Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-06-09
CAST OUT,
But Not Forsaker1
Icopyright 1892. by A N. Kellogg Newspaper Col
CHAPTER XIII.
BY BERNARD BIGsBx

UP THE QUAGLA RIVER
1t requires a pen far more graphic
than can WELD to give even faint de-
scription OF the utter desolation Of the
country through which the Quagla river
wound its tortuous course; now through
regions of impossible jungles, where
wild beasts and reptiles found lurking
places, and where the dark waters
rolled on with scarce current; and,
anon, barren rocks and sandy wastes
past which the river flowed like a tor
rent Towards night and IN the early
morning dense miasmatic fogs arose,
sitting unhappy human beings with
foul exhalations, and almost more I'M
endurable than the terrible heat of day.
The river too swarmed with huge sauri-
ans-scaly monsters twenty feet long
not the timid alligators of Florida, but
fierce creatures which were mans dead
lest enemy, more to be dreaded even
than the gigantic boa serpents which
they frequently saw hanging from the
limbs of the trees on the bank, whose
embrace would crush ones body to a
ShapeleSS mass
Five days had passed since the wan
derers left the Cingalese village. They
had toiled on regardless of heat, thirst
or hunger-thirst say, for the muddy
water was so impregnated with the de-
cayed vegetable matter of ages that its
taste was revolving.
Night was fast approaching. In that
tropical region the curtain of darkness
falls with rush, folding in impenetra-
BILE gloom the landscape that scarce a
few minutes before was bathed in the
golden rays of the setting sun. By and
by the stars will come out one by one
with twinkling brightness, and present
ly the moon with a majesty unknown
in temperate zones will food the heav-
ems with its silvery sheen; but mean
while the fog hangs over the river and
even the dazzling torches at the head
of the sampan fail to make an object a
dozen PAGES distant visible.
.'Can you take your spell at the pad
die, Mr.. Dunbar; Or has the miasma of
this accursed stream poisoned your
blood?'' Campignon asked, barring his
own arm for the nightly toll.
81 am in rather a dead-alive condi-
tion," Arthur Dunbar replied, ''but
good for my share of the work yet.
What a few more days of this bodily
torture may do for me cannot tell, but
as long as can WELD paddle 1 shall
not shrink from the burden"
just then a human cry startled the
speaker scream of mortal agony,
sounding very weird-like in the black
ness of the night This was followed
by loud splash, and then a hoarse
voice rang out in a tone of command.
''For your life, sir, be silent!' Cam
pignon cried, as he dashed to the bow
of the boat, and Selling the torches
plunged them into the kissing water,
There is war-canoe coming down
the river, hear the strokes of their
paddles, and our only safety lies in
finding a hiding place"
Muttering few words to the Malays
he babe them turn the nose of the boat
ashore, which they did with marvellous
instinct, considering how irnpenetrable
was the darkness with which they were
surrounded. Only just in time did they
succeed in reaching the friendly bashi
reeds, behind whose waving plume:
they were safe from observation; fol
with rush huge canoe, manned by {
score of nearly naked savages and Ii
by a dozen flaming torches, flashed
down the stream. At the stern sat ;