Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1897-03-13

than we did, and the owner of the Mist |
Maiden looked somewhat concerned. |
But our pilot was no novice, as he soon |
proved to our satisfaction. The Frost |
Giant, now little ahead, put her helm |
! hard down, and dashed athwart our
bow. making for the opposite side of
the lake, where the wind was strong
est. Our pilot had evidently been
waiting for this. because the Mist Maid
en- clipped across the wake of her rival,
ana made straight for the point marx
Ing the turn in the lake, shortening
the course two hundred yards 1T a
slight sacrifice of wind. This maneu-
yer put the two boats again abreast.
and after rounding the point they
closed In on each ether. We were now
dashing along at magnificent speed,
with the driving wind over our quar-
ter. The girls sat in the box as quiet
as mice, their eyes cleaning with ex-
eitement. For a mile or two the Mist
Maiden and the Frost Giant drove
along, almost abreast. and with scarce
~ twenty feet of ice between them.
Tine crews hardly exchanged a word.
ard the silence was broken only by the
whirring runners and the steady swish
OF their sharp iron heels.
Now the Frost Giants larger spread
of canvas began to tell ON her speed,
and she drew slowly away from us. Our
fair mascots' faces were picture when
the Giant soon showed US a clean pair
OF heels. and we all felt little dubious
--all except, perhaps, our imperturba-
bic skipper. II hardly seemed possible
! for any boat TO improve on our terrific
speed and hold together, yet the Frost
Giant was certainly doing 1t. But soon
the eyes OF even our calm heimsman
began 10 sparkle a little. and though
the tiller shook and trembled In his
: hands from the rapid pounding OF the
runner beneath. he held the Mist Maid
en- straight to her course.
Both boats skirted the first and Sec
: ond fields OF se;-lines on the same side,
and we were compelled TO drop in our
rivals wake. The first and second big
cracks both boats crossed, close to the
shoreline, on the same side. the Mist
Maiden still following the Frost Giant.
To gain on her. then. swerye from the
course and pass her, seemed quite hope
less. Though the little Maiden pound
ed along ut speed that would have
taken our breath had 1t not been with
the wind, the memorable Giant con-
iinued to draw away from us. Now we
rapidly neared the field OF set-lines be-
yond which lay the last big crack-one
mile from the dam, and the Mist Maid
en- In the rear fully forty yards. The
Frost Giant veered sharply to the left
to make a long angle for the passage
over the crack. shortening the run and
clearing the set-lines The Mist Maid
en- shot straight ahead. The lookout
turned around in frenzy and shouted,
,.Set-lines, Swing her to port, quick.
You can't make the crack on the
right"
But the skipper never word said
he" What was the matter with him?
We looked upon the race as lost. A
cry of derision went up from the Frost
Giant. II was too late now, under the
fearful speed. to make a sharp turn to
the left: to the right was no better
and the set-lnes were almost under US
The only thing to do was to throw her
up in the wind. at the risk of tearing
off the runners. But still we sped
straight ahead. The lookout danced In
excitement: the girls cheeks were pale
| the rest OF us were dumbfounded ant
helpless. and ingulfment in the crack
now hardly hundred feet away. stared
us in the face. Snap! snap! and two
SETTINGS were gone to Davy Jones'l
4 locker.
4 "Set-Iines. Set-lines" again hoarse
" screamed the lookout.
j "Set-lines be --." IL he finished
4 the sentence the wild wind charitabl!
waited away the rest of the dought.
helmsman's words across the Ice, wher
there were no gentle ears to hear. Tn
lookout wheeled around in despair
now thoroughly frightened, and cried
= "Heave her to! Heave her to, for God
OF sakew
list But on we went. Snap! snap! wen
as the SETTINGS again, and with the i'm
in precautions of the outraged fisherma
sly family borne TO our ears upon th
en- wings of the wind, we dashed straigh
" for the crack. The thin black ic
Ter yawned before us. The girls screame
,s- in fright and chung to the swayin
we boat, breathless. Then she struck TIL
on thin ice bent beneath the blow rs If
VS. ingulf us, and the icy water jetted froi
lily score Of cracks. But before we coul
list sink, the stanch little Mist Maiden ha
ice mounted the solid ice on the ptht
ats side: then she dashed nobly down u
ly, straight course, and reached the dal
nss fully thirty seconds before the Fro
irk Giant, and In Just eleven minutes an
de, thirty-two seconds from the time 81
he left the eght-mile bridge.