Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-02-15


swept over me; then the spirit of my
youth and mo ependerce arose again
II have no friend, and will fix things
for myself. Get your chain, and come
to the rear of the raft. We will pick
out the logs and fasten them together,
and then you can call Nicholson," and
[ turned away.
"But you'll have some one to act for
yOu-to see fair play-too"
'No = l cried, shaTply-''n0 one IF
my knife cannot win me fair play, III
not look for ii among tbs gang. Get
your chain"
if daZed, then, with q muttered curse,
he left nae, to rejOin me d moment
later, near the stern Of the raft with &
short chain and two iron staples in his
hands.
"Select your log" said I.
+: e picked out ore large and not very
round, with the bark gone, but with
many knots rougheniBg its surface. I
selected s somewhat smaller one, with
a coarse bark. 4 icw blows of an axe
released both logs from the withes
which bound them to the others about
them, and, uniting our strength, we
dragged them across the raft and launch
ed them st the stern. Then with the
staples we fast ened the iron chain END
and end to the logs. binding each near
the middle.
When pushed free from the raft, they
flOated s0mr Twenty-Five feet apart, fol-
lowing It's OWn motion in the current
Ind edales, occasionally swinging SO
close as almost ID toucn, and again Sc
parating until Iestrai1 I'd by the chain.
"They'l d." sad my companion.
"I'll go for Nicholson"
Perhaps I ought to have prayed.
had time while waiting, and [ knew
how; but M ho8r5 was not filed with
prayer. nor yot ear, but hatred. I felt
that / had been hunted down, ard a
fierce desire 10 Kill indaIned me.
Had | prayed ~2uld have been for
success il 5na C).uitg combat, not for
simple safety.
A scnad - my side caused me 20
tuTn. Tn E2aI, bad returned, and ny
ant s0nis5 was With him. A thrill Of
joy ran through ne as I noted the pal
iUr &C Nichoi5OE'a fsce.
"He IS afra.1! 7 shall kill bimm
whispered 10 myself.
Now SURG 10 your shirts and breech-
es, take your knives IN your teeth, and,
when [ give the HoyI. Jump in and
swim for the logs. Either man 10
either log" said the third party TO this
stI&rge encounter,
Silently we Obeyed, dierobing our
selves, land standing, Il moment later.
side b. eide upon the edge Of the raft"
"Are you ready? Go!'
Two p'Jrgas that were but az che,
two dark heads above the muddy foam
Of the river, and an instant latter, two
men aArriie Of two luating logs faced
each 0iher, each WITH murder il his
eyesl
! had secured the smaller log, per
haps hy CaannP, perhaps becau-e my
antagonist had sought the o:her one,
hut | felt it to be on adval tdge.
clntd move my support more rapidly
and easily than be could bis-C9uld al
tack Or 9csreat with less cxortiun
E 'eh held his ku-f, in hand and set
lied himself Oh hie llE; tnen Nicb olson
began WITH his uuarmed hand 20 pad
die slowly toward ms.
Perhaps this fH0ti0n Of orr lngs af-
itc 60 orr relative position to the raft
perhaps SONG eddyiDg current seized
Us, bat Th@' ever the cause. Just SIS ylg
enemy was ",nosc within reaeh, and
both were preparing with tense nerves
for the coming contest, a sndden
plunge OF Il e logs forced US b0th TO
look 70 our Individual safety, and I no
Gced to my astonishment that instead
Of following IN the wake of the great
raft, we had drifted to one side, aud
were now abreast of it, moving with
much greater speed than the raft itself,
and evidently bound on an indenead-
ent journey 70 the gulf.
The sight startled me and I cried out:
'We ate being swept away"
NlchOleou half turned, then careless
Of aN else, looked back at me, and our
logs nOw ranging side By side, leaned
toward me, his knife-hanG half out
stretched. Z bent back to avoid him.
when 3 sadden plunge Of the tree
trunk upon which [ rode, threw noe 81
most into MY ANTAGONISTS arms, and
his cleaning blade shot downward like
the flash of D hawks wing.
I could not ward the blow for I had
almos5 lost my balance, but one thing
remained to do, and 7 did il. Slipping
from my log, and diving, the knife
missed me, but Nicholson overborne
by the force OF his stroke, followed me
headiOng into the muddy stream.
Neither Of us feared the involuntary
plunge, bat as I came to the surface q
sudden horror shot through mel had
dropped my knifel At the same in
slant the head of gay enemy appeared
at my side, followed by the sinewy arm
and the shining blade. He threw him
self upon me and raised his hand TO
strike. ! was lns,!
But even as g.! closed my eyes IN the
horror of despair, Il sud len rush sound
60 III my eaTS, 81 dark ~omething pass
ed close BY me, the knife that had
sought NY throat sank glittering
through the water, and with q strange
grOan, and with y ,ivering outreach-
ing OF his hands, Nicholson, q hfeless
body, followed il,
The log upon which ne had ridden
had been thrown bT the current end
on against his head, crushing it like RI
egg-sle0. / was saved.
4 Yankee Boys Quickly Made Fortune
[spria.fsld Republican,
A, ,,,ste-.,,a Dc q S-roa4 ScIJ I,ors,