26. OVER THE SEA.

 

was very soon after washed away by the force of the current. James Benson managed to
hoist his wife up on a limb of a fallen tree, and to get up there himself with Ned, and the
house-dog who had followed them jumped up too, shivering and whining with fright.

But after a time the father and the boy were knocked off by a big log that struck
Benson on the arm with which he was holding on, and though he managed to get to
another tree with the boy on his back, the poor child at last slipped off his father’s
‘shoulders into the water, while the tree, to which the mother still clung with her baby, was
swept down quite far away from the other two. It was a pitch dark night so that they
could see nothing, and the rain coming down in torrents.
The next morning early a relief party, which had been
sent out in search, came i
dering about not very
where the cottage
much exhausted

  
  
  
 
   
 
  
  
  
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
   

upon Benson wan-
far from the place ©
had stood; he was —
and battered about,
man who had lost
of the wife and
recovered till the

and seemed like a
his wits. The bodies
children were not
next day, one of
miles down the
some distance
In the midst of
at this terrible
son was yet able
three dear chil-
him. They had
time with a relative

them quite four
stream, and all
from each other.
his griefand misery
blow James Ben-

to thank God that
dren were still left to
-been staying at the
in another part, having
been attacked by some childish malady which
the other two had not taken, and as the baby
was delicate, it was thought better to send them away, and they were thus spared the sad
fate of the others. ,

Belle did her best to comfort her father in his affliction, and to be a mother to her younger
sister and brother. No children were better looked after or cared for, and it was very rarely
that she allowed Liberty away from her side, though Tommy, who was now ten years old, was
growing into a nice companion for his. father, who often took him with him on his rounds.

So it was rather in the way of a treat that the two started off together for the afternoon
all by themselves.

We must follow them to the big wool shed, at one end of which they went and sat

 

down on an upturned bucket, opposite to the long row of shearers. It was a capital place
to see all that was going on, for in front of every man on the other side of the shed are

 

! This is a true incident.