The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1921-04-08
PETERS DISHPAN
BY ADDIE GRAVES.

IL was cOlu Jay, anu REFER Ium-
ble-Down's wife had started to town,
four miles away, on very billy road,
after few bags of grain and some
groceries.
Peter had managed, at IL o'clock,
to feed the hens, milk the cows and
harness the horse. Mrs. Peter had
boiled some culled potatoes and left
them in big dishpan in the kitchen
for Peter to give the hens.
After Mrs. Peter had gone Mr.. Peter
sat by the fire and warmed himself
and read for while, and then went
to the barn with the potatoes. All
the bays and some of the stanchiOns
had been made into henpens, for Mrs.
Peter could care for hens, allowing
Mr.. Peter to have an easy life.
When Mr.. Peter reached the last
pen on the west side of the barn
with the last of the potatoes he
stepped on a rotten floor board, and
his left leg crashed through so sud-
board sprang back. Peter weighed
around $50 pounds and had very fat
leg. The board had sprung sideways,
being free Of the framework on that
end, and when 1t sprang back it cut
into the flesh on all sides good and
deep.
Peter soon discovered that pulling or
pushing only frightened the vise-like
grip on his leg. He could just rest his
toe on a rock under the barn.
He could not sit on the floor with
out increasing the pain, so he finally
conceived the idea of sitting on the
dishpan after turning it upside down.
Finding himself helpless, he began
to study his problem as though there
were no possibility of deliverance ex-
cept through his own wits. Looking
about for some stray tool to aid him
he discovered an old three-cornered
file in a box Of rubbish against the
wall, and also broke piece Off the
bottom of demolished graniteware
kettle beside him. With these he tried
for an hour to saw himself free, but
with poor result.
At last he gave up this work and
settled himself on the dishpan. His
other leg was very much in the way
and it was impossible to get it into a
comfortable position, and the foot I'M
der the barn had "g0ne to Sleep"
To relieve his legs he reached an
old firkin, laid piece of board on
it, rested his arms on that, closed his
eyes and tried to doze the time away
until Mrs. Peters return. She could
not come over the steep hills for at
least two hours and Peter had lots
of time to think.
He remembered the time Mrs. Peter
started down the cellar stairs to res
cue kitten that had fallen through
a hole in the corner of the kitchen
floor, and the unused stairs had given
way and she had fallen on her back
on the rocks at the bottom of the Gel
lar. He also remembered that she had
fallen through the back hall floor, just
as he had through the barn floor
several times-but had managed to
save herself.
Suddenly a terrible truth pierced
through his torture. The wind had
been blowing gale through the
rough stone walls of the barn. He
had been shaking with cold, for he
had intended TO go directly back to
the house and had put on no outdoor
clothing.
His leg-if not his whole body,
would freeze.
He began desperately to saw with
the old file again and tried to tear off
splinters of the board with his hands.
Soon the futility of this was evident
and again he sunk upon the dishpan.
If only he could be delivered
there would be no more rotten floor
boards on the place. Was this
nightmare or was he losing his mind?
Then he thought of the boys in
France and tried to think he was bet
ter off than they. Then he saw his
swollen leg.
Soon it would be frozen-and soon
he would be frozen on Mrs. Peters
dishpan. Then he remembered that
Mrs. Peter had to melt snow and ice
in that dishpan to get water all win
ter for the house and hens.
Perhaps she would get another man
who would bring the water and mend
the floors. With great effort he got
up and tried to move a little up and
down on his toe. He wrigged his
other foot and stretched his arms and
looked down toward the open barn
door.
Surely-there was little man stand
ing there, facing the road, on the
point of departure.
1t did not take Peter long to yell
"COme here"
When the man reached him Peter
did not give him time to speak, but
said, "Go into the kitchen and be-
hind the stove you will find saw!"
The man soon sawed Peter out Of
the hole. 1t was all Peter could do
to hObble down to the house.
The man had come for a haircut but
DOgtponed IL for anOther dnv Peter