The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-01-26

1ke?" said the young man. regarding
with suspicion the black stream seep-
ing through Retta's barrier. Looks
like we'd be swamped perty soon.
"Hain't nuthin' we kin do but let the
water run out again. Does that ever
time hit rains. Hain't never ben
swamped yit. Retta-May. climb onto
that bench and tuck yer feet under
yuh. Now, Steve, write hit in that
l gifts y'ur north forty as divided from
the south forty by Big Rock and Sen
tinel Gum Tree. Haint no mistakin'
that way O. putin hit. Everythin'
north's mine everythin' south's
your'n. Write hit in, Steve-write hit
I'M"
Standing almost ankle-deep in wa
ter, the young man bent over the rude
table and gravely wrote the document
as directed.
AS he handed It to Pedigrew the
cabin tilted sickeningly forward. there
was a gurgling thrush Of the foamy
flood, and the fire went out quickly
with strong smell Of wet ashes. They
were IN LOtdl udrkucSS.
"Retta," shouted Stephen, cropping
for her in the blackness. "Retta, Ret
tai"
There was gasping cry from among
the huddled furniture as the cabin
+, righted itself with kissing outpour
Of water, and then sprang sidewise
like q chunk Of driftwood in q whirl-
! pool; and in a moment he held the
| girls dripping, shaking form tightly
| with one arm while he braced his
back against the heaving side Of the
rough wall and spread protecting
hand over the silk Of her hair.
Any minute something might drop
upon them-some awful thing reach
out Of the hideous melee Of sound.
They could hear the old man blum.
dering and suffering furiously among
the shifting debris. They could hear
the grinding and tearing Of rock and
tree-the continuous swirl and roar
OF angry water bearing them 5erkily
along in the awful gloom.
Occasionally red flare Of lightning
showed them the cabins wild interior.
with objects heaped grotesquely
against the fireplace. BY one such
fash the old man made his way over
to Stephen and Retta.
Devils own night, this!" he shout.
ed angrily. BEN hyar nigh on to
twenty year, and never did see no SIGH
COINS on before. I'll bet we're in the
river right now. goin' south like thun'
der"
50 he punctuated the awful uncer
/ tainty, and reiterated raspingly as the
night wore on.
Finally. after what seemed an
eternity Of tipping and whirling none
could guess whittier. they felt the cab
in settle firmly and remain at anchor
The storm rested, and through TIT
broken shutters filtered the grateful
light Of the coming dawn.
! Fighting the obstructing furniture
they made their way through the slim!
mud to the door. Pulling It wide OF
its sagging hinges, they looked on
. on a scene that drew q sharp cry o
wonder from the young couple and
yell Of CONSERVATION from tn
thwarted old schemer.
They were south Of Big Rock AM
n Sentinel Gum Tree. on q 6rm. root
; bound clump that had washed safel,
t out into the stream and worked It
+ way to q quiet inlet in the water sid
Of the south forty.
. The two valuable pastures were nc
where to be seen. Undermined an
3 crumbled by the wearing flood Of Ger
turtles, they had melted and spread use
q lessly under the furious yellow stream
8 and over their coal and gas the waite
rushed and foamed and swirled; while
' freed from its pentup, nlm-covere
q pools, Stephen Martins southland Ia
green and smiling on the ridges
q ~, muckily black where the deep
caught the rosy morning light
Amazed at the miracle wrought owe
u night by the storm and the freaks
river, the trio stood. silently gasin
II from the cabin door. Finally the Of
u man spoke:
q well, Steve" he said matter-offac
Z. ly, "'taint whut I expected. but 'tis
,, It's, and haint goin' tub sQueal abo'
~ hit I reckon the parson1l do a. We
o as the jestice. the way things hi
N turned ont, sides bein' sight neare
n lessen he's washed away.
n Hurry up, breakfast, Retty-May-
I'm mighty niRh starved to DEATH"