134 THE COUNTRY BOY 



yelled at us. We couldn't see him although 

 he was as near as he could ride the bay mare, 

 owing to the four-foot walk. We yelled, 

 "Where have you been?" He said in return 

 he had been to Salem to see Bush (the banker 

 there). "Drove out," said he; "got back at 

 dark, was wet through anyway and my hired 

 man said that over town they believed the 

 Hults up near Cedar Camp were all down 

 with diphtheria. And I got to thinking maybe 

 they needed help, so I had the mare saddled 

 and I am going up." 



"Jake," my father called, "are you crazy? 

 Have you lost your wits entirely? Don't you 

 know that when you get into the live timber 

 in the mountains you will be struck every 

 twenty feet by flying hmbs?" 



"Well," he said, "I have thought of that, 

 but there is no way to get around that belt of 

 live timber, and I thought as I couldn't see at 

 all, I might take a chance and dodge the best 

 I can, so I'll be off." 



"Jake, hold on." But no answer came 

 from the black night but the howling storm. 

 We even waited a moment till the sheets of 

 water seemed to shift till we could call again, 



