Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-07-20
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Gerry ndd never ridden horse to
death before. When True Blue first
staggered he put spurs to him and laid
on his quirt right and left.
The roar of the river was so loud
that ne could not tell if he had really
beaten the food or not, though he
could see just before him the long,
snaky ridge of the main ditch banks.
He must get on.
But True Blue only came to a stag
gering stop under the quirt. With his
forefeet he still marked time as though
with them he would drag his heavy
body and master one step nearer home.
From his loins back he was paralyzed.
With a last desperate effort he
straddled his foreIegs, but he could not
brace himself against the backward
sag Of dead weight. Gerry felt him
sinking beneath him and suddenly
found himself standing over his pros
trate horse. Of True Blue, his fOrefeet
outstretched, his head and breast still
hello high, there was left only great
spirit chained to a fallen and dying
body.
A cry escaped Gerry's lips-a cry of
horror at what he had done. Then
he remembered why he had done 1t
and ran not for the sluice-g gate but for
the bridge. AS he reached it the roar
became deafening. There was splin-
tering, cracking sound that, meas
ured by the great c0mmOtiOn, seemed
like the tinkle of tiny bell. But there
was something in the sound that called
to his brain. He cast a glance over his
shoulder. The monster beams of his
sluice-gate, hurled, splintered, into the
air, were still hanging against the blue
sky. Under them surged an angry
white wall of racing water. Even as
lie started to run down the long slope
to tie house Gerry thought with a
great relief that if the gate had been
closed it would have gone even so, like
matcbWood.
Below him Fazenda Flores lay peace
full, still, under the blazing sun. The
cotton was a little wilted but high and
strong, the cane stunted but alive.
Only in the pasture bottoms the stock
had gathered in frightened clumps.
Their instinct had told them that dan
ger lowered near. Suddenly from the
quiet house burst Margarita, carrying
her son on one arm. She had seen
Gerry from a window. While the 9TH
ers watched the rising river, and now
this terrifying torrent bursting down
upon them from above, she had slipped
out to run to him.
The house at Fazenda Flores stood
on a domed mound. Behind tie mound
was a slight hollow before the steady
rise to the bridge began. Gerry caught
sight of Margarita as she ran down
towards this hollow. Terrified, he cast
a glance at the descending food and
his eye measured its pace against hers.
Go backr' he shouted with all the
strength of his lungs, and waved his
arms. It was as though he had not
spoken. Through the din and roar Of
the flood the sound of the words scarce
" reached his own ears.
At the very bottom of the hollow
Margarita felt that she was stepping
in water. She took her eyes from
Gerry, who she thought was reckoning
70 her, and looked down. \ hurrying
rivulet whose swift flow carried it be-
fore the churning crest Of the flood.
tugged at her ankles. She looked up
toward the laundering wall Of oncom-
ing water and knew that she was lost.
She stopped and fixed her eyes on
Gerry. who was plunging down the
slope in a mad effort to reach her. She
called to him, but she knew he could
not hear her With arms stretched to
their highest she held up the Man. The
Man was net frightened His black
eyes were fixed on his running father.
Margarita could feel him gurgling with
joy in the new game. Then suddenly
he cried out. It was vail of fright.
The wall was cut short. Broken in
two, it rang terribly in her ears as
she went down.
The water had felled Margarita and
the Man. Gerry saw them flung down
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