The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1919-03-14

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and hitohed M my horses and set out.
reached the mill safely and be.
fore the grain was ground the earth
and the sky above were white with
snow driving down In cold, stiff
wind out of the northwest. i loaded
my grists and covered them with u
blanket and hurried away. The snow
came so fast that 1t almost blinded
me. There were times when / could
scarcely see the road or the horses.
The wind came colder and soon IL
was hard work to hold the reins and
keep my hands from freezing.
Suddenly the wheels began jumping
over rocks. The horses were in the
ditch. I knew what was the matter,
for my eyes had been filling with snow
and had had 10 brush them often. OF
course the team had suffered in a like
manner. Before l could stop ! heard
the crack of felly and a front wheci
dropped to its hub. checked the
horses and jumped out and went to
their heads and cleared their eyes. The
snow was up to my knees then.
How the thought of that broken
wheel smote me! 1t was our only
heavy wagon, and we having to pay
| the mortgage! What would my uncle
say? The query brought tears to my
| eyes.
1 unhitched and led my horses w
| into the cover of the pines. How CRATE
| full 1t seemed, for the wind was slack
below but bowling in the treetops! ]
knew that was four miles from home
and knew not how was to get there
Chilled to the bone, l gathered some
pitch pine and soon had fire going
with my flint and tinder I knew that
l could mount one of the horses and
lead the other and reach home prob
ably. But there was the grlst. We
needed that; l knew that we shOuld
have to go hungry without the grist
1t would get wet from above and be
low if | tried to carry 1t on the back
of horse. l warmed myself by the
fire and hitchcd my team near II so as
to thaw the frost out Of their fOrelOcks
and eyebrows. felt In my coat peck.
everybody carried nails In one pocket
in those days-and I remember that
my uncles pockets were n museum OF
bolts and nuts and screws and wash.
ers.
The idea occurred TO me that would
make II kind OF sled which was called
jumper.
So ! got my ak ont Of the wagon
and soon found couple Of small trees
with the right crook for the forward
end of runner, and cut them and
hewed their bottoms as smoothly rs
| could. Then made notches I'm them
near the top of their crooks and fitted
n stout stick into the nOtches and sc.
cured it wirh nails driven by the TX.
head. Thus got a hold for my evener.
That done, chopped and hewed IN
arch to cross the middle of the run.
ners and hold them apart aI2 used
all my nails to secure and brace It.
l got the two boards which were fis.
tened together and constituted r.y
wagon seat and laid them over The
arch and front brace. How to nias
them fast was my worst problem. Il
succeeded in splitting a green sti.k
to hold the bolt Of the evener just un.
der its head while l heated its lower
end in the fire and kept its head cool
with snow. With this / burnt Il hole
in the end of each board and fastened
them to the front brace with withcs of
mOOSeWOOd.
It was late in the day and there was
no time for the slow process of burn
ing more holes, so | notchcd the other
ends of the boards and dashed them to
the rear brace with length of my
reins. Then l retcmpered my bolt and
brought up the grist and chain and
fastened the latter between the boards
in the middle of the front brace,
hitchcd my team to the chain and set
out again, sitting on the bags.
1t was pitch dark and the horses
wadng to their bellies and the snow
coming faster when we turned into
RattlcrOad. Soon | heard loud hal
loo and knew tat it was the voice of
Uncle Peabody. He had started out
TO meet me III The storm and Shop was
with him.
"Thank Cod I've found YER he
shouted. "Im blind and tired out and
I couldn't keep n lantern goin' to save
me. Are yc froze?'
SIN all right, hut these horses are
awful tired. Had 20 let 'em rest every
few minutes"
l told him about the wagon--;nd
how 1t relieved W. to hear him say:
"As long rs yor're all right, boy, I
amt goin' to worry bout the oil wag
cn-not n bit. Where'd 80 git yer
jumpcr?"
"Made II witr the ak and some
nails" l answered.
After we got to tI,c barn door mt last
he went to the house and lighted his
lantern and came back with it wrapped
in blanket and Aunt Deel came with
him.
How proud 1t made me to hear him
say:
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