The Forrest City times., 1893-02-17

her recovery, and i set OF with Dualla
and another towardsthe Great cataract
of Kintamo, over the hill of Leopold
vile.
On reaching the summit overlooking
the cataract, Stretch, one of the young
attendants, with his sharp eyes de-
tected the boat about midstream
stranded on a reef the lower part of
which seemed to hang over the edge of
the roaring cataract With my glass
could see her like tiny speck com
pared to the mile-wide river. Above
the reef the puissant Congo was treach-
erously placid, but we. who had SO
often crossed it two miles above the
station within view of the gulf, had
often occasion to dread its terrible
velocity, and below the reef 1t was all
a scene of remorseless fury-a count
less series of tossing waves and spray
crowded crests, and here and there
veritable trwers which were no sooner
formed than they seemed to be swung
bodily into the air to be followed
by others. The eye was fascinated by
the wild picture of tremendous strength
and incessant rage which the Great
cataract furnished at this view Of it.
One could gaze at it for hours for its
suggestion of ceaseless passion, power,
and it's awful ,ngulfingness, while its
hoarse roar is in fit volume and accom-
paniment to the watery horror.
l sat down and studied the river above
the reef From our side the boat was
quite seven hundred yards and about
one thousand yards from the opposite
hank. The low rock on which it lay
was probably fifty yards in width and
rose about foot above the water, and
by one of those surges caused by the
vicinity of the cataract and shifting
currents the boat had doubtless been
swayed aside and had rested on what
appeared to be the beginning of q
groove or channel Various plans were
vaguely formed for saving it, but were
dismissed owing to the imminent dan
GER A foot rise in the river would also
sweep the boat over the reef into cer-
tain destruction.
We returned to the station. At our
beach were paddle steamer and q
canoe. We set mark by driving peg
at the water line and resolved to wait
and see whether the river rose or fell.
Twenty hours later the river had
subsidized six inches. l went back to
the hill of Leopoldville. The boat was
higher out of the water, the reef was
larger, and extended further up the
river in low gray tongue OF rock.
That was one great comfort.
On the third day the river had sub
sided several inches more; the reef was
still larger. Dualla was by my side,
and looking at the river conceived
plan which audibly revealed, saying
that, "if l were younger and had not
so many responsibilities on me, l could
save her. l would have liked such q
job. But whom have l that could be
trusted for such delicate task as this?
and if single life were lost. l should
never forgive myself. Yet if l had =
man who could remember instructions,
and obey them to the letter, that boat
would be in our cove in short time"
''Can do it, sir?" asked Dualla, as
though had been addressing him.
You, sho. was thinking of a dar-
ing young officer who could learn his
lesson by heart and act accordingly.
What could you do?'
Il could try, SIR"
mo doubt you could try, my boy:
but it wants head as well as bold
heart here"
"Well, sir. do not see myself how
any body could get to that boat think
she is already lost, for she is only five
yards from the cataract, and long be-
fore we could get to the reef we should
be over the falls, as the current flows
like flying arrow. But how do you
think, sir, anyone could get there?"
well, the thing is easy. provided
one was sure of his crew. l would
take that new coil of MANILA rope
which is in our storeroom. and which
is three hundred yards long. and
would tie one end of it to our steamer
anchor. l would then choose the best
canoe men in the camp, man our canoe
at the beach, strike out boldly for the
center of the river from our cove, and
when l saw that the boat and reef were
directly below me l would steer straight
toward them. When about two hun
dred and fifty yards above the reef
point | would then drop my anchor,
and pay out the hawser half its length.
The other half. after making fast at
the bow of the canoe, l would pay out
along the length of the canoe, make
fast at the stern, and then the best
man should swim down to the boat
with the other end of the rope. and
make it fast to the ring bolt at the
boats bow. Then the rest of the crew
would float down by the rope to the
reef, and all hands, after putting an
oar under her bow. would roll the boat
up bit by bit over the reef until she