The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-08-26

smoothly along until the upper eddy
being reached, the boats head was turned
into the mid current Then il teeemed AZ
if seized by q Monster. II was whirled
around like a top, shot for second on
the top of great surge, and shot down
again out Of sight aud under. There
was Il momentary glimpse Of the tlve
men, padding wildly and half rising
from their seats; the next they were oil
gone. A hundred CARDS below, like a
whale shooting ont of water to blow,
came the boat, bottom up, from the
depths, and clinging 10 her was Wang
Chu. 1t was dashed against the Black
Rock, and pressed under by the current!
Wang Chu sprang on the rock. The rest
were never seen. Sims and the straggler
gazed like men in q dream. There before
them, were still the rushing roaring
stream, the sun shining, the birds sing
ing; all going on and having gone
through it all as though twas happening
or had happened, and in five seconds,
four human beings snatched from life. to
death.
But Wang Chu must be rescued. There
was the poor, half-submerged creature
on the rock, the ice-cold current at times
dashing clear over him, and striving, as
it were, to tear him from his hold and
between him and the shore the merciless
stream, which could as easily sweep
away thousand as one,
There he remained until night. Grad
ually the population Of Texas Bar and
Bixel's Flat accumulated on the spot.
All measures to float him a. line, by
which he might be hauled on shore,
proved abortiVe.
"I'll swim off and take q line to him."
at last said Sims.
"Don't co., said some one among the
crowd ";its certain deathW
al willW said Sims
"No you won't-not if can help it,"
said Jim Freemante. "Your'e wrong to
try it and if you do, we're going to stop
you. We've az good right to stop
man from committing suicide as murder.
There was o murmur Of assent from
the bystanders. Sims turned away and
walked to his cabin. When again he
emerged, twas with cooked six-shooter
in his hand. He came straight toward
the group andspoke: al ..
"You say you will stopme from swim.
ming off to the Black Rock. do not
intend that you shall You have sue
ceededl in making my life thoroughly
miserable on this Flat by injustice, taunt
and abuse, and now that there's chance
for getting rid of it you want to stop me.
You see you have made mistake. You
have put me up for man without grit.
Well, Pm going to show you that courage
runs in streaks, and it takes different
circumstances in different men to draw it
out, I'm courageous enough now to own
that have backed down before some of
your six-shooters, because didn't think
my life was worth your dirty little claim.
But any Of you would risk your lives in
a dispute over a pack of cards, because
you've got fighting reputation to keep
up at any cost, and you dare not live to
be called coward by some hound who
would pick your pockets had he achance.
Not one ofyou dare 60 near Tom Wilson's
cabin, when | nufsed him through the
small -pox. Not one of you dare 60 a
prospecting as / did on the head waters
of the OWENS River and camp out for
weeks alone, fifty miles rom the nearest
settlement And I'm not afraid Of the
river, savage as it looks; for the roar of
its waters, as / have listened to them
many long night in my cabin, has been
a kinder voice than any of yours, and if
| drown, | want the Stanislaus to bury
me somewhere deep down in it's channel
where your hands at least may never
drag me out. Let me pass !"
The made way for him, His face was
white, hard, firm, and desperate. He
walked with proud step, like a king
going to the scaffold. All the shrinking
timidity, the baffled hesitation of former
days. had disappeared. 1t was another
man who passed through the crowd,
another being who had, as it were, sud
denly risen up and usurped the body Of
Timid Sims.
"He's got the sand, bo-,". said Alick
Ware.
Jim Freemantle walked hastily little
abe d of The rest Look here, SIMS"
said he with more k ndly intonation in
his voice than ever he had used in
speaking to him before; look here
come back boy-if you go in, you're only
goin' to get drownded for Chinaman-
'tisn't worth it anyhow-and-and we've
made a mistake, and you've got the grit,
that's all. Here, take my hand"
Sims took the proffered hand 1t was
but for moment. He did not allow the
grasp to detain him. cts too late,' !,
said he. " / don't want your kind words
now. | don't need them. | stand above
you all, and I've known it this many a
day. Pm going to prove to you that |
don't fear death. If should turn back,
you'd say in less than a week I'd been
playing a game of bluff. always knew
| had grit enough in me. 1t wanted only
your scorn and that poor creatures eX-
iremity to bring it out"
He walked for few yards further up
the river bank, made one end Of the
light line he carried fast to stake,
dlvested himself of his upper clothing.
and holding the other end of the warp,
plunged in. 1t wasall over in a moment.
Down with race-horse speed he was
borne on the surging muddy billows to-
ward the Black Rock; down he came,
borne ike feather with one arm up
lifted, as he was shot past, he held out to
the Chnaman the life-preserving line,
which the poor creature eagerly grtlsped.
But Sims could get no hold of the black
and polished bowder. The fearful cur
rent roaring and trembling, bore him in
to the mouth OF the Big Canon; but no
one on Texas Bar after that hour ever
spoke Of 'Timid Sims"