Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1898-09-30
ON AN ICE RAFT
BY Lawrence Boone.

~ @ Copyright 1898.
TOE GILLETT was perfect little
ii 'water-rat," and Bob Adler was no
better. Of course, as they did every
thing together, there couldn't be much
difference. To be sure, Joe's father
worked in the sawmill, and Bob's
father owned it; so Bob was dressed in
clothes that cost a little more, but
after he had worn them week you
wouldn't have suspected it. He had
good shoes, too, but he never put them
on in warm weather. All summer
long both boys went barefoot, with
their trousers rolled above their
knees, and spent most of their time
in, under and over the mill pond,
swimming and diving and racing about
on the floating logs. The last was
dangerous sport, for even the best of
swimmers may be drowned if he goes
beneath a mass of logs; they close
over him and shut him down like a
heavy floor, and when he attempts to
rise there are big chances that he
won't be able to find an opening.
In winter the boys found things
rather dull, and could even be induced
to go to school part of the time. That
is, Bob was induced partly by me-
chanical appliances-and where Bob
went Joe went. But when spring
came, and the melting SHOWS and early
rains began to break up the ice, moth
ing could hold them. Away to the
river they ran in spite of everybody,
and perched on the bank to watch the
endless procession of big cakes as they
surged and bumped down the flooded
stream. If that had been all they
might have been forgiven, for it GER
tainly is an exciting spectacle. fear,
however, that they didn't always stick
to their safe perches on the shore;
and if they ventured further, no mat
ter how cautiously, they took an awful
and inexcusable risk. Stealing rides
on an ice-pack is more perilous even
than playing tag on drive of logs. TO
stake our lives against little fun is
game that never pays, and it is as
wicked as it is silly. Life was not
given for plaything-even to boy.
1t happened that the mill which
Bob's father owned was near the
mouth of one of the smaller rivers that
flow into the St. Lawrence; and as
the ice rarely went out of two streams
at exactly the same time, the boys
had the benefit of two successive
break-ups-the greater of which was
scarcely less formidable than an Arc
tic foe, for the channel was fully
mile wide. With this green ST. Law
renee ice, sweeping in turbulent,
grinding masses toward the sea, even
Bob and Joe were afraid to NEEDLE;
yet they had INDUCED in the reckless
sports so long that danger had fasci-
nation for them, and at last they
yielded to temptation.
The winter had been unusually long
and cold that year, and the spring
thaws came late. When the boys paid
their usual visit to the shore on the day
OF their foolhardy adventure, they
found the little millstream still tight
ly frozen; and broad margin of un-
broken ice fringed the banks of the
St. Lawrence itself-though medley
of great cakes mingled with pulpy
fragments was pouring down the mid
die. So they strapped on their skates,
and soon had earned a very good whip
ping by the senseless risks they took;
but nobody was there to see them,
and as nothing in particular happened,
they presently wearied. Then they
caught sight of an old fat-bottomed
skiff, lying upside-down on the beach.
That looked interesting, and they
pried it over. 1t was warped and rot
ten, and gaped with cracks; evident
~ it had lain there long while.
'What shall we do with her?"
queried Bob; for of course, being
boys, and such boys, they must do
something.
''I'I tell you what" exclaimed Joe.
LESS shove her over the ice an send
her downstream. She's no good here"
This is sort of reasoning that only
boys can appreciate; but with boys it
goes. The two madcaps pulled off their
skates and began tugging.
''She's heavier'n dozy old saw log"
cried Bob; and they had to scatter
snow over the bare gravel of the beach
before they could slide the ponderous
affair down to the ice. Then it went
easier, and at, last they got it to the
edge of the open water.
Here they paused to take breath be-
tore giving the final push; and while