The leader., 1897-04-21

mutt was, and how Jake Leary had
lost his footing the previous spring
when the logs went out. When Jake's
foot slipped he was doomed man;
there was yet time for Jerry to turn
and run for life. But the wind swept
down and buffeted him, and its rage
entered his heart.
The huge mass of timber and ice
ouaked and groaned and the noise of
the surging water was louder. jerry
glanced again at the pitiful figure on
the rock, and sprang toward it, run
ming as the watchers had never seen
man run before. He shouted to Jim to
stand ready; and Jim, though he could
not hear. understood. With his friend
near he began to recover from his
numbing terror. AS the jam moved
with it's first long, grinding swell, Jerry
reached him.
Come on! That's the way. Here We
be, old fellow. Don't let go. Eff you do
EFF you do"
Now there was a sharp, splitting, tear
ing sound above the dull roar, which
told Jerry that the jam was breaking
from top to bottom. He leaped faster,
his face fiercer and very white. Jim
could feel the iron frame gather itself
convulsively. Only few hundred feet
now, and they would be safe. All!
That was nobly done. The men cheered
wildly. Jerry ran like deer before the
dogs, but the water pursued even more
swiftly. There was fearful crash and
a cry from Jim. He saw black wall of
water and jagged logs hidden in foam
rolling down upon them. The ice be-
meath Jerry's feet split to right and
left; it was moving, and he stumbled
twice. But with three jumps he could
reach the shore. One brave leap, an
other. and the ice cleared. Now a wide
lane of water swirled between him and
safety. George and the doctor were
standing waist deep in the stream to
help him, and he gathered his strength
for that last leap. The gap widened and
he saw it could not be done with Jim
as n handicap. He must toss the boy
over first. Jerry's foothold was now
only pitching block of ice, caught on
a temporary obstruction. AS they bal
anced, Jim chung to his friends neck,
and the big fellow smiled at him with
his old, sweet kindliness, though to-day
his eyes were brilliant and his face was
strong.
"Ali right, old man." he said. let
90 and Doc'll catch ye. Don't be scarf"
The wind, water and logs screamed
and crashed all about them.
"Now!" cried Jerry, and threw Jim
straight into DR.. Mason's arms. They
saw him stagger in the attempt to re-
cover his footing. Again and again ne
clinched his hands and crouched. But
he could not jump. The ice, oscillating
from his motion as he threw Jim,
saoped and careened beneath him, until
the steady feet failed and he fell face
downward. The men groaned aiouai
few turned away. and others ran INTO
the water to help him. He had been
swept beyond human aid, however
and they could only watch him die.
They saw him whirled into the water,
a. the block of ice broke into thou
sand fragments; once he faced them
ard waved his hand. In his face was
the light they had seen as he strobe
along the path ten minutes earlier.
His arm sank, and he was carried into
q clear place. All about. ice and logs
,,,,,nped and reared through the foam,
Int some within of wind or current held
then, from the drowning man. The
II ar he loved was kind. For an in
slant they saw his blond head above
the water and his hair gently lifted by
The stream, TAsR be sank quietly ana