Evening star., 1924-11-16

the steps. and il rose mid-thigh.
He was in soaked pajamas and was
mortally cold. His soft. well-fed flesh
quivered and crept from the water
and the mire He had his direction
from the stables, though, and March
had left him the lantern. He would
go back to his house, get in the attic
waters to subside.
He set off cautiously. holding the
lantern high.
Things went past him in the mar
row. g!immering circle. He saw
small timbers. branches, trusses of
hay. a dead sheep. He shrank rigidly
from these things. Curious sucking,
sliding noises were all about him.
He saw a newly planted Japanese
cherry tree heel over silently and
drag away into the night. Strange
things were underfoot, the very earth
was turning fluid and running away.
He slipped into a hollow and the cold
water sprang to his heart He
gasped. Fighting his way up and
out he fancied hands clutching at the
tail Of his jacket to draw him down.
He f1oundered on. But his sense Of
direction was at fault. Plunging for
ward. he suddenly plunged, as it
were. over the edge of the earth.
He went down, clutchlng the extin-
guished lantern. came up choking.
went down the second time before he
came to his senses sufficiently to drop
the lantern and strike out. He could
swim a few strokes, but that was lit
tie use with the whole weight OF the
flooded river pressing on his chest.
There in the dark and the food he
knew fear. He screamed as the
horses had done. The waves and bill
lows went over his soul. He fought
on, struggling with the water.
X "
HE felt stones under his feet at
last. He did not know that he
had been struggling all the time
with a friendly eddy under the bank
| Of what had been his own vegetable
| garden, and that the eddy had at last
succeeded in casting him ashore. He
| climbed. sobbing, through the slush
and staggered away from the river.
| He was utterly lost. His one idea was
to get to some dry spot of ground, If
! such remained in the universe, and
| lie down and die on 1t.
He thought that he staggered for
many miles. He was aware at last
of something great, a vaster shadow
| in the shadows. towering befors him.
He crept toward 1t. 1t was the great
pine. He stumbled, sobbing. among
the roots. A singular fragrance
greeted him-the fragrance of warm.
wet hens. Some few feet UP in the
gloom it was as II the ancient trunk
had sprouted a huge black fungus
From under this fungus come a soft,
droning voice.
Standing against the tree, Brickdale
spoke family "Larrabie,'
Who be your
It's me-Brickdale. For the sake
of pity, give me a hand up. The
foods rising still, and I can't find
my house. I'm all but dead
There was a silence. Then:
wait till ] fix the umbereller and
clear these pesky fowls" came the
serene old voice from the tree, ''an'
I'll be down right to you"
Rrickdale broke down.
God bless you, Larrabie." he
quavered. You are a good man. I'm
sorry ever did thing to you. LARA
| bic. where are you, Larrabie?
Don't leave me here! The waters to
my waist as ! stand on the roots"
Here I be! My hands above you.
You must come up higher, friend. as
Cousin Steve Larrabie's sister JANE
ses when she was standin' on the
stepladder an the baker wanted ter
I kiss her. Put your foot on that old
stump o branch and jump when 1
give the word. Now"
Brickdale jumped desperately. There
was a scratching and clawing. an i'm
| mense confusion of hens. LARA bic
| was hauling him upward. He sank
at last on a wide bough with his back
to the trunk. He was used up-done.
He wondered vaguely IL he were go
ing to faint.
Hold up. Brickdale. Don't ye give
| in, man. 1 got somethin' here1l fix
you. Drat them fowls! They be all
over me-"
/ Brickda1e sucked greedily at the
| bottle. Opening his eyes, he saw old
Mason Larrabie's face near his own.
He said weakly: ''Will we be safe
here?"
"Ye're quite safe here. Brickdale.
Neither wind nor rain, frost nor flood
IL shake this tree. It's stood ten
| times the life O. such as we. Brick
dale. It's rooted in the livin' rock.
Slow as time. the years built 1t up.
| 'Tis only the years should break 1t
down."
Brickdale bent his head. He
stretched out his hand and touched
the rough. scented bark against
which he leaned. The great trunk
was solid and reassuring as stone.
He looked up to the dark boughs
roofing him. He felt secure as II he
had been suddenly gathered in some
| tremendous arm, laid to some vast
| breast. He touched Larrabie with
the same trembling hand.
'It shall stand another hundred
years." he mumbled. "Dyou under
stand? I didn't. Forgive me, LARA
| bic. I'll never cut 1t down."
Larrabie did not answer directly.
In a minute he said:
Here's a blanket. Brickdale.
brought 1t up in case o bein' here some
while. Put 1t round yore shoulders"
Brickdale. wrapped himself in ST.
lence. BY and by he said humbly:
Wont you share the blanket, Lar
rabie?"
The old man crept nearer to him.
They huddled together for warmth.
The hens made drowsy, throaty noises