log road
and Clancey's clearing. Start slow;
it's the finish we want-the finish
II you miss him, take Clancey's horse
and ride. Where are you now, boy?
he cried, sharply.
Turning, he saw Martin strapping
on the skees. "Take those things
off" he commanded. Haven't they
done enough for one day."
For answer Martin glided from the
yard and dropped like an arrow down
the long barn meadow, and took the
drifted wall without touch of the
pole. He swayed badly in mid-air
and the watchers held their breath;
but he righted, and was on like the
wind into the slopes and curves of the
lower clearing.
Here was work for the best skee
rider-stumps, vines to avoid, and
treacherous drifts to pass; but Mar
tin kept on swiftly toward the forest
He was using the pole now, lodging
and balancing and sometimes brakine
dllHoSI " sup, OuI oISetuty 5OAhe
down, twenty times faster than his
unaided legs could have carried him
At last the watchers saw him, with g
startling sweep of speed, go straight
toward the forest edge, and disappear
therein as if swallowed.
He's got the road" said Mr.. Baird
his eyes growing moist. God hell
him! Go to the window in the barr
loft, Myra. Jim has got this all right
now, From there you can just see The
top OF the ridge in Clancey's clearing
Maybe he will pass there"
She sprang into the loft. What
thoughts were hers as she waited a
that window. A husband there, with &
finger holding him from death, and al
only child rushing to possible de
struction on the mountain slopes be
low! Suddenly along that white ridge
IL ~.