Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-10-25


had twenty-four rattles and pants
button.
The thing that surprised the party
most was the manner in which Bremen
killed the snake.
wonderful. wonderful" said Col.
STEELE, chow did you manage to do it,
John?"
'That was dead easy" he replied;
"you didn't know that | did the lady
snake charmer act with Barnum for two
seasons, did your"
This explained it fully. The party
then started for home and on the way
Miller told of meeting a similar snake
while shooting the rapids, a portion Of
the river that for some distance con-
sists of veritable cataract. Steenrod
and Zane, who were walking leisurely
behind, caught the drift OF the con-
versation, and Steenrod said:
"That's the sort of sport that l al
ways liked-shooting the rapids. It's
lucky, Plat, that we brought our shot
guns along"
But" interrupted Miller, you can't
shoot rapids with a shotgun"
Can't" said Platoff," then that's all
YOU know about shooting rapids. Lew
and l always shoot them with shotguns;
some fellows. of course, prefer rifle
or a smoothbore. but for a genuine
Nimrod a shotgun every time-ain't
that right, Lew"
cor a gatling gun" said Schellhase.
"No matter what kind of a gun, just
watch and see if Steenrod and I don't
shoot few of those rapids tomorrow"
! said Zane.
The other fellows kept quiet about
the rapids. After reaching the house
| Bremen sat on the stove until his
| clothes dried and conversation turned
| into politics.
| Early rext morning while Miller was
out in the barn yard milking the jersey
COW he saw Zane and Steenrod coming
stealthily from the house each armed
with a double-barrelled shotgun.
! "Shi" said Steenrod, "don't wake the
| other fellows, Plat and I are going out
to shoot those rapids, and we will have
them before thew are awake-skinned,
| dressed and ready to fry"
'You are all wrong; maybe you are
thinking CT rabbits?" said Miller, set
ting down his milk bucket-"the thin gs
we are talking about are rapids, water
falls you know"
ooh, I see now. I thought that all
the time but that is good one on Lew
say. Lew, that's a horse on you,
| said Platoff.
ITS a horse ON you," said Steenrod.
1--WE will call it draw" said Platoff,
and then they went quietly into the
| house and put the SHSS away.
After breakfast one Of the first ques-
lions asked was, when is P,atoff and
Lew going to shoot the rapids?" This
was said in such a manner as to cast
doubts upon the courage of the jealous
hunters.
"At once" replied Steenrod, cas- soon
as we can get to the raging waters.
Are you ready, Platt?''
81 am" responded Platoff, and the
party started.
"a little rapids like this is nothing,
said Zane. why, l have shot the
Niagara Falls even when an ordinary
person couldn't look at them without
having vertigo. Last time | was up
there | used to shoot them several times
before breakfast in order to get up an
appetite"
At last they arrived at the head 81
The sight below was grand and awful
The waters tossed about in angry and
furious commotion. But neither man
flinched; they took their places in the
skiff and commenced to paddle toward
the middle Of the stream.
Hold, held" cried STEELE, chad you
better not throw us your watches and
pocketbools. You can't tell what
might happen, you know"
But the voyagers laid no heed to
this, for the whirling waters grew
fiercer and they gazed in awe at the
seething whirlpools before them
Say, Platt, 1 am dead sick of this
business" said Steenrod.
so am l." was Platoff's solemn re-
Spouse.
Now they were entering the rapids
proper.
ITS doughnuts to dollars that some
one is going to get wet on this trip"
remarked Steenrod: cit locks squally"
"Then let us shut our eyes,
The frail craft seemed as if gliding
on a stream of fluid lightning
bows seemed to be chasing in all di-
rections. and the spray shot hithor and
thither and the foam boiled and dubbed
in front, behind and all around them.
They were in the midst of a rushing
| torrent that was appalling.
They clung to the sides of the frail
craft as swifter and swifter they were
hurled onward through the rushing
| water.
| SAY, Platt, 7 wish 7 was back in
| Wheeling" said Steenrod
COR on shore" said Zane.
! He opened his ewes and glanced
| ahead. look, look,." he shouted.
| "Saved, saved, a tree. a beautiful tree,
| pro-,ore 70 ora n it'r
Overhanging far out over the water
were the limbs of gigantic tree-they
| nearly touched the foaming surface.
In a minute the skiff was under it.
! Both sprang and caught the branches
while the skiff shot onward like
rocket. Their legs dangled in the
water hut they soon climbed up among
the higher branches.
The party on shore had started in
pursuit. but it was imDossible for them
to keep nace with the skiff and its
riders After going for a quarter of a
t, mile through the tangled shrubberv
along the shore. they We're checked bv
distant music-sime che was SINGING
sweet and melidious came the notes Of
''Throw out the life line. throw out the
life line" It was a Duet, sweet and