Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1876-07-15

Il should say that we did, old boy"
replied Gale. "I am only afraid that
we are moving trifle too fast"
"Don't you believe it. Those fellows
seem to be standing still"
"They will get it in moment. Look
at that"
The headmost canoe appeared upon
the crest of the rapid, and came flying
down after them at furious speed. The
Indians no longer used their paddles,
with the exception of the man who sat
in the stern, and by a touch on the wa
ter, now on this side then on the other,
regulated the course of the canoe.
The second canoe followed in mo-
ment, little further in shore.
AS they gazed, the bow of the last ca
noe was suddenly lifted into the air, as
it struck brown rock in the channel,
which the occupants had tried in vain to
avoid. The fierce current caught the
stern, and in an instant there was moth
ing left of the light craft save broken
fragments, while the occupants, with
loud shrieks of terror, were borne swift
ly on by the resistless tide.
"That ends them," said Gale White.
"Be careful, Sam for your life."
On, on, borne by the power which
they could not resist, the two canoes
were hurried. There was O sense of wild
exultation in the hearts of the white
men, for they could see that their enc
mics would have gladly escaped, if they
could, from the perils which surround
ed them. Their mad desire for scalps
and plunder had led them into trap,
and they 70 longer thought of the canoe
before them. They knew, as the whites
did not, the terrible danger before
them; for they had explored the banks
of the stream on foot many times. The
river suddenly narrowed, and they
rushed into canyon barely twenty feet
wide, nearly rooted over by the cliff
upon each side. The current was not
quite so rapid here, and they guided the
canoe more easily.
"This gets interesting, Gale" said
Sam Tully, as they went on through the
narrow pass. "We are going -
"To our death !" replied Gale White,
in a solemn voice. "Do you hear the
falls2 ;"
Through the splash of water and the
dip of the paddles they heard low,
dead, tremulous roar, which was the
sound of falling water. For a moment
the bronzed face of Sam Tully blenched,
and then he drew his figure up proudly.
"Better than the scalpiug knife or the
stake, old friend. AS the Frenchman
says: Vive la mort =
Long live death! 1t was before them,
for, as they shot out of the la'row pass,
they saw the fall before them, how high
they could not tell; but the smoke which
arose showed that it was not small
one.
"Keep her head to it," cried Gale.
eff we don't get through it, goodbye
forever"
The swift current caught them, and
the canoe, hurled forward with terrible
force, went flying toward the verge. A
moment more and it shot ont into the
mist, and went down into the unknown
depths. Each man clung to his paddle
as he went down, held by an invisible
power, whirled to and fro, as in {
m@lstrom, and then shot up into the
light, below the falls.
Far below them the canoe Heated
and as the rapid current swept then
down, the two men looked back, il
time to see the other canoe come ovel
the fall, sideways, without an occupant
It was hurled far out, and fell lightly OF
the water, only to be arrested by the
strong hand of Gale White.
The Indians, appalled, by their dan
ger, had upset the canoe in their frantic
efforts to escape. What became of then
the trappers never knew, for when the.
reached the foot of the rapid, far below
the falls, and righted the canoe, they
made no pause, but hurried down thu
stream, and before night were safel,
floating in the waters of Snake river
Two days later they reached fort il
safety.