The Cowboy of Mill Point.

Golden Bay Argus, Volume IX, Issue 68, 15 September 1904, Page 2

The Cowboy of Mill Point.

*' ■*4*t - -~—•••»*•••• ■ fe\T Walter Bliss was the cowboy of Mill Point. This is not a story of the great plains and its cattle herds for at the time of my story but little was known of. the plains as grazing for cattle. . Mill Point ■ was in the pine woods of Michigan. There were three mills puffing and whirring, their busy wheels and singing saws making music not unpleasant to the ear. About these mills worked two hundred men, and many of these workmen had families and small bits of clearings, where garden vegetables were raised to aid in curtailing the expenses of the said families. A pig and a cow naturally followed. There were but twenty of the latter that were left free to roam the woods and pick up their living, so that the cost of keeping a cow was a mero nothing during the warm seaso.ru Of course these cows would not coma up at night without a driver, and Walter Bliss was employed, to hunt the cows every night in the week. He attended school during' the day, and nights after school roamed the woods in search of cows. He had no parents but lived with an uncle and aunt. Neither was an agreeable person, and his aunt was sometimes very severe with Walter. It was an afternoon late in there was a threat of rain in the grey clouds piling up in the west. "I would like to take supper with me to-night, Aunt Ruel," said Walter, as he made ready to depart on his trip after the cows. .■:.. .....^_ "Supper ! '•'■ "Yes, aunt. I hoard that the cows had been seen this morning two miles up the river, and as the feed is poor, they wander further and further. I know I shall be hungry before I can get home again, and besides it looks like a storm." "Go 'long with you lazybones, you'll- get nothing to eat out if this house till you get back with the cows ; and mind you don't miss one of them, not one. Do you hear ? " " Yes, Aunt Ruel." " There's been complaint made to your uncle that you don't get all the cows, and he promised to speak to you about it. I s'pose he forgot about it this morning, 'fore he went to. his work, but I tell you now so it's just as well." As Walter walked down the road his toe struck an object that went rolling on in advance. He picked up the object—a ball of twino, that had \ doubtless fallen from some passing waggon. Walter the ball high ■j.wd caught it as it canw down, 'rlnat'should he do with it? He little thought as he thrust the ball into his pocket, of the use it was to be put to, of the tremendous influence that ball of twine was to have on his life and on the lives of qthers. In a short time Walter found himself in the woods. A man who had come down the rivor told the little cowboy that he had seen his cows two miles up the river that morning As on plodded the cowboy a sound was borne to his ears that brought his steps to a sudden halt Walter listened intently. Above the murmur of the swift waters came the sound of a human voice. It was hoarse and faint yet Walter's keen oars made out the import of the cry " Help ! ' 4 " What does it mean ? " muttered Walter. " That voice seemed to corho from the rapids." Far up the river an object met the ©yes of the little cowboy. Hurrying on, he gained a position on the high bank, where a complete view of* the river bed was to be had. " Ah, I see ! " exclaimed Walter. " A raft on the rocks, stove into bits, and, as I live, there's someone out yonder on a piece that's lodged against the rocks at the head of the rapids. f I The fragment was less than twenty feet long, and now and then a board floated put from the fast-disin-tegrating mass. | Soon the piece of raft would fall apart. On the lumber was a woman and a child. It was this sigkt that startled Walter. I Roaring Rapids was the most dangerous place on the river, yet few acaidents ' had occurred, since only the most experienced pilots attempted to guide rafts down the stream. Walter hurried to the water's edge ,'ftnd shouted to the occupants of the wreck. On all sides of the broken raft the water foamed. Above the current ran swift but clear. From Walter's point of observation it was at least twelve rods to the broken raft. A dense forest grew on either side and there was not an inhabitant within miles. Night too, was fast approaching. " Can you save us? " called the woman in a wild appeal, while the child clung to its mother's skirts, in terror. Ny " I'll try." answered Walter. _ "Do something quickly. The rait is going to pieces."Yes, something must be done quickly, if at all Walter realized. He had noticed a coil of rope on the fragment of raft one that was used for " snubbing " purposes. I "If only I had that rope ! " thought the little cowboy. ; j But how to jget •it was the. question. To "attempt to gain the raft by swimming was out of the question, since the rapids would carry him down among the; rocks. While debating the situation, Walter's hand touched the hall of twine. " .-'- -"" *

Quickly the lad drew ft forth and

began unwinding tne corn. All tne time he shouted encouragingly to the woman on the trembling raft. The ball was considerably reduced in size when the cowboy ceased unwinding it. Then he took several hitches to prevent further unwinding " I'm going to throw you a ball. I think I can hit the raft, and you must prevent it rolling of! if you value your life," he shouted to the woman.

Walter Bliss was an expert with a ball on the school grounds. He realized the awful responsibility resting on that one throw. Two human lives were in the balance.

Planting his feet firmly, the lad raised his hand and sent the ball through the air. It crossed the water and landed at the feet of the woman on the raft.

. A half-suppressed cry foil from the lips of Walter ; then he gave his orders rapidly, the woman seeming somewhat calmed at the coolness of her young friend. She made the cord fast to the end of the rope, then uncoiled it as Walter drew it gently on the string.

The boy walked down stream so as not to draw it too heavily against the current. At times it seemed ns though the string would break ; but it did not, and the end of the rope was finally in his hand.

A thrill of hope now filled his heart. Again he called to the woman, who obeyed his every command as an obedient child its parent. She made the rope fast to the end of a pile of heavy boards, when Walter drew it taut, and secured his end to the trunk of a tree.

Drawhig a long breath the little cowboy waded out with rope in hand, and when he could no longer wade, ho passed along the rope, hand over hand, and presently landed on the trembling raft.

Turning to the little girl—a child of six—Walter asked her to clasp him about the neck. The one obeyed, and clung so tightly as to nearly strangle poor Walter. He managed however, to reach' the bank in an exhausted condition.

Nerving himself for the last terrible ordeal, Walter worked his way once ; more to the trembling raft.

Before attempting to reach the shore, Walter loosened the rope, much to the surprise of the woman. "It is the only way," said the boy. "I am not'strong enough to carry you as I did the little girl, but with the rope low down, we can float in the water, and 1 believe I can draw us both'to the shore."

" Quick then ! The raft is going"

" Cling to me, and I will do my best," returned Walter, lowering himself into the water.

Surging up and down, almost losing his grip several times, the brave boy gained footing at last, and then the shore ; but no cry of triumph fell from his lips. Instead he sank fainting on the river bank. When he opened his eves at a bright light greeted him. A fire was buuning, and the woman he had rescued sat chaffing his hands. " Brave boy, I am glad you have opened your eyes at last," said she. " I found a tin box in your pocket and one dry match. With that I kindled a fire."

Walter glanced out upon the water Night had fallen. The clouds had drifted away, however, and a moon was high in the heavens. No vestige of the raft remained. "It went to pieces five minutes after we left it," the woman said. " But for you my little Ida and I would have perished. Tell me your name please ? " He told not only his name but his history. In return she said : " I am Mrs. Morrow of Detroit. My husband has lumber interests here and I have many friends. I was returning to the mouth of the river where I expected to take a boat for Detroit. Our pilot was an Indian, who it seems, had become pretty drunk before we started —a fact I did not suspect until we had run upon the rocks."' " What became of the pilot ? "

"He was drowned. His companion managed to float away on a plank, and may have been saved. We—lda and I—would have perished but for you, Walter. You are a brave boy and deserving a better home than the one you have."

" Thank you, Mrs. Morrow," said the little cowboy, chokingly. "I did what I could." " Providence is in it," said the lady, solemnly. How the three gained Mill Point it does not matter. It was morning when they arrived, and for one night at least the cowherd remained in the woods.

The outcome was more pleasant than. Walter dared to hope. Mr. Morrow came on from Detroit a few weeks later, full of gratitude for the hero who had saved his wife and only child. The upshot of it was, the little cowboy returned with the rich lumberman and became a member of his household. Mr. Morrow never regretted the step since his protege grew to be a good and noble man, an honour to his foster-parents, and to the city in which he found a home.