Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-09-04

limb below to aid his ascent At the
same moment the alligator struck it
also. 1t slivered and broke while the
huge saurian fell back into the lake
with sullen plunge and disappeared.
Death was STAYED off for the present,
but for how long? Would the branch
they were clinging to prove more trust
worthy than the one they had left?
There was no other available.
All the branches above them were
bare and rotten to the root. The cur
rent had swept their boat far beyond
reach, and the turmoil of the water
below showed that the alligators were
waiting for their prey. There the cum
ming brutes would wait until exhaustion
! forced their victims to fall into their
jaws.
Rob and Ike shouted for help, in the
forlorn hope that some hunter or fisher
might hear them; but the gloomy
swamp swallowed up their voices, and
returned not even an echo to give them
delusive comfort.
If Rob had been so disposed. he
could have found food for reflection
in the sermon the alligators were
preaching to him on the evil conse-
quences of disobedience and deceit ;
but he was too full of terror and de-
spair to think of anything but the ter
rible fate which threatened him.
After while he noticed Ike anxious
ly examining the bough they were rest
ing on. When the old man looked up
his face was ashy.
"Marse Rob-" he whispered. His
voice shook in spite of his brave effort
to steady it. Rob looked Mt him 81
lently.
"Marse Rob, dis here limb crackin'.
Look dar ~ He pointed to rift near
where it joined the trunk. "It can't
hop us bofe up much longer"
Rob gazed in dumb, questioning de-
spair into the negro's face.
'It can't hol' us bofe, but it kin
hol you, young marse! Yere little N
light; it'll bar yo weight. Yer mar
trusn you to me, N mus TEX keer
on yer. I'll des let go n drap."
With wild sob the boy flung his
arms around the old negro's neck.
so Uncle Ike she didn't she did
MT 1 lied to you about it. Mother
didn't trust me to you-she never knew
/ was coming! You shan't die for
mel / don't deserve it! 1 don't!
don't !"
"Well, den, Marse Rob, you trusn
yo'se'f to me, n dat's de mo- cause
sh'u'd TEX keer on yer. couldn't go
home widout yer, N tell ole marse n
mis- l lef' yer to be eat up by dem
varmints / cudn't do it eff / had de
chance, m l amt got no chance. But
de limb III bar you up be yo'se'f, n
dem creeters mought go off after dey
Rob seized the old man more
tightly.
ON den you kin swim ter lam
easy" Ike went on. 'Tain't no ways,
hardly. M eff yer does get safe to
lan,' honey, don't yer try to fine yer
way out'n de swamp. Des you ontie
my ole mule, N he'll lead yer straight
| home. N when yer gifts to be man,
young marse, yer'll tex keer O de ole
oman N de chillun's, n neber part
'em, fur ole Ike's sake"
As if they heard and understood,
three or four alligators here reared
their ugly heads from the water, and
fixed their dull, cruel eyes on their
expected victim. The old man shud-
dered violently and turned his eyes
way.
"Oh, stop! stop" cried the boy.
F(Onlu lnnE 10 haf
hold on just little longer! Let me
holler again. Maybe somebody will
hear"
''Holler dez ez much ez yer choose,
honey, but Use feared nobody won't
hear yer, 'cep'n dem varmints down
dar, n 'twon't mex no sort o def
f'unce to DEM"
Bob raised his voice in shrill, de-
spairing scream. "Help help help -
A loud shout came in answer, and
round point of land close by swept u
four-oared boat rowed swiftly to their
rescue.
''Oh, thank God thank God p cried
the boy. "Saved, Uncle Ike, both
saved -
His exultant cry was half drowned
in the loud, ominous crack of the
bough. 1t split through half its length,
and the end dropped down toward the
water. Without word old Ike loosed
his hold, while the branch, relieved
from his weight, partially regained it's
place.
A splash in the water, scream of
agony, shouts, blows, shots fired in
quick succession were the last sounds
Rob heard, rs his hold relaxed and he
fell senseless into the water, to be in
stantly pulled ont and laid in the boat.
When he came to himself, his head
was resting on his fathers knee and
his fathers eyes were looking anxiously
in his face, but no one else paid any
attention to him. All were busy round
a body lying in the bottom of the
boat. Oh, was Uncle Ike saved after
all?
Yes, by prompt succor and desperate
efforts, the wreck of the faithful, brave
old man was rescued from the savage
jaws of the alligators, but with one arm