The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-08-01

- <@t-@@@A 10 Ntet3 At'"
offered to pay, but the extent
of our fortunes on this date is
just exactly one badly worn
quarter that we are trying to
nurse along until we reach
Yankton.
The lady Of the house told US not
to bother about bringing up our
bed rolls A. she had plenty of room
and beds. That meant we would
not have TO unpack the canoe.
which would give Us an early start
In the morning, after the storm.
which was creeping up on US from
the west. against the wind. as
usual. It's probably the last time
we ever accept hospitality along
the river In someone else's bed. We
were hardly curled up in the COM
Portable bed we began to itch. At
first We thought II was perhaps the
ny bites we had sustained during
the day. We tried to make them
everything but what they were. for
we really knew. We had first made
our acquaintance with them
month or 70 ago In Brockton, Mont.
But while there werc only = few
there that we managed TO dispose
Of, they must have been having =
convention here. At first we just
suffered and tried not to scrath.
Neither Of us had enough will
power to keep that up for long.
and the first three hours Of that
night were just plain HI In capt.
tal letters. We scratched. we
squirmed. we spstted. we cursed.
we did everything. and still they
came.
Storm Breaks
Then right in the middle of our
own private war the storm broke.
I real old blinger such ~ we had
had 10 often up In Montana. Thun-
sder and lightning were continuous
and the latter struck several times
within : few hundred feet Of the
house. In fact. one bolt that scared
the whole household half to death
and actually made " forget the
sbed-bugs for . few moments. split
! tree In half beside the corral,
not Z hundred feet from our win
dow. 1t was the second time dur
ing the trip that lightning has
been real close to " and we don't
like 1t at al. Usually we try to
deep through these heavier storms,
but this time It was impossible.
The only sleep we got at all was
between dawn and seven o'clock.
when the light drove the loathsome
little beasts to cover. Even then
we itched 20 that sleep was only
n<fn.
Then, At seven o'clock. the kids
started to yell. And 70 make every
thing perfect another storm blew
UP and threatens us with another
night In that bed.
After that storm had cleared
away we went outside for another
look at the sky. The air was filled
with faint but definite roar. such
e We had not heard before. It
wasn't thunder. for II was steady
ana held an even tone. It sounded
not unlike the distant roar Of .
tornado, but the storm that had
lust passed was comparatively mild
and light, high clouds were follow
ing. Then it suddenly dawned on
u and We started at each other
II dlsmay. TIE quiet, little. nearly
~ creek was running full. We
dk6nt really comprehend just what
that meant, for while we had been
told about these flooding coulees
Ne had never seen ono actually
flooded. In fact. like many tender
fset. We had somewhat discounted
IL stories that had been told W.
Warned Before
More than once ranchers had
warned " about either camping or
mooring our canoe in the confines
Of any coulee, and especially the
larger ones that drain from far
hack in The hills. They had told VI
- walls II water many feet high
that charged down these ordinarily
dry streams. ripping large trees
cut BY the roots and turning them
end over end. and even rolling good
sized boulders before the raging
flood In fact. = few years ago In
South Dakota. an Indian family
Of - had been wiped out and theil
bodies never recovered when I
flood following . terrific cloud
burst had swept their little csbii
into the Missouri.
All these stories came TO on
minds e We raced TO the spo
where our canoe. still filled witt
our equipment, was moored. fol
lowed By other and more trsgi
thoughts. Was the rope holding
Louise had been trying to get Bo
e change that rope for q month
but he had been putting Il off. Ha
log made matchwood out Of tia
beautiful canoe? Was al our pre-
cious equipment 1t the bottom Q
Tie river!. Was our trip going I
end right hare with only one-thir
e It completed3
Our hearts sank and We wer
Gnre our worst fears were realize
w!1..1paPsr Sc 3: ~ :.
CINE; Z:(I PAINT