Year: 1878

my things, wet and hanging to me. Cuss
me how they did stick but cleared half
on 'em off, and. then, like a mad fool, l
made a run and a jump, and was fighting
hard with the water to get across to Hez's
wife and child.


1t was bit of fight. Down went and
up went, and the water twisted me like a
leaf but got out of the roar and thunder
on to the bit of shelf where Jael knelt, when
if the silly thing didn't begin to hold up to
me her child, and her lips, poor darling,
said, dumbly; "save it oh, save it,"


In the mdst of that rush and roar, I saw
that poor gal, white, Mortified, and with her
yeller hair clingng round her, all my old
love for her comes back, and Ewore big
oath I'd save her for myself or die.


tore her dress into ribbons; for there
warn't amoment to lose; and l bound that
BARN somehow to my shoulders, she watch
ing me the while; and then, with my heart
beating madly, l caught her in my arms,
she clinging tightly to me in her fear, and
stood up, thinking how l could get back,
ami made ready to leap.


The flood didn't wait for me though. In
a moment there was a quiver of the bank;
and it went from beneath my feet, leaving
me wrestling with the waters once more.
don't know how did it, only that after q
fight, and being half smothered, found
myself crawling up the side of the Gulch,
ever so low down, and dragging Jael intoa
safe place with her BARN.


She fell down afore me, Rugged my legs
and kissed my feet and then she stared up
and down, ending by beeing just above us
old Hez, clinging there still, with his sound
arm rammed into the sush, and his body
swept out by the fierce stream.


The next moment she had seized me by
the arm, and was pointing at hiIh; and she
gave a wild kind of a shrek


"He's gone coon, my gall" says though
she couldn't hear me, and l was gloating
over her beautiful white face and soft, clear
neck, as thought that now she was mine
all mine. I'd saved her out of the flood, and
there was no Hez to stand in our way.


"Save him-save him |" she shrieked in
my ear.


What; Hez2 Save Hez to come between
us once more? Save her husbahd-the man
l hated and would gladly see die Oh,
couldn't do it, and my looks showed it, she
reading me like a book the while. No, he
might drown--he was drowned-must be.
No; Just then he moved. But nonsensel l
wasn't going to risk my life for his, and cut
my own throat as to the futur.'


She went down on her knees to me- though,
pointing again to whore Haz still floated;
and the old feeling of love for her was
stronger on me than ever.


"You're asking me to die for you; Jaell"
l shouted in her ear


"Save him-savo lIez !" she shrieked


"Yes, save him - l groaned to myself;
"Dring him back to the happiness that
might be mine. But she loves him-she
loves him; and l must"


gave one look at her-asI thought my
last--and I couldn't help it. If she had
asked me dumbly, as she did, to do some
thing ten times us wild, i should have done
it, and with a run got well up above Hez
afore jumped in once mere, to have the
same fight with the waters, till was swept
down to the bush where he was


got my knife in my sheath to cut the
bush away and let him free; but as l was
swept against it the weight tore it away and
Hez and went down together, him so done
up that he lay helpless on the water.


Something seemed to tell me to finish him
off, A minute under water would have
done it; but Jaels face was before me, and
at last l got to the other side, with her
climbing along beside us and if it hadn't
been for the hand she stretched down to me
shorld never have crawlcd out with old
Hell was that done.


As dropped down, painting on the rock
Jael came to my side, leaned over me and
kissed me, and turned awayj for the next
moment she was trying hard to bring her
husband TO, and was beginningto feel once
more that had been fool.


ain't much more to tell, only that the
food went down most as quick as it lad
come up, and Hez got all right again with
his broken arm, and did well. They want
ed muchly to be friends, but KEEP away.
felt as if I'd been fool to save him, and
was kinder shamed like oft, so took Off to
Frisco, where, after chumming about, l
took to going to Panama and back, and the
sea seemed to suit me like, and there stuck
TO it.


And there l seem to stick yet.