Amador ledger., 1908-06-05
800 - =. .--.'-s.,. a..s--sl-l is.a,srsss
THE LOST
BAG OF SILVER
by N. b. Thrasher.

river stopped beside a post from
which a rusty tin dinner horn was
hanging lie took the horn from its
hook and blew it, loud and long, the
blast which he set out over the water
being echoed back from the New
Hampshire hills.
There was little brown house on
the opposite side of the river, shaded
by elm trees, and set we'll up the
bank, so as to be above high water
mark when the spring and fail freshets
flooded the valley. This WIS the
ferryman's home, and the tin horn
was bis telephone.
A young man came out of the
house, ran down to the waters edge,
and stepping into a stout, fiat
bottomed river boat began to row
across the river. The current was So
strong he headed the small boat
diagonally up stream to counterfeit
it's force. The man who had blown
the horn came down to the rivers
edge on that side and waited for him.
The boat had just started on its re-
turn trip when the passenger, sitting
in the stern of. the boat, said, looking
across the river: "rhere's more bust
ness for you.
the boy who was rowing twisted
around in his seat to look. A man
and shepherd dog were driving flock
of sheep down the road past the ferry
mans house. Another man walked
behind them, leading horse hltched
to Concord wagon.
"My," said the boy, "I'm glad 1
didn't get that job. Sheep are the
worst things to hiring across. They
are always getting scared and jumping
overheard. Father has run this ferry
for thirty years, and I've heard him
say many times that he had rather
take over twenty teams than one flock
of sheep. The pay don't amount to
anything either; only just cent
head. H."
The big ferryboat, fat, shallow
scow, lay against the bank beneath
the house, just where the road seemed
to disappear in the river. The ferry
man coming down from the house,
helped to get the sheep on board.
One of the men went on board first,
shaking a wooden measure of oats.
A fat cosset jumped after him, and
then, one having gone on board, all
the other sheep scurried after their
leader. Once on board they huddled
close to each other IN the front end of
the boat, the man watching them on
one side and the dog on the other.
The other man led the horse on board
still hitched to the wagon. The ferry
man fished up from the river bed
stout wire rope, firmly fastend to each
bank, and slipping it over some pull
legs at the boats side began to pull
the load across the stream.
The two boats would have passed
each other in the middle of the river.
The boy was keeping the rowboat we'll
up stream, so that it should not come
near enough to the large boat to
brighten the dumb passengers on the
latter.
Suddenly there came the sound of a
"souze" in the water.
"rhere," the boy said, 81 told you
soI''
One of the sheep had taken fright
and jumped overheard. The current
of the river bore her down stream, and
each minute put her further from the
ferryEoat.
''She won't drown, - said the boy.
ga sheep can swim for quite dis
tance, and besides their wool keeps
them afioat at first. | suppose | shall
have to go out in a small boat and
catch her," he added, ''and tow her
ashore
$50 now if you want to, said the
passenger, ''Im in no hurry"
''ShaIl row after her, fatherr" the
boy shouted across the water.
81 suppose you might as WE'LL" was
the answer.
The rowboat dropped down stream
swiftly under the united force of the
oars and the current. Just as it swept
past the bow of the large boat the
horse on board the latter threw up his
head with snort of lear and backed,
until the hind wheels of the wagon
went over the low side of the shallow
boat into the water.
The man who had been holding the
horse when they first came on board