The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1928-04-20
When the Mountain
Moves
(Copyright.)
BY AID scHUsTER

N
AVA clear and belied Its name. 1t
was only In the late sumper and fall,
when the glacier, high on the slope of
the mountain, started to melt In the
sun, that the mud came down and the
stream became gray and turgid
river. Nancy Cross, homesteader, felt
that she knew every trick Of the creek
and every mood Of the mountain.
They were her friends-except for the
deer and birds her only friends.
Nancy had lived alone In her cabin
Tor thirteen months and there was yet
month to pass before the title would
be hers. She had her books, her let
ters from friends in the East, and her
dreams OF romance, once this expert
ment had been tried. Sometimes when
the nights were long and mountain
lion howled in the distance, she won
dered If she had made mistake, leav-
ing them all for this adventure. When
the sun rose over the mountain and
the choir Of birds made the pine trees
ring, she repoiced.
"This place Is my test" she told
herself, "a test Of my capabilities, and
trial for my heart. l will know when
l go back, II l ever do, / will know
myself more, much more, Of the things
that count"
Her love for the mountain was not
unmixed with fear The glacier, ex-
posed now more than 1t had been for
half century, seemed as a mighty
weight hanging over her head Usu-
ally there vas snow In the gulley the
year around and winter saw the whole
mountain covered. -Four dry years
had made her mountain gaunt. the
snow was gone, but there In this one
northern crevasse was melting sur
face of packed Ice.
Little streams ran over the top of
the glacier and poured into hole at
its foot. AS fall approached the wa
ters cnurned In this hole and, over
flowing, fed Mud creek. Nancy saw
the, stream had never been so high or
SO muddy. 1t was running fast enough
to cut into Its banks, adding mud
growing thicker, and with 1t came
small stones and sticks. Through her
field glasses she looked up at the
cause of the torrent, and there was
the glacier seemingly untouched for
all the tons Of water 1t was sending
down.
The girl who was afraid Of glacier
had cause to be afraid of men. In
fon 10
himself an attorney and who made
speciality Of finding flaws in titles and
homestead rights had made q discov-
cry. If he, or some one else, could file
on Nancy's property before her time
was out, within the week, he could get
the land. 1t might take suit to oust
her, but he would get 1t. The tall man
took a shorter one into his confidence
and they planned the expedition.
ut will be worth lot some day."
they said, with that timber and wa.
ter power
AS they made their way toward the
mountain, letting their horses pick the
trail through the forest and over the
fields Of volcanic ash, they had no
thought of girl who lived alone to
earn this land. 1t was enough she had
not met certain requirements.
"We have two days." said the tall
man. TT will be cinch."
II only hope" said the short one.
"she doesn't make sQuawk. I hates
women what takes on"
Mud creek continued It's rampage.
Nancy walked along its bank, noting
with wonder the rate with which 1t
was rising. 1t was full of mud now,
almost like molasses. and yet 1t moved
on swiftly. 1t cut into the banks, eat
ing them away In single day as
much as an ordinary stream would In
year, for 1t carried In Its depths
powders and dirt. 1t ground and
roared and the rolling stones bumped,
crashed and squealed.
Night came and the girl stood in
her doorway, terrified and yet held
by the weird spell of this phenomenon.
Mud creek In places was twenty feet
deep and no wider. Again 1t was
city block wide and shallow. Boul-
ders hitting together jumped to the
surpace and all the time came the
grumbling, mumbling sound. The
stream would have choked with its
own content had 1t not been for the
brooks which fed 1t with clear water:
fed it enough to Oil the track and send
1t on.
AS the earth was washed from be-
meath their roots, big trees fell Nancy
heard them rattle as the limbs broke
and braced herself for the shock of
mighty crash. She wondered where all
this weight of mud was going, IL 1t
would take out the bridge below, and
she thanked her stars 1t was cutting
deep enough to make a channel and
that she and her cabin were safe.
The two men heard the roaring in
the woods and looked at each other
In fear. They stopped on the bank
Of the creek, which was q grinding,
bobbing mass of trees, rock and sticky
black. They saw 1t break great trees,
toss huge powders and they were
afraid.
"If this bank should cave in," said
the tall man, wed be In kingdom
come"
The short man scratched his head
and shouted above the noise: Lets
get outa here. It's a sign, or some
thing, that river It's yelling"
Nancy, In her doorway, stood on
trembling earth and In laundering
world. The two men, headed toward
home, urged their horses on. They