Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-05-21
his great strength, availed nothing.

his great strength, availed nothing.
Hooking the end of his pole in the
side of the recumbent forest monarch.
he strove again and again, till at
length the stout pole snapped in twain.
With a groan Burt stepped back and
looked down upon his PROSTATE enemy
whose head lay helpless upon its gran
tie pillow.
where's your pole?" he questioned.
And then he saw that it also was
bound beneath the weight of the log
Il tried to roll this log in" said Ned.
in weak, abject voice, from which all
traces of bravado had vanished, land
the log had slipped and it rolled back
on me. l amt hurt much, if you could
only get the log off me-"
Then he added in terror:
"The waters arising. I'll be
drowned surer'
An evil demon seemed to be whis-
pering in Burt Langdon's ear:
Molly Fairchild will be free for you
to win if he browns"
But Burt did not cease his exertion.
He put the evil thought from him as
it came again and again.
But vain were his efforts and now ne
was compelled to hold the doomed
mans head above the torrent to pre-
vent suffocation.
Burt" said Ned, his head just
above the flood that dashed so merci-
lessly around him and nearly swept
his wouldbe rescuer from his feet,
you know Molly Fairchild -"
Burt shuddered as he looked down
into the fear-distcrted face, around
which the cold, cruel waters were
rising inch by inch, and the tempter
himself of a successful rival.
But he fought the impulse down,
. and raised the helpless man as high as
possible, saying encouragingly:
Keep up heart, man! This log may
float yet before it's too later
''No, it won't! I'm goner" gasped
the drowning man. But Mollys pic
ture, you know"
Again that horrible temptation
strove to conquer Burt's better nature.
Did Ned Thorne want him to take a
message to the faitEless girl who had
turned from him to smile upon an
other?
He thought of the portrait of the fair
girl with the smiling eyes, which she
had refused him-for their courtship
was yet in an incipient stage-and
ground his teeth as he recollected that
at this moment Ned Thorne had the
coveted miniature in his possession,
claiming that the coy maiden had
given it to him a few weeks previously.
Burt having hired in the fall for the
whole winter, or "by the route and
Ned arriving at the commencement of
river driving.
well, I might as well tell you now"
for it is all up with me-" Ned gasped.
Burt raised his head a little higher.
81 stole that picture" he continued,
"and said she gave it to me, and then
you wrote that sharp letter to her, and
she flared up"
His sentence ended with a gurgling
VI anu ulS 1Citi Unsupported DCIiCdC Ill
the water as Burt releasd his hold.
The logs were floating by them now,
threatening to sweep Burt away.
Instead of seeking his own safety, as
he released his grasp upon his fated
enemy, Burt instantly placed his
strong breast against the partially
submerged log and gave one tremen-
dous lift. 1t surged, rolled, and swung
away, and then he clutched the drown
ing man and drew him from his
watery shroud.
Burt soon made his way to the shore
with his half-unconscious burden, for
a new JOY was in his heart and a new
vigor in his frame that laughed at
danger.
And Molly Fairchilds bosom beat
with happiness that she had deemed
dead forever, and both her and her
sturdy lover forgave Ned Thorne, who
danced as merrily as the gayest of
them all at the rustic wedding which
took place a few months later-Brook-
Ign Eagle.