Chapter IX.
But when they thought of the wide valley and the vast quantity of waternecessary to raise one foot after the river left its banks, theydismissed the thought of danger, and retired to rest.
The rain now poured down with greater fury than ever; the wind lashedthe roof with the limbs of the old elm that drooped over the chimneysand gables of the dwelling; and the groaning and creaking added agruesome feeling to the drowsiness which the plashing rain-drops causedto steal over the inmates of that danger-threatened household.
"It makes me think of spectres and shrieking ghosts," said Robbie, as hedrew the cover up closer, and cuddled down by Clifford.
"Yes; it recalls the lines of 'Tam O'Shanter,'" replied his olderbrother, repeating a verse from that masterpiece of Burns:--
"The wind blew as 'twad blawn its last; The rattling showers rose on the blast; The speedy gleams the darkness swallowed; Loud, deep, and lang the thunder bellowed. That night a child might understand The devil had business on his hand."
"If the Old Gent ventures from his fireside to-night, he'll get his tailwet," said Rob; then rolling over, the lad was soon in the "land ofNod."
But Clifford lay for hours listening to the hoarse roar of wind, river,trees, and pelting rain; but finally he was lulled to sleep, though evenin slumber he was weighed down and haunted by a sense of danger; andwhen the clock chimed the hour of twelve he arose, and stole down thestairs. As he reached the next to the last step his foot plashed in thewater. He knew at once that the river was now out over all the widevalley, and had risen in a stealthy flow, invading the house, where itwas at least two feet deep.
Watching the water by the light which he had returned and procured, hesaw it was rising in an alarming manner; so he hastily dressed himselfand went to the window, and opening the sash, which was all in one pieceand hung on hinges, he looked out on the glaring, boiling flood below.As he stood thus, looking down on the terrible, raging whirlpool, he wasrapidly revolving in his mind plans of escape from their perilousposition; but every avenue of retreat seemed closed. As he cast his eyesabout in despair, he started joyfully at the thought of the "Crows'Nest" up in the great elm--a place which could be reached by a flight ofsteps springing from the window ledge and leading far up into the forksof the tree.
Smiling at the fact that he had not thought of it before, he sprang upthe stairs into the fanciful retreat, which Robbie in his boyish fancyhad planned and built in the top of the lofty tree, and which, on warm,sultry days, had proved to be an aerial lounging-place as comfortable asit was novel. It was a stout platform about eight feet square, railedabout, and provided with seats, hammocks, and even a rocking-chair. Itwas with a feeling of relief that Clifford stood on the floor of thelofty perch and glanced down at the glare of water.
Springing down the steps, which were also safely railed, he went to themark which he had made on the wall and found the water had risen a fullstep, and, knowing there was no time to lose, he ran to the bed andawakened Robbie, telling him of the situation, and in a few minutes thatresolute young chap was dressed and ready to lend a willing hand in theplan which Clifford unfolded.
Taking a wagon-cover from one of the stow-aways which flanked the room,and a piece of scantling from the same catch-all, the boys cut the ropesfrom the wagon-sheet, and after tying the scantling securely to thelimbs above the platform, at a distance of six or seven feet overhead,they next drew the canvas, tent-fashion, over it, then brought the endsdown in such a manner that the rain was excluded from the "Nest," andtacking the sheet to the floor and making a flap for the doorway, theinterior was quite impervious to the rain, which still raged without.
Some blankets were next carried up and spread on the floor, and then twobeds were made hastily, and the busy fellows did not omit the pillowsand sheets; so the place wore a very cozy appearance. Then, when all wascomplete, they awakened their parents and Maud, telling them of the saferetreat into which they would be compelled to remove.
In a few moments they were all safely up in the "Nest," and then theprovisions and a few valuables were carried thither, Rob cautioning themnot to forget a jug of water. Then the boys went down to the hallstairway and found that the water lacked but two feet of reaching theupper floor.
Alarmed and in great suspense, Clifford stood watching the flood, andwas relieved to see that the water crept more slowly up the stair; thenRobbie, coming up, said that the rain was about over and the stars weretwinkling through the rifts above.
As the boys gazed at the water; a faint wet line became visible on thewall just above the flood. Breathless with suspense, they watched untilthe band widened; then Clifford shouted in wild excitement,"Falling--falling!"
"She's falling, falling!" shrieked Rob as he flew up to the "Nest" withthe joyful news.
Yes; it was a blissful fact that the water was subsiding, and, that too,at a rate which soon promised relief from the danger which hadthreatened them with total ruin.
Clifford, ever thoughtful of the comfort of others, now built a fire inthe warming stove which stood in his room, and proceeded to make coffeefor the weary and chilly party that still remained up in their "Nest;"and as the young man remembered Rob's caution regarding the water-jug,he hastily tied a rope to a bucket, and reaching over the window-ledge,soon secured a supply of the necessary fluid. A steaming hot cup of thefragrant beverage was declared by the nestlings to be "prime anddelicious" in the extreme.
Warmed and refreshed now, the family looked out upon the strange scenewhich began to emerge in the dawning light. The valley was submergedfrom hill to hill; but they could see the cattle patiently grazing onthe highlands, and the poultry on the accustomed trees were roostingserenely, far above the danger-line.
The surrounding country was quite rolling, and the stream headed amongthe hills on the west, only a few miles distant; so after the rainceased, the flood subsided as rapidly as it had risen--a peculiarity ofall Western streams.
The family watched the water subside until all the old land-marks wereonce more visible. The fields were still covered in shallow water; butsoon the wild river shrank back into its narrow channel once again.
There had been great anxiety felt for the safety of the Moreland family,although it was known that their dwelling was situated on higher groundthan the Warlow house; yet no sign of life was visible at the homesteadof their neighbor, and when a loud halloo was heard from Ralph Moreland,who had ridden over to the top of one of the hills which shouldered downto the opposite side of the river, a glad cry in response was raisedfrom the inmates of the "Nest."
It was amusing to see the bewildered way in which he peered over, tryingto discover their whereabouts; and when he finally discovered the aerialfamily, he eagerly asked after their welfare.
When he learned of their safety, he laughed in a relieved and heartyway at their "elevated station in life."
In answer to their inquiries regarding his father's family, he said thatthe water had not reached the dwelling; but he was too uneasy thinkingof their danger to wait longer than daylight to ride over, and, althoughhe did not mention the fact, they saw that his horse was wet to thesaddle-bow, and knew that he had swam a dangerous side-stream to gainthe hill.
Maud begged him not to return until the water subsided, and she keptshouting their experience across the river, while the equally noisyyouth replied in tones like a fog-horn.
Mrs. Warlow and the colonel had now descended to the "lower regions," asClifford termed the first story of the dwelling, where he and Rob wereremoving a mountain of mud from the floor, and their mother soonprepared a breakfast which those hungry youths pronounced a royalbanquet.
But Maud still carried on her loud flirtation from the tree-top in toneswhich, Rob said, "could be heard in the next county," and the way shemanaged, with her lengthened description of their experience, to detainRalph until all danger of high water on his return had passed, showedshe felt a greater interest in the rider than in the high-toned subject.
After he had at length ridden away, Maud descended to the rooms below,where her mother was, saying that "this inundation would be longremembered, and would become legendary and traditional."
"Yes," replied Clifford, gravely, "Rob and I will carry the memory ofthe event down to our 'remotest ancestors.'"
"Oh, I daresay it will lose nothing in the way of variations in thetransmission," said Maud; "but here, you superior being, bring me a pailof water;" and Clifford marched off obediently to the muddy well.
"Why, madam," cried Rob, mockingly, as he scraped the mud from thefloor, "have you regained your voice? I was afraid it was utterly lost;"and he giggled at the thought of how her tones had wandered away overthe prairie.
"More scrubbing and less sarcasm, young man!" she replied, with a blush,as she vigorously attacked the wall, which was stained by the water, orfrescoed with mud and slime; but as the plastering was of hard coat, itsoon regained its wonted purity under the drenching which wasadministered by the energetic and busy workers, and long beforenight-fall the usual neatness and order reigned in the Warlow household.
The young brood of grasshoppers had all been swept away in the flood, orperished in the long, cold storm. Pious Mrs. Warlow said, "The hand ofthe Lord is revealed in freeing the land of those pests;" and indeed itappeared the work of Providence, which had so effectually destroyed themthat no further trace was visible of the scourge which only a brief daybefore had threatened both the Missouri and Arkansas valleys with famineand desolation.
The weather, that for the past year had played the fickle jade, nowtried to atone for her folly, and often would she burst into tears ofremorse, and veil her face in summer clouds, at remembrance of the wildtantrums which had marred her equinoctial history.
In the propitious rain and sunshine which followed, the fields of grainemerged from their coat of rich sediment, and the lush, dank growth ofthe cereals ripened into great level fields of waving grain, the bronzeand golden wheat and silvery sheen of barley and oats contrastinghappily with the long rows of corn and emerald millet.
How often it is thus, that misfortune, on reaching a climax ofsuperlative disaster, then assumes the form of diminutive comparison!
The migratory settlers, that had been sojourning in the Land of theMother-in-law, now returned, re-enforced by cousins to a remote degree,and on their tattered old wagon-covers, on which had glared in lettersof blue, black, and red, the legend "Kansas or BusT," and which on theirsubsequent flitting had been partially erased and the assertion "buStudby--" printed instead, now there glared the dauntless assertion,"kansiss is the bEsT lAnd unDur the suNn."
A Fortune Hunter; Or, The Old Stone Corral: A Tale of the Santa Fe Trail Page 10
