The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1924-12-05
lConcludadl

SEEMED 10 present ID Key TO lCS
solution. Among the merchants
many enterprises he was agent for a
powder company A consignment
OF. eighty kegs of giant powder had
been thrown upon his hands, and
the entire village was up in arms
against any attempt to store it with
in the town limits. Negotiations
we're Immediately opened with the
delighted Pompey, which ended in
the powder being stored in the
hitherto empty shed at the rear of
the cabin. BY the agreement, Pom
pey's obligations were liquidated
and his credit renewed. The people
AL at ease and somewhat in
dignant, owing to the knowledge OF
so great quantjty of so dangerous
an explosive being stored in their
midst. 1t was the generally ex-
pressed opinion that in the case of
any accident occurring through the
explosion of this temporary powder
magazine, the powder company, as
we'll as the, merchant, would be
liable for heavy damages. Pompey,
with but a faint conception of the
danger menancing himself and
neighbors, rejoiced in his returning
good luck But one day, however,
when Chloe was. as usual, out at
:. day SERVICE" and he an "de chill
tun', were seated at the MONDAY
meal which he had prepared, there
was a sudden avalanche of black SCOT
falling upon the floor and table,
ind tile little cabin suddenly filled
With a binding cloud. of smoke.
oompey's keen eye soon detected the
ause. From the stove pipe which
,rotruded from the center of the
..oof in the absence of fue, the
.oof had taken fire, and, famed by
he. gentle breeze, was now in a
caring blaze.
A terrible commotion ensued
,ompey's usually slow intellect i'm,
nediately grasped the situation.
(" Git fur yo' lives, chillun," he
,houted, "befo' one spark o dat fire
sits into dat powder, or dar won't
,e nothin' here for yo' nanny to
zee when she come, but heap %
zones an ashes Take dat black
lat wild you! Yo' ole daddy amt
swine to glib up de ship"
Fastening to the shed, to which he
yained admittance by crawling
through a small window, the door
having been securely fastened when
The powder was placed within, Pom
,ey began the fight for his life. 1t
vas a Herculean task One by one
le lifted the heavy kegs of powder
md flung them through the small
window. Luckily for ,Pompey the
abin stood upon shelving ground,
ind the momentum which, the fall
ing key would receive from his
;trong arms would keep it in
Emotion long after it reached
ezra firma. Without, the roar of
lanes could be heard coming nearer
and nearer; the temperature of the
she'd rivaled that of fiery furance;
he perspiration poured like rain
from every pore in Pompey's black
skin; still he faltered not. He was
1T last driven "into hole" 1t
vas a deperate case Of do or die.
The now thoroughly terrified dark
~ scarcely paused to take his wind
until the shed was empty and every
reg of giant power landed in a little
rayine at a safe distance from the
burning building.
neighbors were terrified at the
sight of the flames and the fear Of
IN explosion, the fearful results OF
which none could foresee. They
| led for their lives, warning ali
whom they met to turn, and go NO
further in that direction. Not far
from the Cabin" dwelt a famous
Methodist exhorter and his wife.
When they discovered the fire the
wife dropped upon her knees and
began to pray loudly and ferv-
emily heseeching her husband to
join her in the exercises. You
may rely on the power of prayer,
Betsy, but | will trust to my legs, :"
he shouted back as he Red pre-
cipitately from the house and headed
for a. distant field. When the COM
munity realized that they had been
saved from almost impending and
fearful danger by the almost incred-
ible courage and perseverance Of the
bitnerto worthless Pompey, he be-
came the hero of the hour.
/ Tho deyeuring flames having OBJ
liberated the last vestige of the
famous hog Cabin together with
all the earthly possessions or Penn
Epey excepting Chloe, and chfilun and
the black cat, movement was i'm
nediately set on foot to purchase a
lot. and build him comfortable
home and faERish the same. All of
which was finally done, the powder
company heading the subscription
for that purpose with the sum Of
500. The scattered kegs were
gathered up and the contents sold,
with the understanding that the for