The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-22
BY HELENA DAVIS.

Ralph Hammerstein was a boy of ad- yenturous spirit. His home was on the broad prairies of the far West. in the very heart of the cattle district, where one might travel for 10 miles together or perhaps twice as far-without seeing a single habltation. Occasionally one would see lonely shack, occupied by "cowboy'' or two. Again one would turn round long, sloping hill, to come upon a comfortable ranch house of one story and surrounded by cattle sheds, COW pens and stables for horses. In dwelling of the latter kind Ralph lived with his parents, his father being we'll to do stock raiser.
 Although Ralph had much to interest him about the big ranch = which con tained about 5,000 acres of land-he often found the time heavy on his hands, when not attending the little school, five miles distant from his home. On Saturdays he usually explored the country about his fathers ranch, especially the lowlands. which lay between pretty river and one of it's tributary streams, the latter being of | deep gorge nature flowing be- tween rude cliffs of rock The source of the tributary stream-~by name, Wolf Creeli---was In rough, hily part of the country, the bluffs and abrupt hills mark ing. the country across which they ran like small mountain chain. This gave certain plcturesGUcuess to the rolling prairie land, and the srarse timber that bordered the river and Wolf Creek gave a welcome touch of freshness and green to the dull aspect Of the monotonous landscape.
 The rocky, tmbered banks of Wolf Creek afforded pretty good hunting, as they nbounded with rodents and prairie wolves, and many n day. did Ralph spend roaming theroabouts with his rife. And often his days bag was quite well worth while, for the destruction of the wolves was to him Il sense of duty, as well us a show of his splendid craftsmanship.
 One day towards tie end Of March. the wea thcr being very fine after the melting of the heavy snows that had covered the hills and filled the gorges of Wolf Creek, Ralph, With gun over shoulder. and small lunch and bottle of drinking water In his knapsack, started to the banks Of Wolf Creek to hunt. The melting SHOWS and heavy accompanying spring rains had filled to oyeriiowng every little hollow in the land, and the tiny streamiets which during the summer months were as dry as q bone-had become swollen into rivers of the third magnitude.
 Upon reaching Wolf Creek Ralph was astoBished to see 1t leaping between It's DankS Ike IurlpuS torIehl, cafiyiHS loose. brush and tufts of grass which 1t had washed from the banks far above water line. Ralph had never seen the stream so high. and knew that the river into which Wolf Creek flowed must be something fine to look upon.
 Its only five miles to the river-if l cut across prarie--and l think 1t worth my while to go over and see how the old run looks,'' unused Ralph to himself. "Guess my foot-log hasn't been carried away"
 To his joy Ralph found the foot-log which spanned Wolf Creek in it's usual place, but the water beneath it almost touched its under side. Ralph was sure of foot. however, and felt no hesitancy in crossing on the foot-log, though he knew the water beneath him was fully two feet over his head and that the rush with which 1t was coming through