The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-22
WHEN THE FLOOD IMPRISONED RALPH

the gorge was so severe that, should he lose his balance and fall into it, he would have a pretty hard fight to swim ashore, besides the danger of not being able to climb the steep, slippery and rocky bank at any nearby point.
 But this knowledge did not daunt Ralph. who was a boy of venturesome spirit. He stepped upon the foot-log ana walked across the raging stream as quiet. ly as if he had been walking on level ground without drop of water within q mile of 'him.
 Then he went directly across the roll ing prairie toward the river, stream without banks of any great depth, and, therefore, one that swept wide or It's bounds during high-water times. Some times Ralph had seen 1t spreading over /. the lowlands adjacent to It's course ike n mighty inland sea, measuring at some points several miles in width. And With in what appeared to De its center stood the tall cottonwood trees which at nor nal times graced It's banks.
 And today Ralph beheld the river swollen to vast proportions. raging like mad as 1t rushed wildly toward It's out let into a greater river 90 miles away. It seemed that the whole country slde had poured into this one stream all its melted snows and accumulated spring rains for never before had Ralph seen fe, of such outgrown proportions. Across from him OF the opposite bank were sev- eral cattlemen, come for the purpose ot viewing their old friend-the river-in all it's glory of the spring freshet. These men knew Ralph and waved their arms to him, calling out greetings.
 Flows Wolf Creek!i asked one, using his hands as q megaphone to carry ms voice across the broadened river.
 "Second to none," cried back Ralph, proudly boastng of his own dear nttle Wolf Creek the pride of the rancners living near to it.
 Well don't you know you're running a risk to be on this side or your own na- tive stream?' cried back the speaker. Waters pouring down from every hill, through every gully into Wolf Creek, and it will probably be over its banks before you can get back there. Howd you get across? On the foot-log, chr
 "Ycp, on the foot-log,' replied Ralph. But the water wasn't within foot of the log when l crossed It. I'm not fret- ting about getting back 0. K. ana Ralph laughed good-naturediy. Wno- ever heard of stream rising foot h. side of an hour? And I'll be back there in less time than 1t takes for you to cross your COW pens. It's about i've
 
 miles. and I'm a dandy on foot. Just you. watch me. So long till I see you again."
 Then Ralph was off as fleet as a deer. But he could not keep up the rapid ga't. and after the first half mile was obliged to slow down bit. After about an hour and half of pretty brisk walking ne reached the place on the bank or Wolf Creek where he had crossed on the root log on routp tO the river.
 But upon descending the steep bank to the spot of crossing he stopped in utter alarm. Where was the foot-log? Surely, it could not have been carried away by the rising water. But so must have been the case, for no foot-log remained there row. And the water was tearing at the banks many inches above the place where the ends of the foot-log had rested.
 Ralph was in a dilemma. On the one side of him was Wolf Creek, across which he could not pass, for swimming