The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-02-17

rather than forward his hands folded on his
breast, breathing hard. holding his lips
tightly set and bravely. determinedly dar-
ing to await the worst where he stood.
And now he could distinctly hear the
humping of a boat; an empty. boat. He
was certain that it was a boat; he was GER
And he was certain that the boat was
empty. 1t would be idle to explain how he
knew all this SO certainly, but 1T is enough
to say that he knew. Nature. when you
leave lea OFT your cunning mn = snc or = art tim is very re la
at their best. And the best that your
senses are capable of you will never know
till put to trial.
John Gray had lost his dread to some ex-
tent now. Nothing supernatural at all was
there at all in the Dumping and humping
of an empty boat against the sucking of a
rising and infowIng well, and he began to
speculate on this additional evidence in
support of his Buried River theory.
Here was a well. or air-hole. The river
flowed on under this fiume to the sea. The
mouth of this river was being closed up by
the filling in of the Sacramento river from
the long and continued washing down of
would turn this Buried River back on itself
daily. But back of that lay the fact that
the Buried River was badly choked at the
mouth, as before explained, and when great
work IN finding expression, and so Hooded
its own banks.
Reasoning thus and almost forgetting
himself In following out this pleasant So
luton of the mystery before him. John
Gray suddenly stood as stiff and cold as if
made of marble. He could not lift his
hands or even let them fall down to his
side from where they lay folded and COM
fortably doubled in with his arms across
his breast The boat was before him. But
such a boat! True, it was empty, as he
had guessed. True, it was a pontOOn boat
built of hide stretched tightly over a frame.
But such a sight there in the ~blackness of
night by the three graves no man ever saw
before.
1t was the great, white Spanish bull; and
looking him ri ght in the face across the
narrow rim of nodding lilies.
The eyes were brilliant little lamps trim
whole little heart of the copse was lighted
like a festal hall.
The wide and splendid horns were per
fectly in place. The mighty neck had lost
none of its noble strength and audacity.
The widened nOstrils were in the air. The
ears were alert. Battle and blood were in
every fold of the sweeping brisket.
1t was a wonderful work of art that the
strange girl had anchored here in the
breathing well by the neatly kept graves.
The skin had been opened at the back, the
legs drawn up and fastened from within.
The noble brute rode the waters on his
breast as bravely as when the adventures
Europa bestrOde her milk white bull far
Oh0 taC Va " hN GILL
the Hel1espOnt.
There were no oars or place for oars. A
paddle may have been hidden within; but
it was perilous making inquiry here IN
the artist was too much lost in admiration
for this beautiful piece of w0rktO be rudely
curious.
He noted, however. that great cords hung
loose and abundant about the narrow
canoe as if the boat might be almost en-
tirely closed. Broad flaps of sealskin hang
ing down the sides from the opening gave
proof of this.
some adroit way; just how or where could
not be seen. But the cunning hand INT
singular strength of body and mind that
had fashioned this most curious boat out of
a bulls hide and the little bay boughs
could not long be at a loss for means of
This bay tree here, growing in long, slim
little branches all over this part of the
land as a sort of frieze or border on the
banks of redwood rOves is the old Greek
bay. This graceful and evergreen tree,
spicy and fragrant, is the sacred laurel of
old which even the lightning respected.
1t is the same fibrOus, tough, pliable and
slhuOus bpG .gg, Pecominng hard as steel
for which the competitors at the Olympic
games struggled as the sole reward of their
pr0wess for so many centuries.
Surely pedigree, story, history, character,
Is WOTUu SOIQeIQlQB, even III II Tree.
Whether the girl came daily to trim her
lamps and her graves the man could not
guess: but certain it was now that he had
learned so much that he was sorry for his
intrusion; half ashamed and curious to
know how he should look her in the face
the next day and cOntrive to keep the
truth from her.
The debate did not last long. Far back
in life he had been assured by one who had
a right to say that the simple truth is best;
the plain clean truth first and all the time.
He would tell her all. concealing only
the name of Sanello, and take the conse-
quences of his audacity and her displeas-
ure.
While he resolved thus the great proud
neck arose and bobbed on the bosom of the
breathing waters and the savage head
tossed in his face even above the top of the
topmost lilies. The waters boiled and
dubbed over the river and flowed at his
feet.
Then suddenly they began to recede; and
down. down, down. The lights drew down
n the man stood alone in the darkness.
CHAPTER X.
FARLA's NIGHT ON LIONS HEAD.
Farla was very angry. anurv at che