The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-07-29

ing rouCneu, Un6 DOuU neau WIS UllTIleu
into the mid current. Then it seemed
as if seized by a monster. 1t was whirled
around like top, shot for second on
the top of great surge, and shot down
again out of sight and under. There
was q momentary glimpse of the five
men, padding wildly and half rising
from their seats; the next they were all
gone. A hundred yards below, like
whale shooting out of water to blow,
came the boat, bottom up, from the
depths, and clinging to it 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 gazcd like men in dream.
There, before them, were still the rush
ing, roaring stream, the sun shining, the
birds singing; all going on and having
gone through it all as though nothing
was happening or had happened, and, in
five seconds, four human beings snatched
fro n life to death
But Wang Chu must be rescued.
There was the poor, half-submerged
creature on the rock, the ice-cold cur
rent 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 q thousand men as
one.
There he remained until near night.
Gradually the population of Texas Bar
and Bixel's Flat accumulated on the spot,
All measures to float him line by which
he might be hauled on shore proved
abortive.
"I'll swim off and take a line to him,
at last said Sims.
"No, don't CO." said one among the
crowd; "it's certain death /"
81 will - said Sims.
"No, you won't-not if can help it,
said jim Freomantle. "You're wrong
to try it; and if you do, we're going to
stop you. We've as good right to stop
a man from committing suicide as
murder"
There was murnur of assent from
the bystanders. Sims turned away and
walked toward his cabin. When again
he emerged, it was with q cooked six
shooter in his hand. He came straight
toward the group and spoke:
"You say you will stop me from swim
ming off to the Black rock. do not
intend that you shall. You have sue
ceedcd 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 q mistake.
You've put me up for mn without a
grit. Well, I'm going to show you that
~ o1yc -,
different circumstances in different men
to draw it out I'm courageous enough
now to own that L backed down before
some of your six-shooters, because 1
didn't think my life was worth yon dirty
little claim. But any of you would risk
your lives in dispute over 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 q chance. Not one of
you dare go near Tom Wilson's cabin,
when l nursed him through the small
pox. Not one of you dare go prosect-
ing as L did on the headwators of Owen S
river, and camp out for weeks alone,
fifty miles from the nearest settlement.
And I'm not afra id of the river, savage
as it looks for the roar of its waters, as
I've listened to them many long night
in my cabin, has been kinder voice
than any of yours, and if L drown, I
want the Stanislaus to bury me some
where deep down in its channel, where
your hands at least may never drag me
out. Let mo pass!'
They made way for him. His face
was white, hard, firm and desperate.
He walked with q proud step, like a
king going to the scaffold. All the shrink
ing timidity, the baffled hesitation of
former days, had disappeared. 1t was
another man who passed through the
crowd, another being who had, as 1t
were, suddenly risen up and usurped
the body of Timid Sims.
Jim Freemante walked hastily a little
ahead of the rest. "Look here, Sims, /"
said he, with a more kindly 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 drowned for China
man-tisn't worth it anyhow-and-and
we've made n mistake, and you're grit,
that's all. Here, take my hand"
PlI1S tOOh tlo llTOIlereu nauu. LII was
but for moment. He did not allow
the grasp to detain him. ",It's too
late," said he. 81 don't want your
kind words now. 1 don't need them. 1
stand above you all, and I've known it
this many day. Tn going to prove to
you that / don't fear death. If l should
turn back you'd say in less than a week
I'd been playing game of bluff. al
ways knew had grit enough in me. 1t
only wanted your scorn and that poor
creatures extremity to bring it out"
He walked for a few yards further UP
the river bank, made one end of the
light line he carried fast to stake,
divested himself of his upper clothing,
and holding the other end of the warp,
plunged in. 1t was all over in mo-
ment. Down with racehorse speed he
was borne on the surging, muddy bill
lows toward the Black rock down he
came, borne like a feather with one
arm uplifted, as he was shot past, he
held out to the Chinaman the life-pre-
serving line, which the poor creature
eagerly grasped. But Sims could get no
hold of the black and polished boulder.
The fearful current, roaring and tremb-
ling, bore him into the mouth of the
Big canyon but no one on Texas Bar
after that hour ever spoke of "Timid